Thu 14 Dec 2006 - UN/CEFACT SUPPORT FOR "NAD" RESEARCH
The UN/CEFACT Mission Statement

1. 	The United Nations, through its Centre for Trade Facilitation and 
	Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), supports activities dedicated to 
	improving the ability of business, trade and administrative 
	organizations, from developed, developing and transitional economies, 
	to exchange products and relevant services effectively.
 
Please submit your comments by 17:00 Mon 18 Dec 2006 to Stephen GOULD

09:06 Thu 14 Dec 2006			REF:UA1ACEN2
						Y/R: Trade Standards
TO:	Duane NICKULL			cc	PoMC Respondents
	Vice-President Asai-Pacific		Local Gov EasyBiz Consortium
	UN/CEFACT				OASIS

	UN/CEFACT SUPPORT FOR TRADE FACILITATION PROJECT

Hi Duane - this email is to enquire if UN/CEFACT can provide funding
to resolve a technical problem with UN/CEFACT that is restricting
International Trade 

A	Technical problem with Multiple Address Formats within UN/CEFACT
B	Port of Melbourne EOI 13110
C	UN/CEFACT support for Trade Facilitation
D	Next Steps

A	TECHNICAL PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE ADDRESS FORMATS

On 30 Nov an email was sent to you re resolving a single XML Address
for the Australian eCommerce Standard AS 4590

The Expert IT eCommittee formed to resolve the single XML address
has initially confirmed that the Complex version can replace the Simplex 
version to establish a single XML Address format

It now appears that UN/CEFACT (EDIFACT) has the same problem with 
different options in the Name and Address (NAD) Data Segment for each
Trade Document 

Whilst I appreciate you will not have reviewed the data elements and 
data components of UN/CEFACT, here is a link to the NAD Data 
Segments and three eTrade documents downloaded from the 
Australia TradeGate Importer/Exporter Web Site

As you can see there will be much confusion as to whether software 
developers should use Data Element CO58 or CO80 and CO59.

However the main problem is that software will have to be written
to check which whether "CO58 has been used" or whether "CO80 has 
been used thru to 3207"

B	PORT OF MELBOURNE EOI 13110

The Government Responses to Questions to the Port of Melbourne 
eCommunity PoMC EOI 13110 indicates there is much confusion from 
Government responses on the use of Ecommerce Standards

It is appropriate UN/CEFACT to clarify the issues prior to the RFT 
being published as EOI 13110 states all importers and exporters must 
use EDIFACT.

C	UN/CEFACT SUPPORT FOR TRADE FACILITATION

The Mission Statement of UN/CEFACT states it "supports activities 
dedicated to improving the ability of business, trade and administrative 
organizations, from developed, developing and transitional economies, 
to exchange products and relevant services effectively"

In Sep 2004 you and I reviewed your draft eCommerce Trade Strategy
for the Asia Pacific Region

On reviewing that Strategy again I believe the key issue for Trade Facilitation
is the single address format within the "NAD" Data Segment for all eTrade Documents.

Hence I believe the recommendations on the AS 4590 Standard will be
pertinent to UN/CEFACT.

D	NEXT STEPS

Are you able to financially support a 4 week project by 3 EDI Consultants
over the Christmas 4 weeks to review all UN/CEFACT Trade Documents
using the NAD Data Segments and provide a recommendation on the 
changes ?

A budget in the region of Au$ 12,000 should be sufficient to provide
a report by 17:00 Wed 31 Jan 2007

Regards

Stephen GOULD
Chair
XML & Ecommerce Special Interest Group
OPEN INTERCHANGE CONSORTIUM

E:	sggould@oic.org
M:	0416-009-468
W:	Experience with eCommerce 

PS 	You may also be interested in how the problems of different
	reference numbers with the Eurofighter projects in Europe
	may render Electronic Hubs as unworkable for effective eCommerce
	and why the French proposal for Electronic Notaries is the right
	solution for Trade Facilitiation