B2B Standards Primer
What are B2B process standards? The B2B process standards specify how a business-process workflow and collaboration is managed across two or more companies. Like the B2B technology standards, the B2B process standards will depend on the standard selected for business documents. Most document standards will specify only the basic processing rules for handling an individual B2B message. Process Control Standards
The process control standards define how a B2B solution should handle each B2B message to support the business process. These standards are used to create the process automation. These basic rules for handling an individual B2B messages are generally called "message exchange patterns" or MEP. There are two basic messaging patterns: One-Way (one action) - This MEP is a single business message that is sent from one partner to another. A one-way B2B message may require some business action by the partner... or it may be informational only with no business action required. Two-Way (two action) - This MEP includes a pair of business messages sent between two partners. Partner A (sender) sends a message to Partner B (receiver). Partner B determines the appropriate business response and sends a 2nd message back to Partner A.
- In two-way messaging, the first message may initiate a business transaction (Request-Response)
- Or it may be a request for information (Query-Reply or Solicit-Response)
Processing Service StandardsThe processing service standards define guidelines for trading communities to share information and processing functions. Each processing service standard follows technology rules for coding software to allow individual and authorized access to standardized business information. Processing services provide community automation functions to participants. There are three categories for B2B processing service Information Authentication - These standard services are used to validate the values and obtain basic information about specific unique identifiers. Example: GEPIR - Global GS1 Electronic Party Information Registry Community Data Sharing - These standard services are used to efficiently provide current and standardized business information. Example: GDSN - Global Data Synchronisation Network Transaction Visibility - These standard services are used to provide access to information about business activities (transactions) on request. Example: EPCIS - EPC Information Services
Business Collaboration StandardsThe business collaboration standards define methods that enable B2B processing without pre-established B2B connections. These standards include guidelines to make processing workflows that are responsive to dynamic partner engagement. These standards represent the leading edge of B2B processing and are built using various Web Services standards. | 
