I've now been asked to be one of the moderators of a B2B forum at CompTIA/EIDX (Computer and Technology Industry Association).

Dave Frenkel, Standards Manager from IDEA posted this question:

“Some of our customers are looking at doing a pilot project with some of the Rosettanet PIPs. Does anybody know of any educational material to get some background on implementing Rosettanet. Also looking for tips on implementing Rosettanet. We are not members of Rosettanet.”

Here is my response:

• COMPTia/EIDX offers as part of their Educational Series the, XRef (cross-reference) project. The goal is to link semantically equivalent metadata fields across X12, UN/EDIFACT, RosettaNet, OAGIS, xCBL, and UDEF (Universal Data Element Framework). The project is not yet complete, but this should give you a start on mapping metadata. You do not have to be a member of COMPTia to download the information. Here is the URL: http://eidx.comptia.org/guidelines/xref_download.aspx
  
  
• At the upcoming uconnect meeting in Orlando, there will be a 2 day training session. Following is the URL: http://uconnect.gs1us.org/AGENDA/RosettaNet2dayTraining/tabid/160/Default.aspx
  
  
• I’ve heard -- but have not been able to confirm with my contacts at RosettaNet -- that the RosettaNet organization offers a free intro Webinar. You can contact them here. http://portal.rosettanet.org/cms/sites/RosettaNet/index.html
  
  
• Determine if there is a local RosettaNet organization. There is active one here in the Bay Area. You can request to become a member at http://rnetbard.webexone.com/.

Hope this helps...

Susan

This weekend I read a very worthwhile Wall Street Journal (March 3-4) article, Preparing for the Exit by Ranjay Gulati, Maxim Sytch and Parth Mchrota. As you know, I am a proponent of negotiating an exit plan during the initial discussions with your targeted outsourcing partner. The article points out:

”There is no doubt this can be challenging. Like a prenuptial agreement, in which the couple discusses divorce options on their way to the alter, negotiating exit options while still at the formation stage of an alliance seems almost counter to human nature. For one thing, neither partner wants to admit that things could go awry. What’s more, there’s an eagerness to get the deal done – and a fear that raising the worst-case scenario will undermine the euphoria and trust that often accompany a new deal.“

“But partners ignore the issue at their own risk. Discussing the trigger points for exiting, as well as the disengagement process itself, while still in the negotiation stage is paramount to an effective partnership. In many cases, exit planning may actually enhance the alliance’s performance and longevity”.

When outsourcing your supply chain's EDI/B2B processes, the contract and negotiations should address the formal process for communicating the end of the relationship, and the ownership of the assets once this occurs. In the case of a B2B relationship this will include the maps, trading partner setups, mapping instructions, etc. You also need to address the process of migrating these to another service provider or to bring these services in-house.