Standardised data models: Globalising standardisation to enhance interoperable global trade

Abstract

Standardisation and interoperability efforts are ongoing within and across organisations on a local and global scale. In many cases, industry-focused standards advocates propose offerings from their organisations to any possibly- involved organisations in global trade. Given regulatory and security measures established by national, European and international authorities, Single Window Access, business-to-government (B2G) collaboration and Data Tagging along a trade chain require a standardisation concept that works for all involved trade partners regardless of the size and industrial ori- entation. Semantic standardisation as proposed by the successor of UN/EDIBookID FACT, the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) seems a promising approach. Thus far, it has not been tested in a complex environment, as, for example, in multi-national and interorganisational living labs. In this chapter we introduce the key aspects of UN/CEFACT and semantic standardisation. We illustrate the characteristics of semantic standardisations based not only on the findings of our work as Work Package 1 team, but also on our trials in selected living labs of the ITAIDE project. The prerequisites to make semantic standardisation work are then discussed based on experienced usability, benefits and limitations, and by disclosing further requirements that we have developed in our research. Moreover, the innovation in approaching standardisation as we have done is comprised of the connectedness of semantics, standards and regulations. The chapter closes with recommendations for making trusted trade networks executable. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.