WO2003038714A2

WO2003038714A2 - Method and system for facilitating e-business

Info

Publication number: WO2003038714A2
Application number: PCT/NL2002/000702
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henning Klyhn
Original assignee: Linkware Systems B.V.
Priority date: 2001-11-02
Filing date: 2002-11-04
Publication date: 2003-05-08
Also published as: AU2002337511A1; WO2003038714A3

Abstract

The invention pertains to a method for managing and executing business transactions in a product/service chain, wherein at least one closed user group is defined by installing, in memory means on first remote computer means, a list of trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, each business partner maintaining, on further remote computer means, at least one software system and at least one database for managing internal business processes, like resource management, contract/proposal management, logistics management, financial management, etcetera, wherein said transactions are managed and executed by management software obtaining data from several databases of several business partners.

Description

Software and systems for facilitating e-business

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to software, systems and computer-implemented methods for trading and doing business transactions.

It is known to do business in an electronic way, using the Internet or a secure network to establish contact between businesses. For example, a shop/company is looking for articles, it contacts the wholesaler, the wholesaler contacts the importer, and the importer contacts the producer. When information is exchanged, usually contracts are sent between these business parties. After that, goods are shipped, and payment orders are given to a bank. The bank then handles the transactions, transferring the money from one party to another party.

In a product chain, many transactions are in that way handled by one or more banks, and large amounts of money are transferred between parties.

The transfer of money through banks, the financing and sending of contracts, the exchange of invoices and documents, the goods and order flows, etcetera between parties involved in the chain of transactions delays the entire chain of transactions. Just doing these actions electronically gives rice to speed and safety issues and creates large amounts of data which are all send over networks and the internet.

The current invention tries to solve all these and other problems, which will become clear in the following description. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the invention provides means for realizing save, secure and fast business transactions.

According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for managing and executing business transactions in a product/service chain, wherein at least one closed user group is defined by installing, in memory means on first remote computer means, a list of trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, each business partner maintaining, on further remote computer means, at least one software system and at least one database for managing internal business processes, like resource management, contract/proposal management, logistics management, financial management, etcetera, wherein said transactions are managed and executed by management software obtaining data from several databases of several business partners.

According to this method, in an embodiment, said management software modifies several databases of several business partners in order to execute a transaction. In another embodiment, said management software controls at least two software systems of at least two business partners in order to execute a transaction.

In another embodiment of the invention as described above, said management software comprises banking routines for realizing and clearing transactions between said business partners.

In another embodiment of the invention as described above, said management software comprises tracking and tracing routines for tracking and tracing the status and location of a transaction.

In a further embodiment of the invention, each business partner maintains a remote computer, and maintains, on said remote computer, software and at least one database for managing business processes. The invention further relates to a method for managing a chain of transactions in a product/service chain, wherein for each chain of transactions a data file is generated which defines a meta-script, each transaction adding a script defining computer-processed steps and location of data needed to perform said transaction to the data file, and after all the transactions in a chain of transactions have subsequently added their script and locations of data, said meta-script in said data file is recursively executed in order to actually realize all the transactions in the chain of transactions.

In this method, in an embodiment, the meta-script comprises Distributed Stores (Repository Information), Supplier Yellow Paper (Catalogue Information), Customer White Paper (Passport Information), business rules, workflow scripts and dynamic data. In a further embodiment, the meta-script comprises pointers to the workflow scripts and pointers to the dynamic data. In a further embodiment, said meta-script is executed on a remote computer. In a further embodiment, said meta-script is executed in a real-time environment. In a further embodiment, said meta-script is stored and repeatedly executed until realization of the transactions in the chain of transactions has been fully completed. In a further embodiment, said meta-script may be verified and altered by authorized personnel only.

The invention further pertains to a method for managing and executing a chain of business transactions in a product/service chain comprising a group of business partners, wherein a data entity is created by one of the business partners by software running on a computer means, said data entity comprising a header, security keys and business rules defining, in said chain of business transactions, which business partner is allowed to do which action in which process, said data entity is transmitted to at least one other business partner, and sent on to another business partner of said group of business partners, until the data entity comprises the description of actions to be taken to realize said chain of business transactions, after which the data entity is sent to a further remote computer on which transaction software is installed, after which the transaction software executes the actions defined in the data entity in order to execute the chain of business transactions. In this method, in an embodiment, each business partner adds at least one pointer to the data entity, said pointer pointing to a location where data is available, needed to complete a business transaction in said chain of business transactions. In a further embodiment of this method, the meta-script comprises a security, code comprising a master key, a public key, a session key and a configuration access tag, wherein the public key integration (PKI) is randomly refreshed by a remote computer.

The invention further pertains to a method for managing and executing a chain of business transactions in a product/service chain, wherein at least one closed user group is defined by installing, in memory means on first remote computer means, a list of trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, each business partner maintaining, on further remote computer means, at least one software system and at least one database for managing internal business processes, like resource management, contract/proposal management, logistics management, financial management, etcetera, wherein said first remote computer in said list of trusted business partners, for each trusted business rules are store defining authentication and authorization of all trusted business partners, their role in the closed user group, and pointers to what each business partner can deliver, where, how, at what price.

The invention further pertains to a method for managing and executing business transactions in a product/service chain, wherein at least one closed user group is defined by installing, in memory means on first remote computer means, a list of trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, wherein said transactions are managed and executed by management software obtaining data from several databases of several business partners, on further remote computer means, each remote computer comprising at least one soft- ware system and at least one database for managing internal business processes, like resource management, contract/proposal management, logistics management, financial management The invention further pertains to a system for managing and executing business transactions in a product/service chain, comprising a first computer means having memory means comprising at least one list of trusted business partners defining at least one closed user group, the trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, and software running on said first computer means comprising transaction routines for managing and executing said business transaction by obtaining data from several databases of several business partners on several remote computers.

The invention further pertains to software comprising routines for performing the method steps described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further elucidated in the drawings, which show an embodiment of the current invention. It will be clear that the current invention is not limited to these drawings.

Figure 1 shows the application of the current invention in the business line of fresh fruit

Figure 2 depicts a diagram showing the integration of the workflow coalition and relation of the components

Figure 3 shows the relationship between business models

Figure 4 shows the key differentiators and the hierarchical structure of business components

Figure 5 shows the exchange modeller modelling the interactions between participants (portal sites) of the closed user group

Figure 6 shows a diagram explaining the competence center

Figure 7 shows a diagram explaining the trusted third party

Figure 8 shows a diagram explaining the corporate office

Figure 9 shows a diagram explaining the virtual agent (object request broker) and the interactions between components in the workflow

Figure 10 explains the transaction model

Figure 11 explains the different hierarchical negotiation patterns when establishing a service contract

Figure 12 explains the workflow management system Figure 13 shows a diagram explaining the e-market facilitator and the integration of digital barcodes

Figures 14 and 15 are diagrams explaining the relationship between the competence center, the corporate office and the closed user group

Figure 16 shows the closed user group participant (portal site) and the workflow model

Figure 17 shows the closed user group participant (portal site) and the transaction model

Figure 18 shows the closed user group participant (portal site) and the agent communication language as well as the wizard model Figures 19 and 20 show the closed user group participant (portal site) and the digital barcode model

Figure 21 shows the closed user group participant (portal site) and the cluster model (main and sub contractors) Figure 22 shows the closed user group participant (portal site) and the cluster model (main and sub contractors) in a real business case Figure 23 shows the components making up the Unique Universal Identifier Figure 24 is a diagram explaining a horizontal line of business (portal site) and the interactions with the exchange models through the total process Figure 25 is a diagram explaining the user interactions with the system

Figure 26 is an example of a possible graphical user interface: "MyLinkWare" Figure 27 is a summary of the LinkWare business integration features Figures 28-32 describe the actual tables and documents, exchanged between trading parties, assigned to a practical business case specified in the document.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

Chapter 1 as described below gives an example of the application of the current invention in a specific business line. In this example we will focus on the export/import of Fresh Fruit.

A description of a Fresh Fruit business case:

Due to seasonal reasons, one of the most important concerns in the Fresh Fruit business is cash flow and operational expenses (OPEX). Unlike other industries, the fresh fruit industry relies on anticipated investments in order to produce.

Anticipations that can easily reach up to six months before any income, as in the case of perennial production or biannual ones. However, due to the fact that the fresh fruit business has a commodity-type kind of market dynamics - with competitive prices and thin margins - operational capital and cash flow are the most important issues. For that reason, self-financing is in general the most common means of capitalization within the industry. In general big importers - who have continuous cash flow the year round due to their arrangements and seasonal contracts with supermarkets - finance exporters, which, in return, finance producers with something between 25 and 50% of the production costs.

Sometimes new exporters are added to the system, but these ones must rely on their own capital, that most of the time comes after good year's prices. However, the market uncertainties to which this supply chain was exposed so far, has been diminishing over time as the result of the concentration happening along the supply chain. An evolution led by the retail business, and invoking less price volatility and price exposure. The integrated solution - The facilitated e-market:

The different flows in the Fresh Fruit business case follow the below subsequent scheme. This scheme defines the facilitated E-market. Reference to figure 1

Flow description as defined in figure 1:

0. Product information feed forward.

1. Product, goods; seasonal pre-program (minimum guaranteed quantities) 2. Payment (usually 60dd)

3. Letter of Credit, pre-finance money, payment residual (at end of transaction cycle), contract

4. Product, goods, bank guarantees;

5. Proposal and Contract; pre-finance 6. Final product

7. Consumables (boxes, seeds, pesticides, cold stores, forwarding, stevedores...)

8. Payment (usually from 60 to 180 days)

9. Pre-finance based on company's financial health, collateral's and contract with supermarkets

10. Loan payment; guarantees

11. Pre-finance

12. Loan payment; guarantees

13. Payment 14. Consumables (boxes, seeds, labels, cold stores, forwarding...) 15. Product information feedback. The LinkWare integrated solution - The Closed User

Group Architecture - Derived for the fresh fruit business case as mentioned above;

The idea of the closed user group is to have a closed circuit of pre-financed activities fully backed by a Bank in its totality, from end to end in the supply chain of fresh fruits.

Under this financial engineering process, the bank would work with selected partners, mostly importers located in Europe, injecting pre-finance capital in the form of security, guaranteeing payments against elongated terms of payment.

Under this financial structure, only the bank will have the rights to execute payments and money will not flow out of this closed system until new money flows in, in the form of payments executed by importers' customers (supermarkets, retailers). In that case, the bank acts as a trustee for the whole system.

For this system to happen, importers will open their contract agreements with supermarkets and exporters, showing to the bank the basis for a loan. The bank will study the exporters' financial health and the probability of this business to be effected as devised. If approved, the bank will call exporters and, probably, supermarkets to offer a finance line for this deal as a whole.

The bank will also sell, together with the facilitator and market maker of the invention, the concept for its members and others involved in the business, such as suppliers.

Benefits:

Benefits for the bank: new customers, fees from services supplied, fees from credit lines supplied, lock-in customers for a long time, mastering the supply chain of perishable goods, become a specialist for the whole industry. For the importer the benefit is to offer a new and innovative financial scheme to the whole supply chain of fresh fruits that can, possibly, be extended to other perishables as well. For the exporter and importer the benefit is a line of credit with low interest rates, as the bank exposure is low as well. But a low rate is not enough; the new financial construction must bring benefits beyond only costs, it must bring security to the system as well.

This is important, as the whole supply chain may (and probably will) have close contact to other banks as well, and only rates would not be enough to convince players to change their bank accounts. For consumable suppliers the benefit will be on having guarantee on payments given by the bank. For that reason these suppliers would be more willing to grant longer payment terms than the usual, which is crucial for the good working of this scheme. For the whole supply chain a closed financial system brings the benefits of lower interest rates and secure payments, two of- the most important barriers limiting this business growth.

Risks:

If the system is proved to be closed, risks are limited to an eventual exposure to the difference between market price of product sold and financed price of products. As it is expected that the market value of goods must incorporate all production costs, the exposure risk can be minimized if the financed value is a percentage (let's say 70%) of the expected total market price for the goods. Example:

In this session a chronological example is put in place in order to facilitate the general understanding about this exploratory solution.

The following players act in this example:

Legend: SM: Supermarket (Buyer)

IMP: Importer (Value added logistics)

EXP: Exporter (Seller)

SL: Shipping Line (Agent)

PR: Producer (Fruit Supplier) CS: Consumable Supplier (Grower)

FAC: Facilitator and market maker of fresh fruit (Broker)

Bank: Virtual Bank (Finance, Payment, Insurance, Customs) Taxonomy of activities:

0. FAC supplies SM and/or IMP with information to set up a seasonal program.

1. IMP and SM set up a seasonal program; 2. IMP, SM and the bank set up a meeting to clarify issues such as quantity and minimum expected prices. A contract is signed between SM and IMP to seal the agreement;

3. IMP assigns the EXP or exporters that will supply the company with a determined commodity (in this case, fruit). A contract is sealed between IMP and EXP, and IMP deposits this contract with the bank.

This contract, as usual, defines a minimum price, or costs, to be paid to EXP as well as the pre-finance arrangement. The bank can then loan money to the IMP for the IMP to pre-finance its EXP. This loan is guaranteed by the IMP/EXP contract. 4. Based on the above information the bank defines the total expected financial operation and set up its exposure (let's say 70% of the total financial volume). The bank also gets a collateral from the IMP according to risk exposure (in case that at the end of the season the total revenue is below the calculated exposure); 5. EXP assigns PR and CS that will participate in the operation as well as expected payment terms;

6. IMP defines and inform the bank how payments will be done, in terms of a percentage to be paid of the invoice, payment terms and contract with EXP; 7. At this moment, all players open their own individual accounts with the bank;

8. The bank issues Letter of Credit (L/C) to due players according to expected volumes to be traded; for example: cartons' producers, fertilizers and pesticides' industries and resellers; 9. EXP sends fruit to IMP via SL;

10. IMP sends fruit to SM and issue an invoice; 11. SM receives fruit;

12. SM pays for received fruits via the bank. At this moment "real" money enters in the circuit.

13.The bank pays EXP, CS and IMP according to the agreement on point 6. As new invoices are being issued and paid, the bank manages to receive the money and pays the commercial supply chain backwards;

14. At the end of the season or end of program with the SM; if the residual value is positive, the bank deposits this amount to IMP; or if the residual value is negative, either the bank executes the guarantee given by the IMP or loans money to IMP.

