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May 2005 Newsletter
From the Executive Director
Last Friday we all breathed a sigh of relief as the details of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) was announced. We had been holding our breath as we heard rumors that the Defense Logistic Information Service (DLIS) facility in Battle Creek could be closed. Of course the selection process is not over yet but it is gratifying that the work of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and DLIS in particular is being increasingly recognized as uniquely valuable. From the Federal and NATO cataloging system through the Central Contractor Register and EMALL, the DLIS program managers have built a well deserved reputation for quality and excellence. The Federal Center in Battle Creek is indeed a unique facility that demonstrates the tangible benefits of team work and shared experience across what could too easily be functional stove pipes. I would like to congratulate the DLIS leadership and the regional economic development agency, Battle Creek Unlimited, for their tireless work in promoting the benefits of developing DLIS as a leader in the development and maintenance of a unique resource that is proving to be critical to the Defense Department and industry alike.
As we continue our work in the development of ISO 22745 as an international standard for the integration of cataloging into design we realize that there is an opportunity to also create a new International Standard that will define Catalog Management Systems based on the work of the NATO Cataloging College in Battle Creek. This new standard will provide not only the fundamentals of Catalog Management Systems but also the requirements and a certification register similar to the existing ISO 9000 Quality standards. In practice this means that we will be able to develop and publish a document that will help companies establish cataloging procedures that will allow them to consistently develop, maintain and exchange quality catalogs.
Catalog Management Systems play a critical part in ensuring the consistency and quality of descriptions used in design, manufacturing and supply chain systems. As we have come to learn, the US Defense department has spent an estimated $3 billion dollars developing and maintaining a cataloging system that is widely implemented throughout NATO member countries, with an ongoing expenditure on cataloging exceeding $150 million per year. A number of industry studies have concluded that insufficient descriptions are the primary cause of inefficiencies in the supply chain and they estimate the potential savings are on the order of 15% of direct and indirect materials and services. This is a huge cross industry problem that many believe the eOTD can go some way towards solving.
We are nearing completion of the redesign of the eOTD, and while this will not change the Class (Item) and Property (Attributes) tables it allows us to improve the way we manage translations and allows us to support multiple definitions for a single concept. Definitions have now become the key to the eOTD and we are going to have to work very hard to complete missing definitions as quickly as possible. Dan and Sheron are completing the work on the revised eOTD management site and you will be able to submit change requests on-line later this summer.
Respectfully submitted,
Peter Benson
Executive Director, ECCMA
eOTD Update
Dan King, ECCMA
With the next release of the eOTD scheduled for the first week in June, you will notice some substantial changes to the eOTD. The new eOTD Core Data Model will be introduced with this release, the files will be downloadable in XML, and TXT formats.
For those of you that have already implemented the eOTD, the Class and Property tables have not changed and you will not have any problems in your systems with the redesign of the eOTD.
The new eOTD Concepts are included in this release as part of the Core Data Model. The Context ID shows the concept you are viewing.
| Context ID | Concept | | 01 | Class | | 02 | Property | | 03 | Feature | | 04 | Representation | | 05 | Unit of Measure | | 06 | Qualifier of Measure | | 07 | Property Value | | 08 | Currency |
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Following the new Core Data Model and eOTD Concepts, the new globally unique identifiers in the eOTD are formatted as 0161-1-01-nnnnnn.
When these are broken down they show the following:
0161- The International Code Designator (ICD) for ECCMA
1- The eOTD
01- The Context ID
nnnnnn- The Concept Identifier
With this release you will be able to submit requests for change and addition of Classes and Properties in the new ECCMA Members Area. You will also be able to browse the eOTD using the new eOTD Searcher which has a built in Implementation Searcher. Please keep in mind the Members Area and Searcher are beta versions and will continue to be improved regularly.
Within the next few months as other versions are released we will also be introducing the new Administrative, Implementation, and Auxiliary Data Models into the eOTD.
Currently, development is on going which will allow the eOTD files to be downloaded using desktop applications. We will continue with the further development of the Implementation searcher as web and desktop applications.
Industry Day Session
June 15, 2005; Valencia, Spain
Judy Atiyeh, ECCMA
In conjunction with AIDIMA, the organizers of the ISO TC 184 SC4 Valencia meeting, the Electronic Commerce Code Management Association (ECCMA) will be holding an Industry Day Session on Wednesday, June 15, 2005. This Industry day will cover Cataloging to NATO Standards and the integration of cataloging into design.
The industry day should be of considerable interest to companies large and small who are looking to ensure that their products and services are visible to the buyers not only of the NATO Departments of Defense but also to the increasing number of organizations that are using computer applications to assist in the location of suppliers worldwide.
For a full agenda and more information regarding this conference feel free to visit www.aidima.es/isovalencia/ or contact ECCMA directly at +1 610.861.5990.
10th International Symposium on Codification
October 10-13 2005; Edinburgh, Scotland
On-line registration now available
?335 per delegate - Serving Military, Government & Academic
?650 per delegate - Industry
The Symposium On-Line Registration system is now available within an upgraded web-site which provides full details of the Symposium.
The Symposium will have a significant presence and input from ECCMA as one of the major Sponsors. We will present a number of Workshops and Seminars to provide delegates with the opportunity to look in detail at how ECCMA and the eOTD can help businesses across the globe best manage their Product Catalogues and their involvement with the Supply Chain.
The NATO Codification System is playing a vital part in helping to build synergy in the whole Supply Chain from 'Factory to Front-Line'. The Symposium will also examine all the 'cutting-edge' developments in the Logistics world from International Standards for Codification, Cataloguing and Product Data Exchange, Asset Tracking and Visibility, Cost-Effective Acquisition, Lifecycle Management and Logistics Transformation.
October is fast approaching and now is the time to ensure that you reserve your place and your preferred accommodation, which can be booked through the registration process. More information can be found at the Symposium web site: www.codification2005.org
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