CXML
cXML is a streamlined protocol intended for consistent communication of business documents between procurement applications, e-commerce hubs and suppliers. cXML is based on XML and provides formal XML schemas for standard business transactions, allowing programs to modify and validate documents without prior knowledge of their form. The protocol does not include the full breadth of interactions some parties may wish to communicate. However, through the use of extrinsic elements and newly-defined domains for various identifiers, it is easily expanded by such applications. This expansion is the limit of point-to-point configurations necessary for communication.
The current standard includes documents for setup (company details and transaction profiles), catalogue content, application integration (including the widely-used PunchOut feature), original, change and delete purchase orders and responses to all of these requests, order confirmation and ship notice documents (cXML analogues of EDI 855 and 856 transactions) and new invoice documents.
Benefits
- Very easy to implement automated order receipt, fulfillment updates and catalogue transport
- Many sell-side solutions come with the protocol out of the box.
- cXML is the most widely adopted B2B protocol
- cXML is only way you can implement PunchOut today.
- Extensible: If your buyer relationships require more information than cXML supports intrinsically, that data may still be sent end-to-end.
- Leverages XML, which is the most robust language for describing information
- cXML is the only B2B XML standard that leaves much of the syntax from EDI behind.
Proprietary Issues
cXML is published based on the input of many companies. cXML is a protocol that is published for free on the Internet along with its DTD. It is open to all for their use without restrictions apart from publications of modifications and naming that new protocol. Essentially, everyone is free to use cXML with any and all modifications as long as they don't publish their own standard and call it "cXML". Beginning in February 1999, the cXML standard has been available for all to use. The details of its license agreement are found at http://www.cXML.org/license.cfm.