15. SM and/or IMP provide feedback to FAC about the seasonal program execution. FAC reports to CS.

1 Introduction to the invention;

1.1 The new order in the economy;

Business-to-business (B2B) using the Internet is a fundamental reorganization of the existing value chains and has an impact on every business. It has prompted the creation of a new global environment of buyers, sellers, market makers and commerce service providers. Companies are reacting to these dramatic shifts by changing the way they procure goods, sell to their customer markets, or act as an intermediary in the supply chain. This environment offers companies opportunities to reshape their buying, supply chain and commerce service processes.

As B2B accelerates so will the demand for a new set of network based commerce services. Traditional offline services will be extended by Internet based services designed specifically to enable procurement, contract management, marketplace and online supplier processes. These services range from baseline interoperability and directory services to specialized services such as: Financial escrow services, E-fulfilment and Letter-of-Credit to due parties, Working capital, Online payments, Supply Chain logistics, Dynamic integration of Trade Documents, Financial transaction settlement, Administrative bookings and warranties to trading parties.

1.2 Requirements for successful business-to-business;

To be able to find and seize their B2B opportunity, whether it is automating their procurement process, extending their value-added services to other organizations, creating themselves a new e-market exchange, or just internet enabling their current systems, companies need a B2B e-business platform that will allow them to leverage and extend their assets.

Companies that try to piece together a solution from disparate systems and applications will find themselves lost in technical complexity and wasting precious time. The overriding objective of every e-business and value chain initiative should be to focus the organization on making competitive business decisions. The most viable enabled solutions in today's business environment are those that power the entire range of the organization's B2B opportunity, including buying processes, supply chain fulfilment and access to value-added e- business services, in one integrated solution platform.

Critical to B2B success are platform security, scalability, flexibility, manageability and easy configuration setup to allow companies to access all possible trading partners, customers, suppliers and markets in an ever changing economy powered by the Internet. Today's companies require an effective easily managed open business platform that incorporates full access to global commerce services and system interoperability.

The LinkWare Issue:

The LinkWare integrated platform is fully geared to cope with these requirements by the use of its comprehensive business models and the Unique Universal Identifier.

The LinkWare objectives settle for an important B2B requirement issue, that calls for the primary business process and its key issues: "What, When, Where, How and Who", to be assigned a generic unique code, which will guarantee the company core business and its rules, objects and data - the value chain and supply chain - a safeguarded journey through the Internet without any movement of vital information and promising low response times.

The generic code can be generated and disclosed only by the LinkWare Corporate Office. The Corporate Office is located behind a "fire wall" and is a. dedicated LinkWare integrated platform hosting the logic to fold or unfold information to be shadowed by the generic code.

1.3 The Facilitated e-market;

The newest example of the electronic B2B marketplace is the facilitated e- market, Gartner refers to "Collaborative Commerce", in which the market leverages deep relationships with buyers and suppliers and financial services to create a B2B exchange. It unites companies in a trading community of common interest driven by the market maker (or facilitator), who realizes substantial secondary business benefits from the endeavor that include branding advantage and increased exposure to potential customers.

The e-market becomes a powerful platform over which the facilitator can extend brand, offer value-added services, and strengthen relationships with customers.

For companies with the strong competitive position and deep customer relationships to create and populate a marketplace, a facilitated e-market offers a unique range of opportunities. If leveraged intelligently, it creates the possibility for significant grow in the company's sales, service, and supply cycle operations.

Reference to figure 2-3

The LinkWare facilitated e-market solution and the associated business models in a workflow coalition. Depicts the integration paths of the different models:

The Company Competence Center and the Repository model; the Corporate Office and the Reference model; as we as the Closed User Group and the associated Value chain and Supply chain in a line of business (Project model), where the latter relates to the Closed User Group portal site clusters (Participants) and their associated Agent Communication Language (ACL) and Virtual Communication Satellites. The top of figure 2 depicts a closed user group of companies A-C. The corporate office in the center provides functions like virtual bank, controller, etc, to all the participants in the closed user group. Furthermor, the corporate office gets information and services from the company competence center and rel services from real banks.

The envelope below in figure 2 are messages send by the trusted third party. The trusted thide party sends clearified messages to parties outside the closed user group, e.g. to customs, tax, banks. The fact that these documents and other information comes from the trusted third party give the recipient confidence that the message is genuine. The messages send between the participants of the closed used group, the corporate office and the trusted third party are only digital barcodes. The trusted third party composes for instance documents by using the digital barcode, which comprises links to real information and clearifiers for obtaining the information, to insert information into for instance customs documents.

In figure 3, the models for three players, e.g. the closed user group, the competence center and the corporate office are depicted. In each company A-

C, a bussiness model BM is defined, which bussiness model comprises a control model, a function model, a process model and organization model. These four models together define the bussiness model of a participant in the closed user group.

2 The LinkWare Closed User Group Architecture (CUGA);

2.1 LinkWare key functionality and business models;

LinkWare's profile towards evolving e-marketplaces has resulted in the need to offer a comprehensive business modeling tool, an object-based application workflow manager and a virtual logistics and transaction-based integrated warehouse model to market makers in B2B (Business-to-Business), B2C (Business-to-Consumer) and B2E (Business-to-Employee).

LinkWare supports by means of the CUGA the dynamic integration between a customer and associated supplier, where different business control models at the company level must be constructed in such a way that they can be smoothly connected at the site level.

This means that LinkWare supports all elements of contracts regarding coverage of the whole path of finding best-fit suppliers, match-making between suppliers and customers, the negotiation about conditions, making the deal, delivering the products and/or services and monitor whether the parties fulfill their obligations.

LinkWare executes interactions between systems of the supplier, the customer and value added service providers according to an agreed level-of- control based on business rules.

The LinkWare Distributed Transaction Environment supports the infrastructure for vertical-based homogeneous virtual organizations (business clusters), consisting of a changing horizontal-based heterogeneous collection of independent persons and/or organizations (participants), collaborating via a network infrastructure. Opposite to classical transaction infrastructures LinkWare's Closed User Group architecture is able to support mobility of market makers and their long-term, based transactions with regard to customer and supplier profile authentications, financial authorization, demand planning and order supply in the virtual e-marketplace.

2.2 LinkWare Supply Chain Management;

The LinkWare business concept is a distributed architecture based on the 3- tiered object oriented application development principals, with separation of presentation, functionality and data access, linked via LinkWare UUIDs

(Unique Universal Identifiers). The UUID is linked to a LinkWare Digital

Barcode in the runtime environment.

The LinkWare digital barcode is a secure token, used for network purposes and based on a Master key, a Public key, a Session key and an Access tag, all together linked as one specific symbolic name to:

"The LinkWare Exchange Structure Model";

LinkWare is layered as a "Virtual Coach and Mid-office" between the end-user (front-office) of enterprise-based application business logic, and any infra- structural "Middle-ware" and database services (back-office). LinkWare functions as a transparent distributed application broker regarding end-user interfaces to host legacy applications, smart-card embedded logic and application software developed for new technology platforms like the Internet. Company e-business (back-office) and e-commerce (front-office) are linked on the basis of enterprise specific business rules to the corporate office (mid-office) invoking: "The LinkWare Business Models and the Closed User Groups";

These business models are linked to LinkWare UUIDs and combine the RFI/RFB/RFP, the evaluation, the negotiation about conditions, and the signed contract between parties based on EDI/XML standards with regard to LinkWare distributed stores and products/services, and executive orders based on ISO 8583 financial standards into logistical, administrative and financial companies. The following business service objects and Corporate Enterprise Units control these integral and homogeneous entities, alias the LinkWare Closed User Groups: "The Virtual Bank, The Quality Control & Quality Assurance, The Document Storage Entity and The Broker".

These business service objects and data entity relationships model together: "The Exchange Data Model and Enterprise Units": which together are called the LinkWare Corporate Office and its integrated transactional warehouse and clearing facility, is. used by the Closed User Group's forecast- based file systems (order planning) and executive order-based supply chain management (order blueprints). The file systems and their supply chain facilities are linked together in a secure way by means of: "The Agent Communication Language, The Communication Satellites & The Digital Barcodes".

Reference to figure 4

LinkWare's Key Differentiators;

The LinkWare Closed User Group Architecture:

Competence Center = A Trusted Third Party (TTP) of one or more

LinkWare facilitated B2B e-marketplaces.

Corporate Office = A facilitator of one e-marketplace, which is appointed by the Trusted Third Party (TTP).

Closed User Group = A homogeneous group of participants in one e- marketplace (line-of-business).

Participant = A chain cluster of Customer-, Supplier-, and value-added relationships in a Closed User Group.

Portal Site = A fulfilment & transaction service object, dedicated to a

Closed User Group participant (cluster).

Virtual Workstation = A client-server, and virtual communication satellite, assigned to a portal site slot. The virtual workstation actually composes the digital barcode. 2.3 The Closed User Group Architecture Components;

LinkWare Exchange Modeller (LEM);

The LinkWare Exchange Modeller (fig. 5) is used to create and maintain e- marketplaces and model all collaborative activities between participants. These models, using Petri-Net and James Martin notation standards, together make up the LinkWare Competence Center (Repository Model). This invokes the Corporate Office (Reference Model), the different Closed User Groups (Project Model) and the specific Business Models (Control, Organization, Function and Process Models).

LinkWare Agent Communication Language (ACL);

The LinkWare Agent Communication Language (ACL) is a wizard-based event handler and transition state engine that is linked to an executable session (A LinkWare job and its Info Pads; the Digital Barcodes). An executable ACL session is a LinkWare Unique Universal Identifier (UUID), which has been defined by its business rules and associated Corporate Enterprise Units, to act in the Inter-organizational business process and workflow coalition.

The ACL is an "actioner" that chooses the next process action, and its associated transition state, based exclusively on the current state, which has occurred in the appropriate session. The current state has been triggered on a previous event in the business logic.

To control the Application Programming Interface and Application workflow, LinkWare wizards (Intelligent Adapters) are defined in the ACL based on HTML, XML, Java, Corba and ISO 8583. The workflow interface standards, which have been formalized by the Workflow Management Coalition (WFMC), are followed by the ACL to access distributed systems (satellites).

The Agent Communication Language is based on the LinkWare device access and associated command set (32), and the digital barcodes. Reference to figure 5

In figure 5, the same structure as in figure 2 is depicted, but now with three closed user groups connected to the corporate office. The blocks above the center line (depicting the corporate office) is the value chain, the blocks below the corporate office describe how an action is performed. The center part in fact depicts the clearing process.

LinkWare Competence Center-The Trusted Third Party;

The Competence Center, or Repository Model, serves multiple purposes. The principal purpose is the implementation and configuration of the LinkWare e- marketplaces.

The Repository Model manages, controls and maintains the needed E-services and associated ERP software, Warehouse Management, Contract and Proposal Management, Financial services and Business Process Engineering to be invoked by the LinkWare Exchange Modeller.

After implementation it serves as the creator and administrator of trusted web based user interfaces and back office services as well as their associated strategies, authentications and authorizations in the primary business process. Based on the Exchange Business Model in the Repository Model, the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Data Warehouse software, as well as SCM/CRM (Costumer Relation Management) and E-service facilities can be continuously improved.

Reference to figure 6-7

Figure 6 depicts elements present in the Competence Center.

Figure 7 depicts the trusted third party and the E-services the trusted third party (TTP) provides. One thrusted third party can be linked to several corporate offices (two in this figure). These services and the data may be stored at the trusted third party or at the participants. The trusted third party ensures that data provided, e.g. prices, delivery time, credibility, etc, are authentical. The trusted third party in fact gives its digital signature to data provided. Furthermore, the trusted third party manages the network and the business e.g. the actual services depicted in the boxes.

These schemes depict the LinkWare Company Competence Center (CCC) as a virtual entity that harbors, and makes available the necessary competences and services needed to support the LinkWare facilitated B2B e-markets, hereby invoking the Trusted Third Party to support the Corporate Office and its object request broker (ORB), the Closed User Groups and the Closed User Group Clusters (Participants).

In practice a Competence Center will be positioned as a host-based center of expertise and support for the LinkWare implementation, invoking LinkWare native business models and associated hardware, software and expertise requirements, as well as Third Party software.

A CCC may be a department in the company IT organization itself or outsourced to a trusted third party, or both. What kind of expertise and support (LinkWare E-services) a CCC must deliver in a specific situation is determined by the company business strategy regarding the appropriate business-to-business, the associated e-market participants and their core activities.

LinkWare Corporate Office-The Object Request Broker;

The Corporate Office, or Reference Model, defines on a high abstract level the E-marketplace. LinkWare defines an E-marketplace as the Corporate Office and its associated Object Request Broker, alias the Virtual Agent, and the Business Rules.

The Corporate Office invokes the Enterprise Units (Session Agent), their joint workflow, the transaction object models and their common data structures. The Enterprise Units establish a session by use of the business rules (Contract Agent), which have been assigned to the actual business case according to the LinkWare Exchange Modeller and associated Repository. The Corporate Enterprise Units control the Input/Output exchange between the different business models in the LinkWare exchange Modeller and its associated host-based Repository.

This fact invokes integrated XML schemas based on the specific LinkWare flows: Order, goods, money, transaction (+contract, +fulfilment, -i-settlement), document and information flows.

These flows are assigned to specific "Bills" in the Corporate Office, which on their behalf are allocated the actual workflow depending on the business rules used to govern the process.

