ASC X12

The Accredited Standards Committee X12 (also known as ASC X12) is a standards organization. Chartered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1979,^[2] it develops and maintains the X12 Electronic data interchange (EDI) and Context Inspired Component Architecture (CICA) standards along with XML schemas which drive business processes globally. The membership of ASC X12 includes technologists and business process experts, encompassing health care, insurance, transportation, finance, government, supply chain and other industries.

The name "X12" is a sequential designator assigned by ANSI at the time of accreditation. ASC X12 has sponsored more than 315 X12-based EDI standards and a growing collection of X12 XML schemas for health care, insurance, government, transportation, finance, and many other industries.^[2] ASC X12's membership includes 3,000 standards experts representing over 600 companies from multiple business domains.

Organization

The Data Interchange Standards Association serves as the secretariat for ASC X12 and its X12 EDI and XML standards development process.^[5]

Subcommittees

ASC X12 is organized into subcommittees that develop and maintain standards for a particular set of business functions.^[5]

X12C Communications & Controls

Responsible for EDI control structures, security, and architecture as well as the X12 XML Reference Model.^[6]

X12F Finance

X12G Government

X12I Transportation

X12J Technical Assessment

Maintains the directory, dictionary and design rules for all the X12 standards. Also manages the process for requests for standards changes.^[7]

X12M Supply Chain

X12N Insurance

Caucuses

There are informal industry groups created to identify issues and activities in specific areas. In 2014, there were four caucuses.^[8]

Clearinghouse

Created in October 2012 to support and improve EDI peer-to-peer connectivity, with a focus on health information exchanges.^[8]

Connectivity

Created in January 2010 to support and improve EDI peer-to-peer connectivity, with a focus on value-added networks and clearinghouses.^[8]

Dental

Focuses on X12 healthcare standards in relation to dentistry and the dental industry.^[8]

Provider

Focuses on interests and concerns of healthcare providers regarding X12 healthcare standards.^[8]

Context Inspired Component Architecture

Context Inspired Component Architecture (CICA) is a new approach to message design aimed at resolving the costly proliferation of differing (and often incompatible) XML messages used for business-to-business data exchange. CICA gives developers access to reusable components that can be used to construct interface standards to satisfy common business requirements as well as industry-specific needs.

CICA is a syntax-neutral architecture that supports both business content and implementation information. CICA messages ("documents") can currently be expressed as XML schemata.

CICA's reusable syntax-neutral message components are maintained in a central data store that supports a variety of functions including: data entry and maintenance, data retrieval (from full message structure to individual components), flexible reporting capabilities for development support, and end-user documents including XML schemas and user-friendly reference guides.

Complementing the CICA data store is the X12 CICA Metadata Interchange Format (CICA-MIF). The CICA-MIF is a structured guideline for the bi-directional exchange between X12 development tools, the central data store and other technology providers' software that supports the interchange format. This XML schema will enable X12 developers to use world-class commercial off-the-shelf tools to develop message standards for submission into the CICA database.

See also

• Electronic Data Interchange
• EDIFACT
• X12 EDIFACT Mapping
• List of X12 EDI transaction sets
• Freight payment service

References

External links

• Accredited Standards Committee X12