The Global Interoperability Framework (GIF) has been created by an international group of associations and bodies with a common interest in overcoming barriers to interoperability for the exchange of supply chain digital transactions. They formed a joint working group (GIF Working Group) in 2019 to develop a neutral framework for collaboration, which could have application in many environments across the globe. This message announces the publication of our GIF document, which can be downloaded from www.gifworks.io/download-document/
The Working Group members are currently:
- ConnectONCE (ONCE), the Open Network for Commerce Exchange (USA), a collaborative forum for B2B e-Commerce;
- EESPA, the European E-invoicing Service Providers Association (EU), a pan-European trade association, whose members are active in electronic invoicing and supply chain automation;
- OpenPEPPOL (EU) a not-for-profit association responsible for the development, maintenance and implementation of the PEPPOL specifications enabling cross-border e-Procurement;
- The Business Payments Coalition- BPC (USA), a volunteer group of organisations and individuals working together to promote greater adoption of electronic business-to-business invoices, (B2B) payments, and remittance data.
The Global Interoperability Framework (GIF) is a set of recommended practices, policies, and standards for the operation of any ‘four-corner’ interoperability network organised within a collaborative governance framework wishing to be GIF compliant. Such a network allows its dedicated access points, which are typically service and solution platform providers of various kinds, to quickly and easily inter-connect their extensive customer networks for the secure and robust exchange of digital supply chain-related transactions such as e-invoices and orders. The GIF objective is to enable smoother implementation of end-user business connections by building economies of scale and scope.
As a state of the art reference model, the GIF reflects currently well-accepted technologies and building blocks. It is open to innovation and evolution as new technologies achieve acceptance and critical mass. At this stage the GIF Working Group is not proposing the building of an actual physical network to operate at a global level, but rather seeks to promote maximum alignment of interoperability frameworks operating in different settings based on common building blocks, whilst also allowing for the needs of different geographies or sectors.
This is an Invitation to all industry stakeholders to review these materials and send us your feedback, either in a document by e-mail to info@gifworks.io or in the response form on our web-site: www.gifworks.io/feedback
We are very interested in your thoughts about the business and technical content, and also on the desirability of expanding the present working group to take the work forward in terms of refinement and adoption. Please get involved and send in your input by 30 September 2020 at the latest.
Chris Welsh: Chair-GIF WG and ConnectONCE
Todd M. Albers: Business Payments Coalition
Ahti Allikas: OpenPEPPOL
Tim Cole: EESPA
Arne Johan Larsen: OpenPEPPOL
Cyrille Sautereau: EESPA
Charles Bryant: EESPA (Editor)