--- In [email protected], "Pete Austin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > So...you are saying that the importance of standards are over- emphasized. But that the reason EDI is expensive is because they are not followed? > > While I agree with your assertion that companies twist the standards to their own ends, costing more, that only increases the need for following standards. I remember version 2003FORD (or was it 2040FORD? I guess that drinking to forget does work...) Companies need to get on standards committees to ensure that the standards meet their needs, not the other way around. >
Yes, in a perfect world, standards would solve everything. All businesses would know about them, all software packages would include "standard" in/outs and EDI would be a snap. But since we don't live in a perfect world, and since "standards" constantly change (what's the current version of X12 now?), it's almost a given that every EDI installation will be different. So, particularly for SMEs, the "message" isn't what's important. What's important is the ability to send/receive messages, translate messages, etc., especially if these SMEs service many vendors, as each vendor will most likely have a different "standard" message they use. So emphasizing a standard is not a practical reality. We'd all love to, but it just ain't going to happen. Rather, emphasis on a technology that can conform to any standard is much better. That's the "hype" behind XML. Does it solve all EDI problems, of course not, it just eases the pain of some of them. Bryce K. Nielsen SysOnyx, Inc. (www.sysonyx.com) Read the genesis of xmlHack, the Simple XML Editor http://www.sysonyx.com/xml-editor . Please use the following Message Identifiers as your subject prefix: <SALES>, <JOBS>, <LIST>, <TECH>, <MISC>, <EVENT>, <OFF-TOPIC> Access the list online at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EDI-L Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EDI-L/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