LinkWare Enterprise Units define secure business logic and integrated workflow functionality for corporate logistical, administrative and financial companies, which are embraced by the underlying vertical Closed User Groups, their horizontal participants and Project Models. Extractions of the Enterprise Units are combined to form the basis for the LinkWare UUIDs.

Secure communication over the Internet, by use of the Unique Universal Identifier (UUID), between the different Enterprise Units in the Reference Model, as well as to objects in the adjacent Repository Model and Project Model, is done by use of the LinkWare barcodes and the concept of shadowing, which is supported by the Agent Communication Language (ACL).

Reference to figure δ

In figure 8, the corporate office is depicted in more detail. Shown are some o the functions the corporat office performs in a practical case.Via portal sides X-Z, the Corporat Office is connected to participants in a closed used group.

LinkWare Virtual Agent- Enterprise Units and Business Rules;

Below is a glossary of the Enterprise Units in relation to the Business Rules. This glossary states that the Enterprise Units (Session Agent) are related to the Closed User Group (CUG) as a total, and the Business Rules (Contract

Agent) to a single Closed User Group Participant (Cluster head). The flow of information between the two entities is realized via the Publish/Subscribe facility (proposal/contract management) and the runtime Macro Processors

(fulfilment/settlement).

Enterprise Units and Business Rules define together the LinkWare Digital Barcodes.

The digital barcode is defined by the below mentioned logic, and is an aggregate of the specified 8 items, each of which will add an entry to the digital barcode with a total length of 256 bytes. The digital barcode defines the unique file system (portal site) path, to which a business process is related, and invokes publisher and subscriber as well as runtime macro processor Identifiers.

NOTE! See also the chapter LinkWare Data Profile Analyzer - The Digital Barcodes.

Glossary:

The Contract Agent (Configuration, Server and Monitor Components)

The Business Rules (Runtime Workflow-Identification-Object) is logic, which regulates:

• The documentation, control and identification of business models (cases).

• The documentation, control and identification of business functions (case types).

• The documentation, control and identification of business persistent data (case data).

The Session Agent (Business Control, Function, Process and Organization Models) The Enterprise Units (Runtime Business-Service-Object) is logic, which regulates:

• The documentation and control, authentication, verification and data consistency checks between business main functions (service types).

• The documentation and control, workflow definition, specification rules and relationships between main functions and main processes (service data).

• The configuration and control, service contracting strategy (activate and deactivate) paths in the processes based on the actual implementation

(strategy data).

• The determination and control, the transaction protocol patterns, the strategy type and execution trigger, and the constraints for the workflow (parameter data). • The workflow execution of tasks in the Transaction Object Model (protocol data).

Reference to figure 9

Figure 9 depicts the Transaction Model (Supervisor and Runtime Macro Processors). It shows the actual physical workflow between the Business Models (BM) of figure 3 in a participant. In fact, Tl is a client and T2 a server. For instance, the monitor component makes it possible to read a digital barcode.

Reference to figure 10

Figure 10 shows the lowest level in the linkware concept. In this case, 10 wizards, i.e. for instance Java Beans which perform tasks if a certain state occures in a system, perform tasks in order to fill all the models with data or references to data. Each filling in of a BM of figure 9 is part of the flow of work depicted in figure 17. The top part of figure 17 shows 8 slots (learn- and-select; commit-and-confirm; verify-and-certify; call-off-and-shipment; blueprint-and-product; authorize-and-logistics; invoice-and-payment; receipt-and-reconcile). Each participant has to go through all these slots. Figure 9 shows the workflow in each slot, figure 10 shows each process Tl- T2, the actual filling of each model with data (in fact, references to data). The Transaction Model and the Customer Tl & Supplier T2 Workflow Agents

The transaction model and associated T1/T2 protocol patterns are related to the Virtual Agent, the Contract Agent, the Session Agent, their Wizards and following runtime workflow objects: The Virtual Agent defines the «Objects» in a T1/T2 Workflow Case

α The Client Application;

Operations (methods) =

Tl "Case Request" & T2 "Case Response"; α The User Interface;

Operations (methods) = Tl "MyϋnkWare Request" & T2 "MyLinkWare Response";

Q The Repository;

Operations (methods) =

Tl "Service Acquirer Request" & T2 "Service Acquirer Response";

Tl "Service Provider Request" & T2 "Service Provider Response"; Tl "Service Type Request" & T2 "Service Type Response";

Tl "Protocol Pattern Request" & T2 "Protocol Pattern Response";

Tl "Contracting Strategy Request" & T2 "Contracting Strategy Response"; α The Message Exchange Entity;

Operations (methods) = Tl "Outbound Message Request" & T2 "Outbound Message Response"; α The Digital Barcodes (Runtime Service Objects and Enterprise

Units);

Operations (methods) =

Tl "Service List Request" & T2 "Service List Response"; Tl "Service List Details Request" & T2 "Service List Details Response";

The Session Agent defines the «What» in a T1/T2 Workflow Case

α The Application Programming Interface (API); Operations (methods) = Tl "Call LinkWare Using pi, p2, p3, p4, p5" & T2 "Return LinkWare Using pi, p2, p3, p4, p5"; Note!

The expression "LinkWare" in the API refers to a method in the Virtual Agent.

The Session Agent Legend:

• Tl Declare & T2 Declare = Tl Learn (+ Inspected) and T2 Select (+ Authorized).

Tl: "What should be (+ has been) done", alias Tl feed forward (+ feedback).

T2: "What should be (+ has been) achieved", alias T2 feed forward (+ feedback).

The Contract Agent defines the «How, Where, When, Who» in a T1/T2 Workflow Case

α The Interaction Manager Interface and the Workflow Manager, and visa versa;

Operations (methods) = Tl "Case Start / Finish" & T2 "Case Started / Finished";

Tl "Candidate Service Initiate" & T2 "Candidate Service

Initiated/skipped"; Tl "Candidate Service (data) Adjust" &. T2 "Candidate Service (data)

Adjusted"; Tl "Message Create / Send / Receive" & T2 "Message Created / Sent /

Received"; Tl "Message Process / Evaluate" & T2 "Message Processed / Evaluated"; Tl "Workflow Definition Update" & T2 "Workflow Definition Updated"; Tl "State Data Request" & T2 "State Data Response"; Tl "Configuration Data Request" &. T2 "Configuration Data Response";

Tl "Apply Schema / Constraints" & T2 "Schema / Constraints applied"; Tl "Apply Strategy / Transformation" & T2 "Strategy / Transformation applied".

α The Configuration Program Interface; Operations (methods) = Tl "Configuration Request" & T2 "Configuration Response";

α The Monitor Program Interface; Operations (methods) = Tl "Case List Request" & T2 "Case List

Response"; Tl "Case List Details Request" & T2 "Case List Details Response";

The Contract Agent Legend: • Tl Request &. T2 Notify = Transaction Information and Evaluation (non binding offer).

• Tl Accept & T2 Promise = Transaction Negotiation and Contract (binding offer and accept).

• Tl Execute & T2 Advice = Transaction Fulfilment. • Tl Response & T2 Reply = Transaction Settlement.

+ Additional to both the Session Agent and the Contract Agent:

• Tl Reject & T2 Discard = Related to all of the above in case of violation and/or exception.

NOTE!

The Virtual Agent, The Contract Agent and The Session Agent interface with each other by use of the T1/T2 transaction protocol definitions and protocol patterns.

The Transaction Protocol Definitions, Phases and Patterns

An essential part of the available service specifications is achieved by the transaction protocol used for a service type. Clearly, there is not a single transaction protocol common to all possible service types. Differences in transaction protocols are likely to occur due to differences in legislation, business model, and fulfilment processes etc.

However, although we cannot present a single transaction protocol for all services, we are able to define patterns for transaction protocols. These patterns can be used to derive the actual transaction protocol from, by replacing the generic (symbolic) names of message types with specific ones. Since a transaction protocol encompasses the consecutive negotiation, execution and acceptance phases, it can be seen as composed of three smaller transaction protocols, one for each phase.

Declare (root) phase: Protocol States = T1D/T2D

The transaction Tl Begin phase (negotiation) will be declared (published) to the back office. The transaction Tl End phase (acceptance) will be declared (subscribed) by the front office.

The transaction T2 Begin phase (negotiation) will be declared (subscribed) by the back office. The transaction T2 End phase (acceptance) will be declared (published) to the front office.

Begin (negotiation) phase: Protocol States = T1B/T2B

The Begin phase of a T2 transaction is started by the Object phase (on entry) of a Tl transaction.

Object (execution) phase: Protocol States = T1O/T2O

The Object phase of a Tl transaction has a conditional relationship with the End phase of a T2. This means that a business rule assignment can only be completed after successful acceptance of the End phase of a T2 transaction.

End (acceptance) phase: Protocol States = T1E/T2E

The End phase of a Tl transaction is ended by the Object phase (on exit) of a T2 transaction. The End phase of a Tl transaction has a conditional relationship with the Object phase of a T2. This means that the Object phase of a T2 transaction can only be completed after successful acceptance of the End phase of a Tl transaction.

Figure 11 shows possible ways of negociating on a participant level. Negotiation patterns:

"Implicit accept" "Binding request" "Single binding offer" "Single non binding offer" • "Multiple binding offers" • "Multiple non binding offers"

• "Single binding counter offer"

• "Alternating binding counter offer"

Execution patterns:

• "Silent execution"

• "Single phase execution"

• "Two phase execution "

• "Prepare to start / start"

Acceptance patterns:

• Silent accept"

• "Accept / reject result"

The Workflow Model is shown in figure 12. This drwawing shows the LinkWare Organizational Unit & The Global Descriptor Block - The Interaction Manager. This flowchart shows figures 2 on a workflow level.

Send from file / Send to file: The Information Plan (Enterprise Unit Data Ref. = Information). Publish / Subscribe Management;

Defines the unique universal message Identifier (Workflow ID, Process Status, URL, E-mail address, Digital Barcode etc.) and the associated business information to be exchanged between parties. Defines the authentication and authorization of all participants, and their roles in the Closed User Groups, by means of MyLinkWare

5 portal site slots and the Company Competence Center E-services.

The Supplier Configuration and Customer Service Contracting Requirements; "Bill-Of-Information";

Retrieve from Stock: The Project Requirements Plan (Enterprise Unit Data ⁾ Ref. = Transaction). Stock / Library Management;

Defines the value chain (learn) and the supply chain (select) service requirements objectives: "Declare" and "What", "Where", "When", "How" and "Who". "Bill-of-Oriαin"; Make to Stock: The Manufacturing and Production Plan (Enterprise Unit Data Ref. = Goods). Product / Service Management;

Defines supplier offerings and customer needs, and the participant profiles in the

Closed User Group. Who may (+ has to) deliver, who may (+ is able to) receive what goods, at what location, at which time frame, and at what conditions.

The Supplier Yellow Paper (catalogue) and Customer White Paper (passport);

"Bill-of-Certification";

Engineer to Order: The Project Requirements Plan (Enterprise Unit Data Ref.

= Document). Project Management;

Defines the activities to be executed according to a signed contract between parties, and its negotiated conditions and obligations. Customer commitment and supplier confirmation, unconditional supplier shipment / conditional customer call-off, QC & QA control, value added logistics, transport, delivery and payment, receipt and reconciliation. "Supply Chain Blueprint"; Purchase and Sales: The Project Requirements Plan (Enterprise Unit Data Ref. = Order). Contract and proposal Management;

Defines the bid / proposal, the evaluation, negotiation and acceptance, and the signed contract and agreed obligations between parties. "Bill-of -Order"; Assembly to Order: The Project Requirements Plan (Enterprise Unit Data Ref. = Goods). Order Management;

Defines which participant has to deliver/receive what goods, to/from where, at what time, and whether delivery/receipt is possible? Delivery & Financial conditions, and escape possibilities in the case of discrepancies in the supply chain. "Bill-of -Lading";

Payment to Order: The Project Requirements Plan (Enterprise Unit Data Ref. = Money). Financial Management;

Defines corporate clearinghouse functionality, Letter of Credit, Tax & Customs, Credit checks & Payments, Cash flow management and the monitoring of financial transactions and their reconciliation and settlement within the Closed User Groups. "Bill-of- Pa vm en t"; Make to Order: The Project Requirements Plan (Enterprise Unit Data Ref. =

Transaction). File Management;

Defines the integration with the Back Office databases (ERP), financial 5 bookings (Trusted Third Party), and the Competence Center distributed store administration (E-services). "Bill-of-Settlement";

Make to Document: The Project Requirements Plan (Enterprise Unit Data Ref. = Document). Service & Maintenance Management;

D Defines Customer Relationship Management and the required warranty with regard to the order. Has the goods been verified? Has shipment been authorized? Has delivery taken place? Has the receipt been inspected? Has the product been installed? Has the customer accepted the order, and has payment been done and accepted by parties? "Bill-of- Warranty";

j The Start-of-day (session)/End-of-day: Publisher/Subscriber (Type = Information);

Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Publish/Subscribe Management.

The Publish/Subscribe Management entity is an integral part of the Company ) Competence Center (CCC), and define 4 of its 8 distributed stores (stores are special workflow entities).

The Publish/Subscribe Management defines the Closed User Group Cluster Head fBroker), and is related to the following Competence Center distributed stores (LinkWare e-services):

Network Management

Project Management

File Management

Support Management

Systems Management

Product / Service Management

Stock / Library Management

Application Management The Publisher / Subscriber, alias the CUG Participant Cluster Head Broker), defines:

The LinkWare Unique Universal Identifiers (UUIDs) and the associated message objectives: 1. Case (Control Model), Case Type (Organization Model) and Case Data (Business rules).

