CXML

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The correct title of this article is cXML. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.

cXML is a protocol intended for communication of business documents between procurement applications, e-commerce hubs and suppliers. cXML is based on XML and provides formal XML schemas for standard business transactions, allowing programs to modify and validate documents without prior knowledge of their form.

The protocol does not include the full breadth of interactions some parties may wish to communicate. However, through the use of extrinsic elements and newly-defined domains for various identifiers, it is easily expanded by such applications. This expansion is the limit of point-to-point configurations necessary for communication.

The current protocol includes documents for setup (company details and transaction profiles), catalogue content, application integration (including the widely-used PunchOut feature), original, change and delete purchase orders and responses to all of these requests, order confirmation and ship notice documents (cXML analogues of EDI 855 and 856 transactions) and new invoice documents.

[edit] Benefits

Very easy to implement automated order receipt, fulfilment updates and catalogue transport
Many sell-side solutions come with the protocol out of the box
cXML is the most widely adopted B2B protocol
cXML supports remote shopping session (PunchOut) transactions
Extensible: If your buyer relationships require more information than cXML supports intrinsically, that data may still be sent end-to-end
Leverages XML, which is the most robust language for describing information
cXML is the only B2B XML standard that leaves much of the syntax from EDI behind

[edit] Proprietary issues

cXML is published based on the input of many companies. cXML is a protocol that is published for free on the Internet along with its DTD. It is open to all for their use without restrictions apart from publications of modifications and naming that new protocol. Essentially, everyone is free to use cXML with any and all modifications as long as they don't publish their own standard and call it "cXML". Beginning in February 1999, the cXML standard has been available for all to use. The details of its license agreement are found at http://www.cXML.org/license.cfm.