Atlanta July 11, 2001 Although eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is the latest great technology language to hit B2B, vertical industries have been complicating the standardization of XML by introducing new XML vocabulary sets for industry specific details. Motivated by good intentions, these vocabulary sets are nevertheless hindering the acceptance of XML across the board.
The CPFR XML (collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment extensible markup language) standard is one such vocabulary set that is cropping up in the collaborative commerce arena. Today, Logility, a supplier of B2B collaborative commerce solutions, announced support for the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Standards (VICS) Association CPFR XML standard providing trading partners an open architecture for collaboration.
The VICS CPFR XML standard is an attempt to allow companies that participate in CPFR via peer-to-peer, hub-and-spoke or trading exchange relationships to share sales and order forecasts, event calendars, historic product activity, performance metrics, event monitoring and exception alerts using standard Internet protocols. The XML standard will permit companies using Logility Voyager Collaborate, that were formerly using EDI (electronic data interchange) for CPFR messaging, to easily convert to XML-based messaging without a major technology investment.
"Logility's support for the VICS CPFR XML standard further solidifies our commitment to open standards for collaboration," said Andrew White, vice president of product strategy for Logility. "Logility Voyager Collaborate, Logility's fourth generation CPFR solution, includes embedded support for XML and allows retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and suppliers the ability to increase supply chain visibility, optimize their operations, manage common objectives and prioritize, notify and resolve exceptions in a real-time environment."
Logility introduced the first XML CPFR schema in 1999 and accelerated the industry standard definition when it contributed much of this work to the VICS technical sub-committee. Working with retailers, manufactures, distributors and other software and professional services providers, the VICS board approved the CPFR XML standard on June 25, 2001.
