PRESS RELEASES
AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET
XML COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED
Research Triangle Park, N.C., June 20, 2000-The MEMA Information
Services Council (MIS Council) has established a working committee
to develop, adapt and implement XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
standards for electronic commerce in the automotive aftermarket.
XML has gained significant attention as a tool to expand the
reach of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) to any company
with Internet access and a Web browser. The MIS Council, a
peer group of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association
(MEMA), develops standards for EDI and E-commerce applications
to ensure automotive and heavy duty trading partners throughout
the aftermarket can easily exchange business documents. Its
goal in establishing the committee is to ensure aftermarket
trading partners have access to common defining elements,
thereby helping to standardize Web-based EDI applications.
XML is a language similar to HTML (HyperText Markup Language),
but it allows a much greater control of how information is
presented. Its programming tags and stylesheets allow companies
to view data received from trading partners as EDI documents
displayed in a standard Web browser. This will enable smaller
companies that do not utilize Value Added Networks (VANs)
or do not have translator software packages to take advantage
of some of EDI's benefits.
"There is a lot of promise that XML as a technology will
enhance traditional EDI," said Donovan Dean, chairman
of the MIS Council. "While we don't see it used for placing
volume-based stocking orders for quite some time, it does
offer something for companies placing special orders. It will
also allow EDI to reach basically any trading partner because
the only requirements for using XML-supported documents are
Internet access and Internet Explorer 4.0."
Ed Wolfe, group director for Dana Brake & Chassis and
MIS Council Board member, will serve as the committee chairperson.
The committee will adapt existing XML tags and stylesheets
to EDI documents previously developed by the Council's X12
committee. The MIS Council has adapted current ANSI (American
National Standards Institute) standards to comply with automotive
aftermarket needs, including the 810 Invoice, 850 Purchase
Order, 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgement and 856 Advance
Ship Notice transaction sets.
Founded in 1904, MEMA exclusively represents and serves more
than 700 U.S. manufacturers of motor vehicle components, tools
and equipment, automotive chemicals, and related products
used in the production, repair, and maintenance of all classes
of motor vehicles. MEMA is headquartered in Research Triangle
Park, N.C., and has offices in Washington, D.C.; Yokohama,
Japan; Brussels, Belgium; Mexico City, Mexico; and Sao Paulo,
Brazil. Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), MEMA's
affiliate association that serves automotive original equipment
suppliers exclusively, is located in Troy, Mich.
The MEMA Information Services Council is a peer group of the
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association and provides
a forum for the exchange of information technology trends
between IT managers of MEMA member companies. It also works
to ensure standards and guidelines are established that facilitate
the exchange of data between aftermarket trading partners.
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Web sites:
www.misg.com
www.mema.org
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