B2B Integration : A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce

136 B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
Company X creates a Sales_
Forecast_Message.
Company Y processes Sales_
Forecast_Message
Company Y evaluates the
sales forcast figure.
Company Y sends Jales_
Forecast_Acknowledgment_
Message
Company X processes Sales_
Forecast_Acknowledgment_
Message
Processes ends when Company X
approves the sales forecast.
\c\
Sales_Forecast_
Message
Company Y sends Sales
_Forecast_
Revision_Message
N
Sales_Forecast_
Acknowledgment^
Message
If necessary,
Company X
sends a revised sales
forecast figure
Revised.
Sales_ -
Forecast
Revised_
Sales_
Forecast
Figure 5.10. — Modeling of collaborative sales forecast business process
Here is an example of business process modeling: in its simplest
design, a collaborative sales forecast business process enables two
trading partners (Company X and Company Y) to forecast, review and
adjust sales forecasts in an iterative manner until they both arrive at an
agreement (see Figure 5.10).
The company that has a higher forecasting capability, let's say
Company X, initiates the business process. As the first step of the
business process, Company X sends a message (Sales_Forecast_Message)
to Company Y with data pertaining to sales forecast. Company Y
receives the message and evaluates the data. The process of evaluating
and determining if the sales forecast is correct does not fall within the
perimeters of BPM.
Based on whether any change in forecast is needed or not, Company
Y sends Company X one of the following: