Interoperable supply-chain applications: message metamodel-based semantic reconciliation of b2b messages

Abstract

Supply-chain applications exchange numerous electronic business-to-business (B2B) messages of varied types. Traditionally, prior to a message exchange, partners adopt one particular message specification that constrains message structure and syntax to implement compatible application message interfaces. However, in open, dynamic supply-chains, the applications need to interact even though their message interfaces are based on different, yet incompatible message specifications. To achieve such interactions, we propose the Message Metamodel-based semantic reconciliation of B2B messages. The Message Metamodel is a novel, ontological form that provides for common representation of B2B message specifications and messages of various syntaxes, such as Extensible Markup Language (XML) or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). The experimental investigation showed that proposed semantic reconciliation architecture built atop the Message Metamodel (1) insulates the reconciliation activities from the specific message syntaxes, (2) supports the reconciliation of messages irrespective of message standards used, and (3) enables seamless interoperable message exchange between heterogeneous supply-chain applications.