XML-based trading partner agreements have the potential to dramatically change the speed, efficiency and monitoring of business-to-business transactions. For a much lower cost than custom built EDI technology, standard format XML-based trading agreements enable companies of any size to take advantage of automated purchase planning, supply reordering, shipping and payment. In recognition of this, industry associations are setting the industry standards and major consortia are creating the infrastructure standards necessary for this technological growth. Important as these standards are, significant work still needs to be done by each individual company.

Deployments of XML-based trading systems are nowhere near their potential numbers because of the prohibitively large manpower time and cost required to work out the final XML connection - the "last mile" - between two companies. Without the knowledge and shaking out of the system provided by long-term use, establishing trading networks between just two partners requires weeks of troubleshooting done by teams working together.

What’s the Problem? ........Getting to agreement.

• Automated exchanges or trades require precise, formal agreements, shared by all participants.
• The world is still new at this.
  …and will be for many years.
• XML is a new technology, designed to overcome limitations in EDI
• This will require a shift in approach to trading connections:
• Formerly, agreement was driven by buyers
• Now, agreement is driven by standards