CIDX Delivers Business Process Guidelines for Member Review.

Order-to-Cash work proves the importance of business processes in speeding trading partner eCommerce implementations

CHICAGO -- The Chemical Industry Data Exchange (CIDX), a trade association founded in 1985 that serves as the chemical industry's forum for emerging eCommerce technologies, released to members a final set of business process guidelines (BPGs) for the order-to-cash (OTC) processes used by chemical companies to conduct electronic trade with business partners.

The OTC BPG guidelines, developed by CIDX members, are designed to enhance the speed and efficiency of e-commerce transactions by reducing the time required for trading partners to establish electronic connections using the Chem eStandards([R]). Specific XML messages supported by the tool include the OrderCreate, OrderResponse, OrderChange, ShipNotice and Invoice messages.

Currently in the "member review and comment stage," the OTC BPG guidelines will be published in March 2007 as an interactive tool. They will include three sets of materials:

1. Business Use Cases that describe the business processes associated with OTC efforts in chemical companies

2. UML Activity Diagrams that provide pictures of these business processes, and

3. Mapping Design Spreadsheets that allow trading partners to understand how specific messages should be used given a particular business context.

"Publication of the OTC guidelines is a tremendous accomplishment, and the result of thousands of hours of volunteer efforts by representatives of CIDX member companies," commented Ken Hutcheson, CIDX Standards Director. "These companies ensure that CIDX standards and guidelines accurately reflect the business needs of the chemical industry. We salute their success."

CIDX members that participated in the OTC BPG work team over the course of three years represent the who's who of chemical companies and standards organizations including: Ashland; BP Chemicals; BASF Group; Bayer; Borealis A/S; Cabot Corporation; Celanese AG/Ticona; DuPont Company; Eastman Chemical Company; Elemica, Inc.; Nova Chemicals; Occidental Chemical Corporation; Rhodia, Inc.; Rohm & Haas; SAP; The Dow Chemical Company; Univar USA; and RAPID, an agricultural industry standards body; CEDI, a Japanese chemical industry standards body; and PIDX, a petroleum industry standards body.

To join future CIDX work teams and contribute to the development of industry-wide standards and business process guidelines for eCommerce and RFID technologies, visit www.CIDX.org for information.

About CIDX

CIDX is a global industry organization dedicated to improving and securing electronic connectivity for chemical companies and their trading partners. Chemical industry leaders from around the world including chemical producers, suppliers, marketplaces and industry consultants participate in CIDX to help identify and develop emerging eCommerce technologies, and to support the Chem eStandards for carrying out highly secure transactions with suppliers and customers over the Internet. CIDX uses the trademarks CIDX([R]) and Chem eStandards([R]).

CIDX's next General Meeting will be held in Indianapolis May 14-17, 2007. Attendance is free to all members. Non-members may attend their first meeting for a nominal fee. On-line registration will be available in February.