XML-Based E-Business Frameworks and Supply Chain Integration

Although information and communication technologies have opened up new possibilities of doing business, supply chain integration, especially exchange of business documents in business processes, is far from simple. Fortunately, standardization can facilitate information sharing between business partners. Data formats, such as XML, are low-level standards that define data structures and data elements. They are insufficient in supply chain integration because business partners must know what information should be shared when and how. E-business frameworks are high-level standards that specify business documents, business processes and messaging. XML-based e-business frameworks are limitedly open and have been mostly standardized in formal organizations.