2. Service Type (Function Model) and Workflow Control Identification (Process Model).

3. Bulletin Board and Business Process Status, MyLinkWare Web Site and URL definition.

4. E-mail address, the Organizational Unit and associated Digital Barcode Platform (Analyzer).

5. Identification, Verification, Authentication and Authorization of all Participants, and their integrated customer Tl & supplier T2 workflow coalition in the Closed User Group.

6. Roles of Participants (and Employees) in the Closed User Group, by means of MyLinkWare portal site slots and Competence Center E-services, and the Business Organization Model.

This Enterprise Unit is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Stock / Library Management".

Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Send from file / Send to file = "The Bill-of- Information" Service Data = (The Global Descriptor Block alias The Organizational Unit)

The function of this business control model is to link participants in the corporate office, and associated closed user groups, to/from the inside/outside world in a secure and trusted way. It contains facilities to authenticate and authorize parties before these enter the marketplace. This is done on the basis of a trusted catalogue (supplier yellow paper) and a digital passport (customer white paper) and provides input for the "Bill-of-Origin". The mentioned procedure may be verified by the supervisor (or an authorized employee), by use of a password in conjunction with secure card embedded logic and / or pin (personal identification number). The publisher / subscriber allows entering / exiting the e-marketplace for the following:

1): Start-of-day (or session) / End-of-day via the Company Competence Center e-services.

2) : Supplier signed contract (Warehousing) / Customer service contracting (RFI/RFB/RFP).

3) : Supply Chain Blue-Prints (Supplier unconditional Shipment / Customer Call-Off (or Lease)).

4): Supervisory runtime management, exceptions control, and dynamic wildcard assignment. Activities:

■ Repository (E-Services, Yellow Papers, White Papers and Business Models) to be activated.

■ Network (Corporate Office) to be initiated, Systems (Closed User Groups) to be started, and associated Applications (Portal Sites, User Interfaces and Workflows) to be loaded. ■ Virtual Communication Satellites (Virtual Workstations) to be loaded and links to be initiated.

■ Service contracting processes (RFI/RFB/RFP) to be started for automatic negotiations.

■ Initiate actions for bids / proposals to be evaluated / negotiated, and contracts to be signed, customer orders to be planned for execution, and orders to be unconditionally shipped / conditionally called-off.

^■ Initiate actions for supervisor control and authorization of executive work lists (Blueprints).

The Executive Business Plan: Stock/Library Management (Type = Transaction);

Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Stock / Library Management.

The Stock / Library Management entity is an integral part of the Company Competence Center (CCC) and its associated e-services, and defines one of its 8 distributed stores. It defines the value and supply chain objectives: "What", "Where", "When", "How" and "Who".

This Enterprise Unit is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Publish / Subscribe Management".

Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Retrieve from Stock = "The Bill-of-Origin" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

The objective of this function is to support coordination between all main business activities.

This means to (1):

1): Accept (subscribe) input from the Manufacturing (demands) Plan.

2): Provide (publish) output to the Production (replenishment) Plan.

By use of the Customer White Paper:

- Service client's bulletin board identification (Web Site, URL and E-mail address).

- Service client's logon, logoff and restart parameter.

- Service client's passport information (City, Name, Address, Telephone, Bank etc).

- Service client's contracting needs, and executive production planning), and:

This means to (2): 1): Provide (publish) output to the Manufacturing (demands) Plan.

2): Accept (subscribe) input from the Production (replenishment) Plan.

By use of the Supplier Yellow Paper:

- Service provider's web site definition, URL and e-mail address. - Service provider's profile (City, Name, Address, Telephone, Bank etc.).

- Service provider's configuration (Database, Hardware and Software).

- Service provider's available services (catalogue, offerings) and finance conditions.

- Service provider's contracted services (shipment, call-off) and payment conditions. - Certification of Origin / Destination for the offered product/service, and QC & QA.

- Certification of Delivery for the ordered product / service, stock & location control. - Certification of Receipt for the delivered product/service, reconciliation & warranty.

The Supplier Yellow Paper and the Customer White Paper define together the starting point for any service contracting to be negotiated, executed and accepted between parties I.E. (what, when, where, how, who), and define as such the input/output for the supplier manufacturing plan (customer demands plan) - "The Bill-of-Certification", and the adjacent customer production plan (supplier replenishment plan) - "The Supply Chain Blue- Print". Both plans define input for the "Bill-of-Lading" - (See also Final Assembly Schedule-FAS) -.

The Executive Business Plan is used to initiate actions for critical resources of material, service components and money allocation activities. It includes project requirements activities for customer demands planning (supply chain pull) and associated supplier replenishment planning (supply chain push).

The Manufacturing (Replenishment) Plan: Product/Service Management (Type = Goods);

Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Product / Service Management.

The Product / Service Management entity is an integral part of the Company Competence Center (CCC) and its associated e-services, and defines one of its 8 distributed stores.

It defines input from the Supplier Yellow Paper and output to the Customer White Paper by use of the file system signed contract and the supply chain executive order.

^■ The certification of participants and associated goods / service in the Closed User Group. > Who must fis able to) deliver what goods / service, at what location, at what time.

> Who must (|s_abIe_to) transport what goods / service, at what location, at what time. > Who must (is_ab[e_to) receive what goods / service, at what location, at what time.

> Who must (is able to) finance what goods / service, at what location, at what time.

Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Make to Stock = "The Bill-of-Certification" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

The objective of this function is to cover the product / service management, the quality control & quality assurance of outgoing / incoming goods / services, and the flow of goods / services through stocks (supplier replenishment), production departments (customer demands) and the supply chain (customer executive order).

The system calculates the irrevocable barcodes to be used for the value chain.

It covers the certification of shipment of outgoing goods and services to main-contractors: (Producers, Exporters, Wholesalers, Importers, Retailers) and Customers. It covers the necessary certification for the virtual bank to be able to finance the outgoing goods / services (Letter-of-Credit: Opening and Advising / Negotiating Bank and Escrow).

It is also used to manage the set-up (supplier replenishment) of stock data and associated location control, and to certify and check the reliability of stock figures, which will be used in the value chain.

It covers the order assembly, the value added logistics and distribution management, and it provides feedback for the financial management and clearinghouse activities (virtual bank). The Production (Demands) Plan: Project Management (Type = Document); Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Project Management.

The Project Management entity is an integral part of the Company Competence Center and its associated e-services, and defines one of its 8 distributed stores (workflow entities).

Defines the project activities to be executed according to a contract's negotiated conditions: ^■ Project activities to be signed off by parties (work list).

^■ Customer commitment and supplier confirmation (trading conditions).

■ Unconditional shipment (warehousing) and / or conditional customer call- off (lease).

^■ Product / service quality control and quality assurance (certification). ^■ Credit check and order authorization (letter-of-credit, escrow guarantee, tax & customs)

^■ Value added logistics (order assembly, forwarding) and wholesale (import, distribution).

^■ Delivery (retail) and order payment (financial transaction). ■ Receipt (customer) and order reconciliation (inspection, financial booking / reversal).

Standard documents used in the data exchange between above-mentioned items: Documents sent by: Exporting Country. Documents sent by: Importing Country.

Documents sent by: Opening bank and Advising / Negotiating bank (L/C). Documents sent when: Changing from Buyer to Seller in Import Country (2^nd seller).

Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Engineer to Order = "The Supply Chain Blue- Print" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

The objective of this function is to control production operations (contract executive orders) and schedule manufacturing activities (unconditional warehousing and / or conditional customer call-off / lease), and report actual progress of work orders for the supply chain.

The system may also record the usage of manpower skills, material and time spent. The system calculates the irrevocable barcodes to be used for the supply chain.

The Supply Chain Blue-Print guarantees the needed input for the Project Requirements Plan, and defines the Customer Order De-coupling Point (CODP). The CODP is initiated from, and closed at, the "Bill-of-Order" (see below) and defines the "point-of-no-return" for the supply chain objectives: "Bill-of-Lading" / "Bill-of-Finance" / "Bill-of-Payment" and "Bill-of-Warranty".

The Project Requirements Plan: Contract & Proposal Management/Sales (Type = Order);

Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Contract and Proposal Management.

Defines the service contracting process between parties, hereby invoking the request for bid / proposal, the evaluation, negotiation and acceptance of the same, and the signed contract and its obligations between parties.

This Enterprise Unit is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Project Management". Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Sales = "The Bill-of-Order (Sales)" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

This business function covers the management and documentation of sales orders, pricing, quotations for bids / proposals, signed contract planning, commissions and rebates, invoicing, picking, packing, and quality control & quality assurance of the goods/services to be shipped.

This business function also covers shipment and delivery of ordered goods and / or services. The Project Requirements Plan: Contract & Proposal Management/Purchase (Type = Order);

Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Contract and Proposal Management.

This Enterprise Unit is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Project Management". Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Purchase = "The Bill-of-Order (Purchase)" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

This business function contains the usual functions for goods / service contracting, purchase order (lease) management inclusive payment authorization, the order receipt, the inspection and associated acceptance / rejection of purchased (leased) goods, material and / or service. It includes selection of service providers, the negotiation and service contracting process, and the control of sub-contracting activities (Value added Logistics, Tax & Customs, Documents).

The Project Requirements Plan: Order Management (Type = Goods); Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Order Management

It defines output to the Supplier Yellow Paper and input from the Customer White Paper by use of the file system signed contract and the supply chain executive order.

■ The certification of participants and associated goods / service in the Closed User Group.

> Who must (is able to) deliver what goods / service, at what location, at what time.

> Who must (is able to) transport what goods / service, at what location, at what time.

> Who must (is able to) receive what goods / service, at what location, at what time. > Who must (is able to) finance what goods / service, at what location, at what time.

This Enterprise Unit is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Project Management". Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Assembly to Order = ^λBill-of-Lading" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

The objective of this function is to generate a Final Assembly Schedule

(FAS). The FAS is generated by use of the supplier manufacturing plan and the "Bill-of-Certification", and the customer production plan and the "Supply Chain Blue-Print".

The FAS is used in order planning completion operations from stock level to end-item level (finishing schedule). The FAS includes operations other than final assembly, such as picking, packing, final order mixing, final order routing and stevedoring (value added logistics).

The FAS is established after receiving an executive order (purchase call-off or sales shipment) from sales, and the outcome is "order ready" for shipment.

The Project Requirements Plan: Financial Management (Type = Money); Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Financial Management.

Defines corporate office clearinghouse functionality for Closed User Group members using: ^■ Letter of Credit &. Escrow services to due participants.

^■ Insurance policy to due participants.

^■ Tax & Customs facility.

^■ Credit checks, Money allocation & Payments.

^■ Cash flow management (payables and receivables). ^■ Monitoring of financial transactions and their reconciliation (booking/payment/reversal).

This Enterprise Unit is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Project Management". Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Payment to Order = "The Bill-of-Payment" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

This business function contains a comprehensive financial support facility, containing three sub-models, which define the links to the internal financial transactions and associated clearing purposes on closed user group level. It contains links to all other major functions including the manufacturing plan, the production plan, purchase & sales, logistics and distribution (wholesale [import] & retail-outlet [delivery]), as well as service & maintenance (customer receipt, inspection and acceptance [installation]). These links are realized via the Enterprise Unit "Project Management".

Activities:

The Contract: Daily (Online in real-time ongoing) processing with regard to the Front office:

Supplier Yellow Pages, Customer White Papers and Supply Chain Blueprints (Certificates).

Accounts receivable, Accounts payable, Money allocation and Transaction management.

The Fulfilment:

Daily (online in real-time ongoing) processing with regard to the Mid-office:

The Orders, Shipment, Invoices, Payments, Receipts, Reminders and Warranties.

The Executive Business Plan associated stock data & location services, and QC &. QA.

Note! Standard documents used in the data and information exchange between above-mentioned items are: Documents sent by: Exporting Country. Documents sent by: Importing Country. Documents sent by: Opening bank and Advising / Negotiating bank (L/C). Documents sent when: Changing from Buyer to Seller in Importing Country (2^nd seller).

The Settlement: Periodic (start/stop) management information with regard to the Back-office:

Customer proposals, Supplier signed contracts and associated Executive order planning. Cost processing, general Ledger, Cash forecast, Budgeting & Report services (documents). Financial bookings (Trusted Third Party, L/C clearing), Fixed assets & Cost allocation.

The Project Requirements Plan: File Management (Type = Transaction); Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = File Management.

The File Management entity is an integral part of the Company Competence Center (CCC) and its associated e-services, and defines one of its 8 distributed stores (workflow entities).

■ The File Management entity maintains, via LinkWare communication satellites, links to the back office databases, and ERP systems of Closed User Group participants, produces the necessary documents and executes the financial settlements via the Trusted Third Party.

This Enterprise Unit is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Project Management". Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Make to Order = "The Bill-of-Settlement (Finance)" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

This business function is an integrated part of the business control model (BCM), which allows the Closed User Group participants to link to the BackOffice databases for settlement of activities, in which they have been, or should be, involved in the facilitated e-marketplace.

The settlement will be done in conjunction with the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system of the appropriate participants, inclusive the administrative financial booking and the make-up of proper documents, according to the signed contract to which participants are obliged. The settlement may (and most probably will) result in a multifold of additional documents to be used in the administrative filing concept of the appropriate participant.

The Company Competence Center (CCC) invokes the Repository Model and Distributed Stores. LinkWare Distributed Stores are special workflow entities ("stores") used for customer/supplier profiles and portal site contract requirements services, configuration, documentation, and runtime management and monitor purposes. LinkWare distributed stores are accessed via "State of the Art" middleware and Interface. Definition Languages (IDL) like: Biztalk (Microsoft), Web Sphere (IBM), Web Logic (BEA Systems) or Oracle Exchange Services.

The outcome of this business function defines the input for the reconciliation services to be done in the Enterprise Unit: Service & Maintenance Management - "The Bill-of-Warranty".

The Project Requirements Plan: Service & Maintenance Management (Type = Document);

Enterprise Unit (Service Type): = Service & Maintenance Management.

Defines the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and the required warranty to be obtained with regard to the customer order. Have the goods been identified, verified and certified? Has shipment been authorized?

