RosettaNet Primer

Part 4: What is a RosettaNet Implementation Guide (RIG)?

Introduction

Each RosettaNet Program developing PIPs also creates a RosettaNet Implementation Guide (RIG).  Unlike the PIP (the official, normative specification), RIGs are non-normative documents.  This means implementers are not required to follow the advice provided in the guide.

Each RIG includes at least two files:

Microsoft Word Document that describes the process implementation notes for one Partner Interface Process® (PIP®).

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet that provides a mapping guide for the PIP Business Document. 

A single PIP may have multiple RIGs that describe different implementation use cases.  For example, the PIP 3B18 - Notify of Shipping Documentation includes two different RIGs:

• eCustoms implementation in Singapore
• eCustoms implementation in Shanghai

The information included in the RIG is prepared after the PIP has been put into production to capture practical business and technical experiences gathered through actual implementation tests.  The RosettaNet program members conducing this test are referred to as the Validation Team.

RIG Contents

Each RosettaNet Implementation Guide (RIG) includes a common set of information.

Business Process Introduction

This process information expands on the description provided in the associated PIP.

The Introduction is a brief statement providing business context and common use of the PIP.

The Business Process Model illustrates one or more use cases and the related business roles for the PIP.

The Business Process Definition and Business Scenario describes the business process in much greater detail, detailing the business actions performed by each trading partner.

PIP Usage Notes

This section of the RIG provides notes from the implementers about how specific data blocks were used by the Validation Team.  It may illustrate the data structures providing a simplified business view of the PIP Business Document.

Often PIPs reuse generic data elements that can be applicable to many business processes.  This section of the RIG is especially helpful in understanding how these generic data elements are applied in the specific PIP.

Validation Modifications

PIPs are submitted for member vote prior to the validation process.  This ensures that companies will not invest time and money putting a PIP into production, only to have the members not vote to approve the standard afterwards.

During the validation process, certain changes may be required to enable the PIP to fulfill the ebusiness process needs.  The RosettaNet Engineering team collaborates with the Validation Team to quickly make any changes required to ensure compliant (no invalid modifications) implementations of the standard.

All changes made to the voted-upon standard are documented in this section of the RIG.

Lessons Learned

The Validation Team will carefully document all lessons learned with regard to the data elements, data structure, and ebusiness process.  This section of the RIG may include illustrations, screen captures, data tables, and text descriptions.

New implementers of a RosettaNet PIP are strongly encouraged to leverage this valuable section of each RIG to gain the benefits from the initial implementation by those companies who created the standard.

Mapping Guide

Each RIG includes an Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that details how the Validation Team used the data specified in the PIP.

The table below is a snapshot of the Mapping Guide for the PIP 2A16 - Distribute Engineering Information Inquiry, a validated, XML Schema (XSD) PIP that uses the TPIR-PIP specification.

Note that the yellow lines indicate header tags used to reference data blocks.  These headers do not contain any business data.

Data Elements

The Mapping Guide is structured like the RosettaNet Message Guidelines and includes a row for every data element in the PIP Business Document.  The columns provide references to the specification and may describe additional implementation experiences for each data element.

Cardinality

Each RosettaNet PIP Business Document specifies if an individual data element is mandatory or optional.  This cardinality provides a baseline for the process implementation.  The Mapping Guide will document the RosettaNet specified cardinality for each data element.  The Mapping Guide includes an additional column to highlight those optional data elements that were required by the trading partners for this implementation use case.

User Description, Values and Notes

The Mapping Guide includes user descriptions for each data element to clarify how the data was applied to this implementation use case.  In some cases, Acceptable Values are listed to clarify process-specific terms that were applied by the trading partners in the Validation Team.  Detailed Usage Notes may also be included to provide additional guidance for certain data elements.

Downloading RIGs

The RosettaNet Partner Interface Processes (PIPs) are available on the RosettaNet website (http://rosettanet.org/cms/sites/RosettaNet/).

To access the RIGS you must login to the RosettaNet.org website.  Non-members can request access to the RIGs using the “ Contact Us” link.

Once you login to the RosettaNet website, follow this path to access the RosettaNet Implementation Guides:

Support > Implementing RosettaNet Standards > RosettaNet Implementation Guides

The RIGs are organized by Cluster.  Click on the folders beside the desired PIP Cluster name to view all the available RIGs for that Cluster.  Select the download icon to access an individual RIG