Northern European UBL 2.0 Subset working group

1. Northern European UBL 2.0 Subset working group first steps to large scale cross border e-commerce/e-procurement Martin Forsberg Single Face To Industry, Sweden

2. Why set up this working group? • Window of opportunity • Many countries/EU are focusing on e-invoice/e-ordering/e-catalogues • We regard UBL 2.0 as having the largest potential to realize large scale cross border at this point in time • Possibility to influence and promote the international UBL 2.0 process – adoption of UBL in UN/CEFACT • Common Northern European Subset can: • Reduce problems of interoperability on message level • Facilitate large scale cross border e-trade (B2B/B2G)

3. Background for working group • Danish law on the use of e-invoice (OIOXML) based on UBL 0.7 - potential expansion of law to include e-order based on UBL 2.0 • Swedish recommendation to use the UBL 1.0 based Svefaktura • Nordic workshops in May and November 2005 on UBL and e-invoice lead to December meeting (Sweden and Denmark). Two working groups were established • UBL 2.0 subset group (weekly meetings till October 2006) • ICT architecture working groups (meeting in March) • cross border trade - Transportation of messages, eID, company dossier • Norway, Finland, England and Iceland have joined the UBL subset working group later

4. Purpose • The purpose of the development of the Northern European subset is to facilitate harmonisation of different types of e-procurement documents in countries that are already using UBL or that contemplate using UBL 2.0 documents. • This provides an opportunity to base e-procurement documents and processes on a coordinated Northern European subset. • The intention is to facilitate interoperability and practical use of e-commerce both in domestic and cross border trade. • Even if the participants in the working group are mainly from the public sector, the group will try to include both business-to-business and business-to-government e-commerce/e-procurement in its work. • The purpose of working group is also to contribute with its work to the international UBL 2.0 process.

5. Participants • Denmark • Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (VTU), • Danish IT and Telecom Agency (ITST) • Norway • Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration and Reform eProcurement Secretariat (www.ehandel.no) • e2b Forum (an e-invoicing initiative in the private sector supported by the government - www.e2b.no). • Sweden • Single Face To Industry (SFTI), the public sector initiative in Sweden to promote e-business by the Swedish National Financial Management Authority (ESV), Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting), and Swedish Administrative Development Agency (Verva) • England • OGC buying solutions under Office of Government Commerce • Finland • State Treasury • Tieke Finnish Information Society Development Centre • Island • The Financial Management Authority (Fjársýsla Ríkisins). • Iceland Committtee on e-business and Trade Procedures" ICEPRO

6. Public – private sector relationship • The working group will strive to full fill the following objectives in their work to support the public sector's seamless commercial interactions with its suppliers and software providers: • ensure the integrity of procurement data for fiscal and management information purposes • participate in activities to form an agreed standard for procurement transactions (e.g. ISO) and ensure that public sector sponsored systems and other relevant software providers will be able to comply at a minimal cost when this is agreed • allow suppliers and other interested parties to be involved in the review process

7. Primary goals • To establish a subset of UBL 2.0, which defines our needs of domestic and cross border trading, and takes into consideration both business-to-business and business-to-government scenarios. In this context, the subset includes • schemas, • business rules and the • relevant scenarios of use • To support and influence the development of UBL 2.0 in terms of making the results of the working group part of the international UBL 2.0 process. • To promote international recognition and usage of UBL 2.0, including a promotion of UBL adoption in UN/CEFACT.

8. Deliverables • Develop processes based on a common subset, which describes the domestic procedures as well as cross border trade etc. • Establish a common subset of the UBL schemas that express the expansions and restrictions agreed by the representatives • Formulate a set up for a common and local validation of the UBL 2.0 schemas expressed in Schematron • Formulate common business rules and recommendations, which the representatives can agree on and which are not expressed in the schemas. • Develop guidelines for the use of UBL.

9. Project plan • Defined in ToR • The first working group meeting was held on January 4-5th 2006 in Copenhagen. • The deliverables are to be completed no later than October 1st. 2006. • Proposed overall schedule

10. Business Processes supported

11. The vision of the project – phase I: 2006 • Focus on the “basic procurement process” • Catalogue – Order - Invoice • Private sector involvement in subset group: • Denmark: Sektorstandardiseringsudvalget • Sweden: support group for SFTI • Norway: e2b forum • Potential preparation for Phase II

12. Potential Phase II (2007 - 2008) • Cross border pilot between few countries to identify and solve practical, technical and legal issues • based on EU-work already done • different cross border pilots • but with focus on scalebility and flexibility • Working groups • Technical/legal group(s) • Steering group (private/public sector of pilot countries) • Reference group (all interested countries/organisations) • Tests with companies and public sector institutions

13. Potential Phase III (2008 – 2010) • Large scale cross border trade between multiple countries • B2G • B2B • Interoperable solution to common problems • eID • Company dossier • Transportation • The results of the different phases can stand alone