Has delivery taken place? Have the goods / service been inspected and accepted?

Has the product been installed, and has payment been done and accepted by parties?

This Enterprise Unit is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Prolect Management". Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Make to Document = "The Bill-of-Warranty" Service Data = (LinkWare File System)

The function of service and maintenance covers the order installation, the customer inspection and acceptance of sold products / services. It includes warranties, service agreements and long term maintenance planning.

Service work may be long term planned using response time, geographic area, knowledge / skills requirements, and availability of resources and spare parts (warehouse). Analysis of service work performed provides a management tool for checking on actual Customer Relation Management (CRM), margins, costs and other performance measures.

The LinkWare Virtual Agent: A summary of the e-marketplace facilitator;

The Information Plan;

The Virtual Agent is linked to the Enterprise Unit "Publish / Subscribe management".

Business Rule (Workflow ID) = Send from file / Send to file = "The Bill-of-

Configuration" Case = (The Competence Center, the Corporate Office and the Closed User

Groups)

Case data = (The Integrated Transactional Warehouse)

The Corporate Office and its Exchange Data Model (Reference Model) define the facilitated B2B e-marketplace and business services used to support a contract establishment, its fulfilment and settlement. These business services are combined into: "The Integrated Transactional Warehouse".

I.E. The Customer, Supplier, Exporter, Shipping Agent, Importer, Logistics Provider, Quality Control & Quantity Assurance, Trade Documents, Virtual Bank, Broker and Real Bank. The Reference Model and the associated corporate Enterprise Units makes it possible to control the activities in the e-marketplace with regard to: Information, Goods, Order, Transaction, Money and Document flows, which are exchanged as XML schemas between members of a virtual multi- organization and their associated workflow coalition in a business community.

These flows, which are defined as "The Value and Supply Chain" form the building blocks (portal site clusters) for the underlying Closed User Groups, their joint logistical, financial and administrative companies and associated Project Models, which furthermore are divided into the following sub entities: Business Control, Business Organization, Business Function and Business Process models.

The Project Model invokes: "The Contract Agent and the Session Agent". The Portal Site Cluster invokes: 'The LinkWare Digital Barcode".

The Digital Barcode connects in a secure way a LinkWare Unique Universal Identifier (UUID) in the Project Model to the Reference Model and the Enterprise Units as well as to the Repository. The Digital Barcode is generated by use of a set of session co-ordinates (Info Pads) passed in the actual transactional sequence in the workflow of a Closed User Group participant (portal).

INFO PADS SPAN THE CLOSED USER GROUP, HEREBY ALLOWING CROSS BORDER PORTAL SITE COMMUNICATION.

Reference to figure 13: The 8 small blocks below and above are the slots already discussed in relation to figures 9 and 10, which slots are are shown in figure 17. Each time, a participant fills in all these slots and sends digital barcodes to the corporate office. These slots are used by the CUG organizer which picks up information from a competence center and the CUG performer which picks up data from the closed user groups. The links to information and authorizations are transcripted in digital barcodes, which will be explained below. 3 The Closed User Group - Digital Barcodes & Business Rules;

3.1 Digital Barcodes; The transactional information exchanged in the LinkWare business network is linked to the physical data behind the firewall in the Corporate Office and the Competence center. By use of digital barcodes ("The Concept-of- Shadowing") no physical data is moved in the network.

To interpret the information behind the LinkWare digital barcodes, a supervisor authorized management portal link to the Corporate Office, and the Company Competence Center, for the main contractor of a cluster has to be established by the LinkWare Supervisor (Virtual Agent). This is done by use of the Business Organization Model for the Closed User Group, and the Global Descriptor Block invoked for the appropriate Closed User Group Cluster (participant).

The calculation and interpretation of the LinkWare digital barcodes is done by the LinkWare Data Profile Analyzer, using actual Info Pads in the Corporate Enterprise Units ("Bills") and runtime Macro Processor Workflow, by means of business topology and business rules.

The appropriate rules to be used by the business case are invoked by the Supervisor.

By use of business topology, and the building blocks of the Closed User Groups, it is possible to map the B2B e-marketplace and its associated Corporate Office to a common level-of-control.

This is done by use of below mentioned semantics: "Business Rule (Business Topology)":

1. "Send-to (from)-file (Bill-of-Configuration)",

2. "Publish-Subscribe (Bill-of-Information)",

3. "Retrieve-from-Stock (Bill-of-Origin)", 4. "Make-to-Stock (Bill-of-Certification)",

5. "Engineer-to-Order (Supply Chain Blueprint)",

6. "Purchase-and-Sales (Bill-of-Order)",

7. "Assembly-to-Order (Bill-of-Lading)",

8. "Payment-to-Order (Bill-of-Payment)",

9. "Make-to-Order (Bill-of-Settlement)" and 10."Make-to-Document (Bill-of-Warranty)".

3.2 Business Rules;

Business Models, and application knowledge and strategy, are recorded via Business Rules. These set of rules form the necessary glue between the several "static" business models in the Company Competence Center and its LinkWare Exchange Modeller, and the appropriate Closer User Group and its "dynamic" runtime environment.

Business rules are located and maintained in the LinkWare Rule System (Repository Manager). Business rules are implemented as a fixed number of value and supply chain terms, which are linked to a member of a logistical, administrative and financial company (Closed User Group).

These rules are based on the actual business case, its associated main and detailed functions, and their conditions and actions and associated executive options and variants in the workflow.

Strategy Rules;

Strategy rules are related to the contracting agent in the LinkWare environment. We will use the term "strategy" as a generic term for the decision rules that govern the entire business process and associated transaction protocol (negotiation, execution and acceptance).

> An examples of a strategy rule:

Send a "request for proposal" to all available providers.

Wait 60 seconds and rank the received proposals according to increasing values of the message attribute "Total Net Price". If the value of the proposal on top of the list is lower than the case attribute "Maximum

Price", then accept the offer and reject all other proposals. Otherwise reject all proposals.

Dependency Rules;

Dependency rules are used to check the consistency of a model. Once the business model has been created it is possible to check its consistency by evaluating all dependency rules.

> An examples of a dependency rule:

If the "Margin Control" business function variant is present in the model, then the "Standard Pricing Management" function variant must be present in the model as well.

Transformation (Specification) Rules; A business function model can be automatically transformed into a business process model by means of transformation rules. It is also possible to visualize the link with the business process model directly from the business function model by means of these transformation rules.

> An example of a transformation (specification) rule:

If the "Purchase Order Processing" business function has been defined, then select the "Purchase" business process out of the Repository.

Parameter Rules;

Parameter rules, or constraints, are used to assign a dynamic value to a session parameter depending on the presence of the appropriate business function variant in the model.

Note! LinkWare dynamic session parameters are referred to as wildcards.

> An example of a parameter rule:

If the "Purchase Order Processing with XML document XYZ" business function variant has been defined, then the value of the "XML" parameter is set to yes, and "XYZ" is assigned to the associated wildcard. Wildcards will be mapped (and authorized) against the repository.

Static Condition Rules;

A control activity, and associated action(s), is one of the components of the business process model and is used to model a choice in the flow. This choice is referred to as a static condition.

In addition to a piece of text, which may be assigned as short information to the digital barcode in the actual workflow, a static condition may also contain. a value that is set by means of a rule or external event received from a LinkWare satellite.

If the value of the static condition is false, then a non-active, or sleeping, branch in the process tree will be invoked. Otherwise if the value of the static condition is true, then the appropriate branch in the process tree will be activated.

4 The Closed User Group - The value chain;

The Closed User Group, or Project Model, defines on a collaborative and Inter-Organizational level the "Process Chain", and the associated exchange of value between participants of a business community. Example (Perishables): Fruit, Fish, Meat, Financial services & Trade Insurance.

A "Process Chain" is in the LinkWare environment defined as: The added value of demand, and associated supply, of services and/or goods, which is based on the active management of a workflow coalition in the primary business process - the core business - of a homogeneous business community.

The primary business process is defined as a Closed User Group, which invokes participants (clusters) of customer-supplier relationships as well as value added partners.

A Closed User Group participant is linked to the Enterprise Units in the

Corporate Office and the associated Reference Model via the portal site manager, and to the Competence Center and the associated Repository Model via the publisher/subscriber.

The participant is dedicated to a horizontal line of business, a so-called cluster, in the Closed User Group (see below figure).

A cluster consists of one main contractor (the cluster head) and at least one sub contractor.

The cluster head may also act as a sub contractor in a cluster.

The cluster head executes and controls interactions between different clusters

(portal sites).

Participants of horizontal-based Closed User Group clusters form corporate vertical-based Closed User Group logistical, administrative and financial, companies. In this way it is possible to gain a total logistical and financial overview of the activities in e-marketplace. Reference to figure 14. This figure shows how participants in a closed user group are linked together using protal sites. Each closed user group is a chain, e.g. producer, exporter, importer, customer.

4.1 Contracts;

This covers the whole path by finding the best-fit suppliers, matchmaking between suppliers and customers, the evaluation of the bid/proposal and the negotiation about order conditions, making the deal, control delivery of the product/service and monitor whether the parties fulfill their obligations according to an agreed level of control based on common business rules.

4.2 Transactions;

This covers the infrastructure for virtual organizations, consisting of a changing, homogeneous collection of independent entities collaborating via a business network. Opposite to classical infrastructures, this architecture must be able to support mobility of participants, and their long-term transactions with regard to order planning, execution and settlement.

Reference to figure 15, showing a closed user group with three participants. Portal Site X .. Z of each of the participants are linked via a router X-Z to the corporate office. The drawing shows different functionalities a participant uses internally.

The characteristics of the Closed User Group, and associated clusters in this figure are: The bid/offer, the signed contract between parties and the associated executive transactions.

4.3 The LinkWare Participant - The Customer and Supplier relationship;

To better understand how e-business technology affects the exchange of information in the value chain and supply chain, it's helpful to examine this in terms of five distinct objectives: ■ Information. This objective indicates the exchange of information between buyer and seller to match customer needs and preferences with the products and services available from the supplier. From the buyer to the seller, this may represent an inquiry about a particular product's price and availability, or the solicitation of a bid or request for proposal for a specific set of services. From the seller to the buyer this may be the announcement of a new product or any number of different types of marketing communication or special offerings.

^■ Negotiation. This objective indicates the process of establishing agreement between buyer and seller on the conditions of the transaction.

This ranges from the complex series of information exchanges, such as those associated with the development and negotiation of a contract, to the more concise, automated validation of prices, finance and payment as well as order delivery (shipment) and order receipt (call-off) terms. ^■ Transaction. This objective indicates the exchange of value from buyer to seller.

This type of information exchange may be discrete in nature, such as delivery of payment to purchased goods or services. However it may also be much more complex, and therefore require a finer level of coordination and control by the e-business system, such as the transfer and outsourcing of intellectual property of the execution and settlement of a strategic agreement based on a signed contract between two remote parties.

^■ Fulfilment. This objective indicates the transfer of value from seller to buyer.

As is stated in the above objective on "Transaction", this type of information exchange may range from the very straightforward delivery of purchased goods or services to a more complex process for the fulfilment of intangible assets. ^■ Roles. The e-business system must also be aware of the various roles involved by the participants in the value chain. For example: The same information may have a different context for the exchange between a buyer and a (re) seller than between a (re) seller and supplier (producer). 4.4 The LinkWare Participant - The Virtual communication satellite;

The Virtual Communication Satellite realizes the links between the LinkWare business models: • The Closed User Group and its Project Model; The front office.

• The Corporate Office and its Data (Reference) Model; The mid office

• The Competence Center and its Repository Model; The back office.

The Virtual Communication Satellite is controlled and managed by the Publisher & Subscriber. This object uses the LinkWare Agent Communication Language Command Set to control and monitor the Closed User Group primary business process on a distributed basis by means of the UDDI business standard, the Unique Universal Identifier (UUID) and the Digital Barcodes.

The Virtual Communication Satellite and its associated intelligent Wizard engine is an integral part of the Agent Communication Language (ACL) and Distributed Transaction Model.

The ACL maintains the links to the outside and inside world, and executes the Closed User Group business models on the basis of X25/SOAP (Communication), HTML (Web-based Technology), XML (Standard Documents), CORBA (Objects & Workflow Components), Enterprise JavaBeans (Distributed Applications) and ISO 8583 (Financial Transactions).

Corporate Enterprise Units, Virtual Communication Satellites and their joint Transaction Model, realize by means of the LinkWare ACL the actual Workflow in the Primary Business Process.

Each of these Component-based objects will be located independent of each other in the network. The objects needed for the actual session are dynamic linked when executed.

Reference to figure 16

Figure 16 shows the position of virtual workstations and portal sites in figure 2. Portal sites define the business functions as assigned to Closed User Group participants (main and sub contractors). Virtual Workstations define the processes and UUIDs (Unique Universal Identifiers) as derived by these business functions. UUIDs are assigned to the workflow model managed by the Corporate Office, and are linked to Enterprise Units. Enterprise Units define business service objects and data entity relationships as: Atomic work steps, Rules, Message types and Message data.

Reference to figure 17

The proces o makching one participant in a closed user group with another participant in the same closed user group is an ongoing process., shown in figure 17. Each time, a participant completes the 8 slots already discussed with regard to figures 9 and 10. Using the virtual workstation, each slot is completed using wizards. When the 8 slots are completed, a part of the digital barcode is completed. The corporate office processes all the barcodes, the trusted third party certifies all the information and data.

The LinkWare invention focuses on the type of service contracting that emerges when an organization sources out the execution, of one or more tasks in his business to another organization. In case of outsourcing, there must be an agreement between service client and service provider in which the mutual obligations are defined.

