eMessaging

BMS and XML schemas

The GS1 Business Message Standards (BMS) and Extensible Markup Language (XML) schemas demonstrate GS1's willingness to build on internet communications not existing when EDIFACT (Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport) began over 25 years ago.

The Global Commerce Initiative (GCI) has endorsed the efforts and the standards.

Through the GS1 BMS and XML schemas, GS1 are offering a suite of global Business to Business (B2B) standards aimed at solving some of the major challenges of eCommerce.

This includes:

Lack of data synchronisation among trading partners for: item, party, price and other processes
Complexity and redundancy inherent in follow up business processes resulting from lack of data synchronisation

The business process areas that have been recognised include: align, deliver, pay, plan and technical messages.

The GS1 BMS provide the following key features:

Adhere to global standards defined by business users
Adhere to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommendations. W3C develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Internet to its full potential as a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding. W3C is the standards organisation for XML and approved the standard for XML schemas
Tested for functionality in an eCommerce environment
Developed using a world class standards management process known as the Global Standards Management Process (GSMP)
Uses the eBMethodology that is based on international standards such as: ebXML, UN/CEFACT Modelling Methodology (UMM) and W3C. Alignment with these international standards bodies ensures speed in development, reusability of components and extensibility

GS1 does not see XML replacing traditional Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) syntaxes such as UN/EDIFACT, both are viable B2B syntaxes and have varying strengths in different areas. GS1 believes that the implementation of EDIFACT will continue to grow into the future. XML and EDIFACT will be used as complementing standards and will continue to serve the vast business needs; both will be used where its strengths lie most.

More information

GS1 Australia position on XML standards

GS1 Australia recognises there are many XML 'standards' being talked about, used and promoted. In all the industry verticals GS1 Australia is currently involved with, B2B XML uptake has been slow with companies reluctant to invest in resources and commit to standards that continue to evolve. EDI ( GS1 EANCOM ) is still the standard of choice.

More information