We distinguish between the terms "service contract" and "service contracting". The term "service contract" is assigned to a LinkWare portal site and is a commitment from a service provider to execute a specific service for a service client, and the commitment of the service client to use the specified service. The term "service contracting" is assigned to a LinkWare virtual workstation and is the activity performed in the information system of a service client, which is directed towards establishing service contracts for business cases in the information system and monitoring and maintaining those service contracts thereafter. The position of "service contracting" is an organizational system located at the service client and consists of information processing only. It is the specific responsibility of the "service contracting" process to find external resources for outsourcing of tasks in the business process. "Service contracting" processes are client-server based and communicate with the information system of service providers via messages. 4.5 The LinkWare Participant - The ACL Wizards;

Reference to figure IS

Figure 18 shows from top to bottom the participant, the Corporate Office, and the Competence Center, all actors in the linkware concept. Each actor has wizards filling in model parameters in order to complete transactions in a closed user group.

4.6 The LinkWare Participant - The Data Profile Analyzer;

The LinkWare Agent Communication Language (ACL) has a set of rule commands, which are located in the business rule database, to build, track, trace, simulate and investigate Info Pads.

The rule commands are initiated and switched off by the operator and/or the supervisor. Also the remote network operator may execute these commands as background adapters. The rule commands are assigned to LinkWare Organizational Units (portal sites). A portal site defines a LinkWare file system (function model) and is divided into slots, all of which are assigned to virtual communication satellites and Corporate Enterprise Units. A LinkWare Macro Processor controls a portal site slot (process model). Each portal site slot consists of a customer Tl and a supplier T2 transaction management environment, both of which may (and probably will) reside at different network locations.

Macro Processors communicate with each other via a T1/T2 functional declaration invoking the Agent Communication Language scheduler. A Macro Processor T1/T2 declaration specifies: "What should be done; and how" and "What should be achieved; and how". As a result of the T1/T2 functional declaration a Macro Processor runtime business service object is dynamic linked by the object request broker and allocated for the actual workflow. Info Pads are located in Macro Processor runtime service-objects and are defined as follows:

• "Info Pads are dedicated routes in the Workflow based on Business Rules".

Info Pads are recognized as Unique Universal Identifiers (UUIDs) in the transaction model, and are linked to Virtual Workstations, which on their behalf are linked to the portal site slots in the virtual communication satellites, each of which located at a Closed User group participant.

• "Info Pads are wrapped to Digital barcodes by the Runtime Manager".

Info Pads define co-ordinates of all session information belonging to a transaction sequence, and are as such the only information, which is transferred through the LinkWare business network. The real information behind the Info Pads is assigned to the digital barcodes, and is located in the Corporate Office. Only authorized personnel may investigate Digital barcodes.

Due to the fact that the Agent Communication Language (ACL) scheduler triggers business functions and processes by means of the current transition state in the workflow, it is possible to gain a valuable customer (and supplier) track record by use of the Digital barcodes. Digital Barcodes are related to both the Organizational Unit and the Macro Processors, and their associated Global Descriptor Block.

Each Info Pad passing in the Macro Processor process tree will be recorded and wrapped into the Digital barcode structure by the ACL State handler and "fired" onto the ACL Workflow Bus.

The messages will be picked, and recorded in the ACL Repository by the ACL

Store manager.

The LinkWare Data Profile Analyzer investigates the ACL Repository. When a route passing has been done a pre-defined number of consecutive times, this passing will be added to the standard "route" in the rule repository for the appropriate process.

This will force the ACL Logic Wizard to invoke a standard workflow session, without taking into account the condition check, which may previously have been assigned to this action and its associated transition state in the process tree.

The above scheme has to be made irrevocable in the configuration by a supervisor dialogue, either via a local authorized employee, or remote initiated by the network operator.

Consequently, defined condition checks in the process tree, which are not used a number of pre-defined times in the workflow, will be removed from the business rule repository.

In all cases the number of checks in the process tree is dependent on a counter in the configuration. If the counter is set to zero, the process conditions will always be checked.

4.7 The LinkWare Participant - The Barcode Platforms;

Platform 1: The Publisher & Subscriber and the Organizational Unit;

Reference to figure 19. The four top boxes and the four lower boxes are the slots shown in figure 17.

Platform 2: The Macro Processors and the Global Descriptor Block;

Reference to figure 20. Each of the 8 boxes of figure 19 are filled out via the wizards of figure 20. THE LINKWARE MACROPROCESSOR OBJECT STRUCTURE

THE BUSINESS SERVICE OBJECT AND THE DIGITAL BARCODE INFO PAD The LinkWare macroprocessors are linked to a classified set of business rules by which the primary business process is configured in a customer-supplier relationship. The LinkWare macroprocessors each consist of the executable objects the IQServer and JLServer, which interface with each other by use of "THE AGENT COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE & THE ACLMACRO".

They use LinkWare shared memory and macro processor ACL commands and local linkage sections as interface areas.

The ACL is a LinkWare high-level macro command language to interface configuration and administration resources, business logic for assembly, logistics, delivery and receipt procedures, and device authentication and data consistency checks, defined as "user-exits".

User-exits function in the workflow as "Command Wizards", intelligent table look-up and strategy handlers, embedded in a transactional indexed tree structure. "THE UNIQUE UNIVERSAL INDENTIFIER (UUID) & THE DIGITAL BARCODE INFO PAD" for the business logic.

The objects are linked together at execution time by the object request broker(orb).

The macroprocessor linkage section is allocated by the LinkWare supervisor at startup. The linkage section consists of a variable part, which is refreshed if a new copy of the macroprocessor ("thread") is initialed and a fixed part.

The global descriptor block defines the "external" structures to the file system(s) and integrated ware-house, to which the macroprocessor is connected via its business control model.

The ACLmacro governs the business control: THE CUSTOMER Tl DECLARE &

SUPPLIER T2 DECLARE (API-OBJECT).

The Tl declare = "What should be done; and how" and the T2 declare =

"What should be achieved; and how". The lOServer governs the business process (how)" THE Tl SESSION definitions (API-CUSTOMER).

The lOServer acts as interface handler to LinkWare user jobs defined as corporate ware-house procedure calls = (RPC).

The JLServer governs the business function (what): THE T2 RESOURCE definitions (API-SUPPLIER).

The JLServer acts as interface handler to LinkWare standard jobs defined as file system functions calls = (RPC).

Both macroprocessor objects are build by combining and API-client and API- server. This fact allows the lOServer to be a client in the JLServer resource definition and the JLServer to be a client in the lOServer session definition. 5 The Closed User Group - Integration with LinkWare;

In general a company's business strategy and information technology standards are not often direct connected to each other. By using an application standard, which is linked to the company Business Model, and controlled by a distributed business rule and workflow manager, matching customer needs with supplier offerings, inclusive negotiating the deal and controlling the associated executive transaction in the supply chain, the link between enterprise business strategy and technology could be established on the company primary business process level - the core business -. The company financial point of view, and the strategic value of an open application standard, could lead to synergy in business goals between different units in the enterprise-based and collaborative organization, facilitating functionality of existing host legacy applications, even located on different platforms, with the competitive edge of new technologies.

An application standard, linking end-users via a single secure and unique entry-point to enterprise-wide business services and associated back-office data resources independent of middleware technologies and platforms, must be treated as a collective vehicle of benefit.

Through the LinkWare common inter-organizational workflow model and application interface, invoking the Agent Communication Language, which is based on open "state-of-the-art" standards, it is possible to combine and access business components on a "best fit" basis.

Reference to figure 21

5.1 A practical example of an inter-organizational workflow coalition;

Parties involved in a specified trade chain f Export/Import of Perishables V. See the appropriate scheme below depicting the LinkWare solution. In the center, again the 8 slots of figure 17 are shown. Now, each slot is split into a customer part and a supplier part. Transaction (+ Contract)

Seller;

Buyer/Importer; Buyer/Exporter; Grower;

Transaction (+ Fulfilment)

Controlling company;

Trucking company-1;

Forwarding company-1; Shipping agent-1;

Customs exporting country;

Shipping company;

Shipping agent-2;

Forwarding company-2; Customs importing country;

Trucking company-2;

Warehouse/3PL/Logistics provider;

Trucking company-3;

Packing company; Warehouse retailer.

Transaction (+ Settlement)

Opening bank;

Advising bank / Negotiating bank;

Workflow Case (+ Definition) The proper order-, money-, goods-, document- and information flows, which are exchanged between parties in this practical example, are attached as separate tables to this document. Please refer to the Appendix.

Remarks:

The seller in the exporting country = the exporter.

Some of the trading activities will not require a EUR 1 certificate. The EUR 1 certificate is incorporated in the associated document flow in order to show the total flow of data and documents through the actual trade chain.

Legend: Case = Export/Import of Perishables.

Case Type = Meat, Fish, Fruit, Juice etc.

Case Data = Tables defining profiles of the trade chain parties: (Yellow Paper

& White Paper).

Service = Table Groups defining the transactions for the case (see specification above).

Candidate Service = Table Groups defining the specific transactions for the case.

Service Type = Table Elements defining the documents for the case type.

Candidate Service type = Table Elements defining the specific documents for the case type.

Service Data= Table Fields defining the assignment of rules and information for the case data.

5.2 The LinkWare solution; Use of the LinkWare solution, as shown in the figure below, would reduce the number of transactions to be carried out to the same as the number of participating parties in the chain.

Reference to figure 22

The Closed User Group bulletin board, shown in figure 22, is used for exchange of information between parties. In the case of two-way arrows there is workflow coalition between associated parties. By means of workflow coalition LinkWare allocates related parties into "chain clusters". These chain clusters are connected to each other to form an integrated meta-workflow. Chain clusters maintain their own data, which is protected by the LinkWare digital barcodes. The chain clusters, and between brackets the operating cluster heads as mentioned in the above scheme, are: Supermarket (Buyer), Exporter (Seller), Agent (Shipper), Importer (Logistics) and Real Bank (TTP). A chain cluster defines a Closed User Group Participant (Horizontal line-of- business). Chain clusters form together a LinkWare Closed User Group (Vertical line-of-business). A LinkWare Closed User Group defines a logistical, administrative and financial company.

The cluster head (main contractor) of a chain cluster may form a new Closed User Group participant with different sub contractors. Sub contractors may join various chain clusters in various Closed User groups. The cluster head itself may also act as a sub contractor.

Special "Corporate" clusters are formed by the Virtual bank, the Broker, the Controller and the Document Exchange. These fulfilment clusters are assigned to each of the chain clusters and define together the LinkWare "Corporate Office". The "Corporate" clusters invoke on behalf of the chain clusters the Real bank cluster (TTP) for settlement purposes with external parties.

The front office contract - The "Closed User Group" clusters;

1. Ordering of goods (+ commit, confirm, broker, virtual bank, controller & documents).

Note! This item (1) defines the LinkWare information and transaction (start) flow.

^■ From Supermarket (buyer) to Importer (logistics).

^■ From Importer (logistics) to Exporter (seller).

^■ From Supermarket (buyer) or Importer (logistics) to Agent (shipper).

2. Export of goods (+ boxes, labels, picking & packing and final assembly). Note! This item (2) defines the LinkWare order flow (export). ■ Data sent from exporting country (+ real bank (TTP) and certificate of origin).

3. Import of goods (+ forwarding, logistics, warehousing and trading). Note! This item (3) defines the LinkWare order flow (import).

■ Data sent from importing country (+ real bank (TTP) and certificate of destination).

■ Changing from buyer to seller in importing country (2^nd seller).

4i Delivery of goods (+ distribution, inspection, acceptance and installation). Note! This item (4) defines the LinkWare goods flow.

■ From Exporter (seller) to Agent (forwarder).

■ From Importer (logistics) to Supermarket (buyer).

The mid office fulfilment - The "Corporate Office" clusters;

5. Supplier Yellow Papers (profiles), Customer White Papers (passports), Supply Chain Blueprints (certificates), and Bank guarantee (L/C) for export/import of goods/services based on the financial health of the company and/or signed contracts with customers. Note! This item (5) defines the LinkWare money and document flows.

■ Identification & Verification of participants carried out by independent institution;

^■ Quality &. Quantity control of goods/services carried out by independent institution;

^■ Letter-of-Credit to due participants and description of necessary documents;

^■ Insurance of export/import;

^■ Collection of tax and customs; ^■ Handle service contracting requirements and the signed contract between parties;

^■ Handle standard documents for involved parties in the chain clusters;

^■ Handle payments for involved parties in the chain clusters;

The back office settlement - The "Real Bank" cluster;

6. Trusted Third Party.

Note! This item (6) defines the LinkWare information and transaction (end) flow. ^■ Handle financial transactions with external parties.

■ Handle payment of tax & customs.

■ Handle export/import/clearing documents with the land of origin/destination.

^■ Handle reconciliation of administrative and financial documents (Accountancy & ERP).

6 The Concept of Shadowing;

The concept of what LinkWare calls "Principle of Shadowing" comes down to monitoring the Agent Communication Language and its wizard-based business rules and transition states in the Transaction Model without movement of vital data, but with the guarantee of high security and low response times.

To better understand what the expression "Principle of Shadowing" means to the business integration of the LinkWare Closed User Group Architecture?

Let's take a closer look at the following statement: "What do people do when they talk to each other? They communicate". The simple definition of the word "communication" in this example is a sharing of thoughts between people.

LinkWare is only interested in business rules; we pay no attention to communication that is not directly relevant to the execution of the associated business actions. But how do we then express the sharing of thoughts between people and relate it to computers? Let's refer to the LinkWare Agent Communication Language and its Intelligent Wizards.

The ACL Wizards define a distributed LinkWare transaction standard of semantics and rules: "What should be done" and "What should be achieved" and consequently: "What has been done" and "What has been achieved".

Each of these objectives has been modeled in the Exchange Model and has been linked to the Virtual Communication Satellite, the Transaction Model and its associated sessions (jobs). A session (or job), defined as a client-server based Virtual Workstation, is assigned to a Unique Universal Identifier (UUID) and contains addressable Info Pads in the business logic.

When a session, or one of its Info Pads are addressed, the executing Wizard "executes", by looking in the rule base for the appropriate session, and adds any dynamic operator interaction and/or wildcard, which have been delivered by the initiator of the session.

Communication can be divided into: informative and per-formative and actors.

Per-formative communication consists of a request to deliver and its promise to deliver, declaration of delivery and its acceptance, but also the declination of a request and the rejection of a declared result. The property of per-formative communication is that it is aimed to bring changes to a session and move it further on the Info Pad. The property of informative communication is to inform about a session status without affecting its execution. This summarizes a session and its actors to these three basic phases: The Initiation (and negotiation) phase, the Execution and the Result phase.

□ The Initiator phase (order phase) starts with a request from one of the actors to the other one. For this reason the requestor of the session is referred to as the initiator, and his counterpart as the executor. The initiator phase ends successfully with the negotiated promise of the executor. However it could also end unsuccessfully with a rejection.

Q The Execution phase consists of achieving the material or immaterial result, which the actors have agreed upon in the Initiator phase, from the executor. It may very well, and most probably does, involve the initiation of other sessions, the result of which contribute to, or collectively constitute the final result of the business case.

□ The Result phase starts with the declaration by the executor of the session that the agreed result has been established and ends successfully with the acceptance of the result by the initiator. Like the initial conversation, this conversation may have an unsuccessful termination, invoking a discard of the obtained result by the initiator.

It is important to note that the result of a session is not achieved after the objective action has been executed, but only after the initiator has accepted the result. 6.1 Integration with the Unique Universal Identifier;

LinkWare provides a distributed platform for tying up disparate applications and thus building up heterogeneous applications that involve various operating environments, databases, devices and systems. To achieve above objectives LinkWare uses its Agent Communication Language and associated runtime Macro Processor objects (satellites) as interfacing layers.

Every company has a number of point solutions, each of which is used by certain classes of users to achieve specific objectives. Executing a business process in an Enterprise typically involves a number of people using various applications and systems. Typically the underlying business process is implicit and there is no common framework for formally defining and executing such process. LinkWare provides a platform on which you can formally define and run your critical business processes by use of: The LinkWare UUID.

The LinkWare UUID is built in conjunction with the Repository and security- granting services located in the Company Competence center and are based on the ANSI X9.9 security standards. The UUID is build by use of the Enterprise Units, which are located in the Corporate Office. The Enterprise Units are intelligent objects containing business rules (Workflow IDs), code and data (Workflow sessions), and barcode information for the Closed User Groups.

A main copy of the Enterprise Units is dynamic allocated to a runtime value and supply chain, which represent the specific portal site slots and virtual workstations for a line-of-business. A line-of-business defines a cluster in a Closed User Group. A cluster invokes one main contractor as the cluster head (publisher/subscriber), and one or more sub contractors. The UUID, which is allocated to a line of business, is a hierarchical structure in order to be able to cover the whole workflow path: The header, the table, the group, the element and the field.

A Unique Universal Identifier can involve a number of business applications at several levels. UUIDs are assigned to virtual workstation sessions and are integrated at the following levels.

Integration by Action Adapters or External Performer Adapters;

Each work step within the Agent Communication Language may be performed by an external system, be it software or a device. LinkWare refers to such a work step as an External Work Step, which is performed by an external performer. An external performer is either a JavaBean (servlet) or a COM object (Component Object Model) written in any language. An Action Adapter is a software agent that acts like a bridge between the ACL and any external system.

It delivers the task to an external system and returns the result (if any) back via the ACL.

If an ACL process involves no human performers (i.e. all performers are external), we refer to this process as a fully automated background task.

Direct Integration;

LinkWare may integrate applications to external systems at regular work step level through a client JavaBean (applet).

A process that involves regular work steps (i.e. a work step with human. interaction) can use a customized JavaBean (LinkWare User Exit) as the performing application.

Such a customized JavaBean may be any complex application that is integrated with databases or other external systems.

Integration through Event Adapters;

LinkWare allows business integration at event level through Event Adapters. The LinkWare ACL can receive events through an Event Adapter from any system that generates events. These events may be used in business rules. Events and related requests, notifications, responses and replies, or actions can be triggered as the result of these rules, and new events can be sent back to the external system.

The ACL provides a number of Event Adapters for access to different enterprise applications.

These adapters allow bringing in events from various sources and to make intelligent decisions that require reasoning and correlation across multiple enterprise applications.

The hierarchical tree structure of the Unique Universal Identifier: The LinkWare Data Entity Relationship Model (ERM);

Reference to figure 23

7 Solutions with the Closed User Group Architecture; 7.1 The facilitated e-marketplace;

As stated in the introduction of this paper, the facilitated e-marketplace becomes a powerful platform over which the facilitator can extend brand, offer value added services and strengthen relationship with customers, if the e-marketplace and its platform is leveraged intelligently. How does the LinkWare Closed User group Architecture fit in this statement, and how can the LinkWare solution help the facilitator to reach his objectives in the above-mentioned ball game?

The answer to these questions hides in the LinkWare Business Models and their scalability.

A Trusted Third Party governs the LinkWare Repository Model, related to the Company Competence Center (CCC) and its internal repository and external services.

This fact makes it easier for the facilitator to enter the new area of Internet- enabled business because the Trusted Third Party will handle the "paperwork".

This fact also shortens the lead-time for the facilitator to achieve (new) members to his marketplace because the threshold for these participants to enter the marketplace will be lower. The success of the facilitator and the e- marketplace is measured by the total value achieved by its members, whether these are suppliers, customers or partners.

The LinkWare Reference Model, related to the Corporate Office and its Enterprise Units, is governed by the facilitator himself/herself. The Enterprise Units control the total business activities in the associated e-marketplace. By using the Reference Model and its possibility to distribute the Enterprise Units (or part of them) between the e-marketplace participants on a best-fit basis, the facilitator gets a powerful tool to exploit his business activities, and those of the e-marketplace members, for mutual benefit. An appointed e-marketplace member governs the LinkWare Project Model, related to a Closed User Group and its Value Chain and Supply Chain. The facilitator has done this appointment on the basis of best-fit criteria. These criteria are linked to the Reference Model and the Corporate Office's Enterprise Units.

The Closed User Group defines the virtual logistical company containing the collaborative activities exploited by suppliers, customers, partners and employees.

7.2 The Distributed Transaction System;

A LinkWare Distributed Transaction System is a common expression for the total activities deployed by a Closed User Group and its members, and is linked to a Corporate Office and its Reference Model via the Master Planning Schedule (MPS).

The Master Planning Schedule (MPS);

A Reference Model defines the e-marketplace and its business services on a high abstract business typology level, and makes it possible to overall manage, control and monitor a Closed User Group and its Project Model with regard to: Goods flow; Order flow, Transaction flow, Money flow, Information flow and Document flow.

These flows, managed and collected from all Closed User Groups, which are linked to the Corporate Office and it's E-marketplace, come together in 'The Integrated Warehouse". As such: The Integrated Warehouse alias: the Broker, the Virtual Bank, the Controller and the Document entity as well as the Closed User Group portal sites, whether these are corporate, operational or management assigned define all activities in the facilitated E-marketplace. A LinkWare Distributed Transaction System consists of its three main components:

■ The Customer Demands (production) plan;

■ The Supplier Replenishment (manufacturing) plan; ■ The Enterprise Value Cycle & Supply Chain Blueprint;

The Customer Demands (production) plan (i.e. Value Chain pull);

The Supplier Replenishment (manufacturing) plan (i.e. Value Chain push);

The Customer Demands plan and the Supplier Replenishment plan utilize the information exchange between the buying and selling organizations (The Information Plan).

This may be as simple as a one-to-one relationship between a customer and supplier, or represented by several layers of a closed user group and it's channel participants.

The ability to recognize the differences between these parties is a necessary capability of a LinkWare Distributed Transaction System, i.e. what team, with what skills, plays what game at what time, and where is the game played (The Executive Business Plan).

The Enterprise Value Cycle & Supply Chain Blueprint (i.e. Value Chain coalition);

The Enterprise Value Cycle utilizes the vertical hub of the value chain, representing the internal values that create activities of a LinkWare Distributed Transaction System, defined as follows: The Supplier

Manufacturing Plan, the Customer Production Plan, and their joint Project

Requirements Plan.

This is where the unique value-add of the company core business is applied to the building blocks, provided by the collaborative value and supply chains, to form the LinkWare Distributed Transaction System (The Supply Chain

Blue-Print). The Supply Chain Blue-Print utilizes the information exchange between the various parties (portal site clusters) that are involved in finance, insurance, development, value-added logistics, forwarding and delivery as well as reception, acceptance and installation of components, which have been used during the Enterprise Value Cycle as discussed above.

The role of the supply chain between the manufacturer and its suppliers is a familiar one. However also included are banks, insurers, QC & QA, subcontractors, distributors, partners and others who may not provide "raw materials" in a traditional sense, yet still add value to the total production.

The Trusted Third Party;

In the way we think of an e-business exchange, with its diversity of roles and their collaborative relationship to the inside and outside world, it is obvious that one single entity within the scope of the appropriate community, whether this may be inside or outside the exchange, must take care of the common interests deployed by its members, and the legality of these activities. This entity, defined as a Trusted Third Party (TTP), has the following main tasks in the LinkWare Closed User Group Architecture:

α Create environment and maintainability for the business models; α Deploy contract management, taking into account the "small print" of an agreement; α Guarantee secure transactions transferred between banks; α Declare brokerage between parties, using both internal and external E- services. These E-services are defined in the Repository Model. α Act as juridical entity for the exchange members with regard to internal discrepancies; α Secure that exchange transactions fulfill requirements with regard to:

Law, Fiscal and possible Fraud.

NOTE!

The Trusted Third Party may outsource some of its activities to another party, which is also recognized as a TTP by law issuing instances en intergovernmental departments. The Portal Site;

The LinkWare invention focuses on the type of service contracting that emerges when an organization sources out the execution of one or more tasks in his business to another organization. In case of outsourcing, there must be an agreement between service client and service provider in which the mutual obligations are defined. We distinguish between the terms "service contract" and "service contracting". The term "service contract" is assigned to a portal site and is a commitment from a service provider to execute a specific service for a service client, and the commitment of the service client to use the specified service. Clearly, when a service client sources out a task to a service provider, he has to perform activities to establish the service contract, to monitor the execution of the service according to the contract, and to maintain the service contract after it has been established. We use the term "service contracting" for this purpose.

Reference to figure 24

8 LinkWare Enterprise Portal Screen "MyLinkWare";

One of the emerging trends in the industry is Corporate or Enterprise Portals. The first phase of these portals were Internet portals like myYahoo.com or myLycos.com that are still used by many people as a starting point to gather information. MyLinkWare offers users personalized access to all information sources within the company to perform their tasks and launch new processes through a single browser interface. MyLinkWare enables users to engage in transactions and interactions with others and with applications and systems in a facilitated B2B environment.

Company employees, business partners, or any other third party for that matter, might be assigned to MyLinkWare. What information is available and how it appears can be customized to suit the requirements of different parties in the e-marketplace.

Using the LinkWare Exchange Modeller, role-based security and set-up can be accomplished by business experts rather than programmers.

MyLinkWare offers you the possibility to delegate certain services to a (trusted) third party. With MyLinkWare all flows (inter-, and intra-company assigned "bills" and digital barcodes), invoking information about available services, contracting requirements, executive orders, goods, money, financial transactions and documents can be monitored by the end-user and authorized by the operator and/or supervisor by use of their personal customization and implementation of MyLinkWare.

MyLinkWare assists the end-user in producing the necessary XML documents (schemas), and to assign and transform the needed strategy- and business rules (constraints) for the process. The user has also the possibility to generate his/her own workflow, and to test and authorize the runtime environment before implementation.

Reference to figure 25 Reference to figure 26

9 LinkWare Architecture;

9.1 LinkWare presentation, functionality and data access;

The LinkWare 3-tiered Object Definition Model (ODM) splits LinkWare business objects into their network-, machine- and platform independent logical components: the presentation, the function management and the data access model. There may be any number of components defined within the business resource- and runtime environment, each of which referred to as a LinkWare device.

LinkWare Devices are defined in distributed stores (business sites) and are objects such as:

^■ PCMCIA < Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Adapter>.

^■ WAP <Wireless Application Protocol>, UMTS <Universal Message Transmission Services>.

These memory adapters are used for LinkWare E-mail and defined in: Card embedded logic like: mobile (smart) phones, procurement and payment cards etc.

Host legacy applications and XML documents <LinkWare publish/subscribe> .

Business functions <LinkWare Remote Function Calls and file system forecasts>.

Business processes <LinkWare Remote Procedure Calls and supply chain orders >.

Graphical User Interface <MyLinkWare standard screen and web site browser>.

Configuration, e-services, bulletin and clip boards <LinkWare customers and suppliers>. ^{. ..}

Virtual agents and XML/Web file servers <LinkWare portal sites, communication satellites>. Integral to the LinkWare 3-tiered object architecture is an open distributed computing and communication infrastructure, which provides the services, that allow the LinkWare device drivers and access modules to be transparently distributed across any number of physical platforms. An object based virtual concept often referred to as partitioning, which is provided by

"state of the art" middle-ware vendors and implemented in the LinkWare environment as: The Company Competence Center and its related Corporate

Offices, Closed User Groups and their collaborative Transaction Model.

A device access module, which is linked to a LinkWare file system and to the corporate transactional warehouse, is a network addressable and recoverable entity: the LinkWare job. A job consists of its root, the main workflow case, and one or more workflow overlays.

A job is bundled by use of business rules, resource allocation and session execution. A device access module (job) and a business workflow sub thread are: the LinkWare overlay. The overlay is actually a shareable, reusable object that can be included on a best-fit basis to support different, but related parts of the company business at the organizational unit level.

An organizational unit is linked to a Closed User Group portal site (participant) and invokes the file system order planning and forecast, which is related to the Competence Center distributed stores and executive supply chain. An organizational unit is a global descriptor block controlled by the Publisher/Subscriber and the runtime Macro Processors: the LinkWare scheduler.

An organizational unit is bundled by use of "Wizards" to be distributed across the network.

The intelligent "Wizards" make up the LinkWare Transaction model and Virtual Communication Satellites, where the Transaction model is linked to the Corporate Office and the Virtual Communication Satellites to the Closed User Group and its portal site (participant).

A Summary:

LinkWare combines e-business (the back office) and e-commerce (the front office) on the basis of business rules. These rules form the "glue" to link business service providers and customer requirements, the contract negotiation and the executive order into an integral logistical, administrative and financial warehouse, the Corporate Office (mid office) for monitoring and clearing purposes of long-term transaction interactions based on XML documents and ISO 8583 financial standards for fulfilment and settlement purposes.

9.2 Technologies underlying the LinkWare Architecture;

The Closed User Group Architecture and underlying LinkWare objects and Agent Communication Language is developed using vendor and platform independent state-of-the-art technology. The LinkWare architecture is Internet-based and is build by the use of Java, JavaBeans, XML and related technologies such as CORBA and ISO 8583 as well as object-oriented and relational database management technology. LinkWare objects communicate via the ISO X25 protocol.

The combination of Java and XML transform the Closed User Group Architecture into an open distributed that allows considerable scalability and extensibility.

Java and JavaBeans;

The LinkWare Closed User Group Architecture and associated objects as well as the underlying Agent Communication Language (ACL) is developed using Java and JavaBeans. As such it is completely platform independent.

The same code runs on any platform supporting Java.

For example, the same binary can run on Linux, Unix and Windows NT.

Many other benefits of developing software in Java directly carry over to the LinkWare virtual communication satellites and the Agent Communication Language. Internationalization and localization is supported, thus it is very easy to create applications for the international marketplace. The Java platform is completely open and extensible. The LinkWare ACL provides a Java API (Application Programming Interface) for embedding LinkWare's Virtual Transaction Engine (communication satellite) in other applications.

Using the right adapters, that are usually JavaBeans, the ACL can accept events from any system, process them, and can trigger actions on any external system.

LinkWare also uses Java's component architecture, JavaBeans.

JavaBeans extend Java's platform-independence to reusable components. JavaBeans run on any Operating System and in any application environment. JavaBeans also communicate with other component models such as Microsoft's ActiveX.

The ACL utilizes JavaBeans on both the client and server sides. On the client side every work step within a process can have its own custom or automatically generated JavaBeans.

These components are typically lightweight and small.

Changing one component does not affect the entire application. On the server side, JavaBeans are used to develop external performer adapters for performing common tasks, such as processes in the Corporate Office and its associated Enterprise Units.

Java Applets and Servlets;

An Applet is a client system running a Java enabled HTML (Web site) browser.

Within this browser the Applet is running. The Applet sets up a direct TCP/IP connection with the Java server running on the HTTP-server (Web server).

This Web server utilizes the LinkWare Transaction Model (Portal Site Management).

A Servlet can almost be thought of as an Applet that runs on the server side. Servlets are in fact mini application servers that can maintain state information.

The Java Servlet API is a standard extension to the Java platform that provides a simple consistent mechanism for extending the functionality of a Web server. This API is protocol independent. A lightweight thread, instead of a new process, handles each new request to a Servlet. Servlets are very scalable as they can handle a large number of concurrent accesses. LinkWare's ACL utilizes Java Servlet technology to gain better scalability (satellite method).

XML- Business Documents;

XML (extensible Markup Language) allows enterprises or industries to define their application-specific or industry-specific markup languages such as e- business, value chain, supply chain, data management, and publishing as well as subscription between parties.

XML plays a significant role in LinkWare's Closed User Group Architecture. In the Agent Communication Language (ACL) processes are defined, and events are expressed in XML. XML provides a mechanism for validation of data. XML makes import and export very easy and transparent.

XML provides an easy and convenient way for information exchange.

XML makes EDI much easier and less expensive as standard XML parsers can be used.

Any other system that is communicating with LinkWare's Agent Communication Language can understand and process the process definitions. Other rule engines can easily interpret the LinkWare ACL and its commands. XML provides portability of data structures. It has applications in a number of areas: EDI (Electronic Document Interchange), EAI (Enterprise Application Integration), as well as distributed E-business solutions and associated Publishing and Subscription between parties.

In the future when the next generation web browsers provide even better XML support, LinkWare's ACL can display processes and rules in a browser just by using the XML and its associated XSL (extensible Style Sheet Language) for the process and rule layout. XSL is an application to XML, used to describe how to transform a single XML document to output devices, such as printers and plotters. SOAP - Business Message System;

Clearly, XML is very must suited to express structured data. However, in order to perform a business transaction, a messaging mechanism is required to carry messages between the business partners. The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is an answer to this challenge.

It builds on the existing XML and HTTP standards and offers a standard for invoking a service exposed by a web-application. SOAP messages can be used in a "request/response" pattern in which a client invokes a service by sending a SOAP message after which the answer is returned to the client by another SOAP message. The message data is formatted as an XML document, which is encapsulated in an HTTP protocol message.

UDDI - Business Catalogues and Passports;

Finding the right trading partner and discovering how to conduct business with that partner is a major challenge. The Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) business standard is an answer to this challenge. The core information model provided by the UDDI standard contains general information about businesses (yellow paper, white paper) and the services offered. The UDDI specifications build on the existing standards XML, HTTP and SOAP.

Corba - Business Application Linking;

Corba (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) is a recommendation from the OMG (Object Management Group), a coalition of major software vendors and consultants worldwide. The recommendation defines a set of rules to runtime configure and link network distributed components to a logical addressable and executable object. Within the LinkWare Closed User Group Architecture the Corba architecture is used to dynamic link the ACL and its intelligent wizards, accessible via the ISO X25 protocol, on a network- basis in the 3-tiered exchange model by use of remote installed "Docking, stations" (see LinkWare Architecture specification). "Docking stations" are referred to as virtual communication satellites and digital barcodes. ISO 8583 - Business Transactions;

The International Standard Organization (ISO) and its draft 8583 has been adopted and formalized as the XML standard for the Open Financial exchange (OFX). The ISO 8583 recommendation describes the business transactions for Contract, Fulfilment and Settlement between parties regarding: Ordering and transfer of Goods, File action, Network Management and Security, Payment Authorization, Cash flow control, and Financial Booking or Reversal.

10 The facilitated e-business - Reconciliation;

Whether driven by the profit motive or simply by a desire to survive, today's business is rushing into e-business ventures like prospectors into a gold rush. Under pressure to perform in a new, unfamiliar arena, many companies still sacrifice strategy to urgency. By not taking the time to carefully assess the market, they fail to realize where the real areas of opportunity fall in this new environment. The primary beneficiaries of the coming B2B wave will be those companies who use the web to extend existing, deepen and create new business relationships. Evolving e-markets offer companies the chance to develop and enhance their most important relationships, those with buyers and suppliers. Companies can use e-markets to strengthen their existing trade relationships, discover and develop new ones, and promote faster and more efficient trading. The rapid adoption of e-markets will reshape the future of global business. LinkWare's technology, to obtain the required objectives, is based on state-of-the-art products and services as recommended by the Open Group and the Object Management Group, as well as middleware suppliers which themselves commit to these distributed object based principles to fully integrate business goals between companies. As such, being an open application business workflow manager and transaction broker, LinkWare could, as the company's "Virtual Coach", contribute to the evolution of information exchange and its usage within the company Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) model. This objective could be achieved by using the LinkWare solution as an application development platform, as well as the management possibility to deploy these applications, by use of the LinkWare Exchange Modeller and its runtime environment, capable of supporting the company's e-business strategy.

Reference to figure 27

Conducting your e-business strategy LinkWare business reconciliation

The LinkWare CUGA enabling the e-business environment by: * Integrating the value chain and supply chain (e-fulfilment and e- transaction)

* Conducting the facilitated e-marketplace based on the exchange modeler

* Customer (pull-) and supplier (push-) driven facility in the value and supply chain

The LinkWare Exchange Modeler enabling the e-business structure by:

* Creating the Closed User Group Architecture based on business models

* Supporting continuous improvement in the value chain and supply chain

* Supporting transparency, manageability and scalability in the e- marketplace

* Bridging the gap between e-business and existing company ICT strategy

The LinkWare Business Models enabling the e-business integration by:

* The Competence Center; alias the E-services and Object (Repository) model

* The Corporate Office; alias the Logistical and Financial (Reference) model

* The Closed User Group; alias the Control (Business) model

* The Participant; alias the Employee, Customer and Supplier (Organization) model

* The Portal site; alias the Function (Project) model * The Virtual Workstation; alias the Process (Transaction) model

11 Appendix;

In the referenced figures 28-32 mentioned below, you will find the tables, which specify the proper data exchange to be done, according to the practical example of the LinkWare inter-organizational workflow coalition.

A table is a LinkWare File-UUID in a hierarchical tree structure and consists of the following: 1): The Groups (from/to), 2): The Elements (documents), and 3): The Fields (information).

The table groups (transactions) are defined as LinkWare Unique Universal. Identifiers (UUIDs).

It is to be understood that the above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiments and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims. From the above discussion, many variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art that would yet be encompassed by the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Method for managing and executing business transactions in a product/service chain, wherein at least one closed user group is defined by installing, in memory means on first remote computer means, a list of trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, each business partner maintaining, on further remote computer means, at least one software system and at least one database for managing internal business processes, like resource management, contract/proposal management, logistics management, financial management, etcetera, wherein said transactions are managed and executed by management software obtaining data from several databases of several business partners.

2, Method according to claim 1, wherein said management software modifies several databases of several business partners in order to execute a transaction.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said management software controls at least two software systems of at least two business partners in order to execute a transaction.

4. Method according to claims 1-3, wherein said management software comprises banking routines for realizing and clearing transactions between said business partners.

5. Method according to claims 1-4, wherein said management software comprises tracking and tracing routines for. tracking and tracing the status and location of a transaction.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein each business partner maintains a remote computer, and maintains, on said remote computer, software and at least one database for managing business processes.

7. Method for managing a chain of transactions in a product/service chain, wherein for each chain of transactions a data file is generated which defines a meta-script, each transaction adding a script defining computer-processed steps and location of data needed to perform said transaction to the data file, and after all the transactions in a chain of transactions have subsequently added their script and locations of data, said meta-script in said data file is recursively executed in order to actually realize all the transactions in the chain of transactions.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the meta-script comprises business rules, scripts and dynamic data.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the meta-script comprises pointers to scripts and pointers to dynamic data.

10. Method according to claims 7-9, wherein said meta- script is executed on a remote computer.

11. Method according to claims 7-10, wherein said meta-script is executed in a real-time environment.

12. Method according to claims 7-11, wherein said meta-script is stored and repeatedly executed until realization of the transactions in the chain of transactions has been fully completed.

13. Method according to claims 7-12, wherein said meta-script may be verified and altered by authorized personnel only.

14. Method for managing and executing a chain of business transactions in a product/service chain comprising a group of business partners, wherein a data entity is created by one of the business partners by software running on a computer means, said data entity comprising a header, security keys and business rules defining, in said chain of business transactions, which business partner is allowed to do which action in which process, said data entity is transmitted to at least one other business partner, and sent on to another business partner of said group of business partners, until the data entity comprises the description of actions to be taken to realize said chain of business transactions, after which the data entity is sent to a further remote computer on which transaction software is installed, after which the transaction software executes the actions defined in the data entity in order to execute the chain of business transactions.

15. Method according to claim 14, wherein each business partner adds at least one pointer to the data entity, said pointer pointing to a location where data is available, needed to complete a business transaction in said chain of business transactions.

16. Method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the meta- script comprises a security code comprising a master key, a public key, a session key and an access tag; wherein a remote computer randomly refreshes the public key.

17. Method for managing and executing a chain of business transactions in a product/service chain, wherein at least one closed user group is defined by installing, in memory means on first remote computer means, a list of trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, each business partner maintaining, on further remote computer means, at least one software system and at least one database for managing internal business processes, like resource management, contract/proposal management, logistics management, financial management, etcetera, wherein said first remote computer in. said list of trusted business partners, for each trusted business rules are store defining authentication and authorization of all trusted business partners, their role in the closed user group, and pointers to what each business partner can deliver, where, how, at what price.

18. Method for managing and executing business transactions in a product/service chain, wherein at least one closed user group is defined by installing, in memory means on first remote computer means, a list of trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, wherein said transactions are managed and executed by management software obtaining data from several databases of several business partners, on further remote computer means, each remote computer comprising at least one software system and at least one database for managing internal business processes, like resource management, contract/proposal management, logistics management, financial management.

19. System for managing and executing business transactions in a product/service chain, comprising a first computer means having memory means comprising at least one list of trusted business partners defining at least one closed user group, the trusted business partners forming said product/service chain, and software running on said first computer means comprising transaction routines for managing and executing said business -transaction by obtaining data from several databases of several business partners on several remote computers.

20. System according to claim 19, wherein said first computer means is adapted for receiving datastructures from said trusted business partners comprising links to said data, and said first computer means comprise software for retreiving said data using said links.

22. Datastructure comprising encrypted links to data on remote computers, wherein the links are encrypted using a master key, a public key, a session key and a configuration access tag,

23. Datastructure according to claim 22, wherein the public key integration (PKI) is randomly refreshed by a remote computer.

24. Method for executing business transactions, wherein trusted business partners in a closed user group subsequently add encrypted links to data to a metascript using a computer program, the metascript is transmitted to a remote corporate office, which corporate office executes the metascript.

25. Software comprising routines for performing the method steps of any one of the preceding claims.

26. Apparatus comprising one or more features as described in the description, or shown in the drawings.

27. Method comprising one or more features described in the description or shown in the drawings.

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