The International Digital Enterprise Alliance (IDEAlliance) has announced the formation of a new standards working group called XBITS (XML Book Industry Transaction Standards) representing "a group of major book publishers, printers, paper mills, and component vendors. The goal of XBITS is to design XML-based transactions to facilitate bi-directional electronic data exchanges within the book manufacturing supply chain through the application of the papiNet development process. The end result will be a set of electronic documents that facilitate the flow of information among supply chain partners in the publishing/print industry. The effort supports efficient business-to-business (B2B) communication, improves the reach and richness of communication throughout the supply chain, and increases efficiencies in transaction activities while supporting interoperability among trading partners. Working with the papiNet electronic standards initiative previously organized for the paper and forest products industry, XBITS will proactively develop, maintain and support the implementation of common electronic transaction formats for the book publishing industry. Major XBITS transactions scheduled for completion and publication by Summer 2003 include the [core] specifications, RFQ, RFQ Response, Purchase Order, Order Confirmation, Order Status, Delivery Message, Goods Receipt, Invoice, Usage, Information Request, Inventory Status, and Business Acknowledgement.

XBITS was "formed as an informal group of publishers, printers, and component suppliers that recognize the need to provide more efficient and timely information throughout the entire supply chain via XML electronic data transactions. Now XBITS is a formal IDEAlliance Working Group developing open transaction standards for the entire book manufacturing supply chain building on the papiNet standards... Its objectives are to:

• Define the supply chain business processes
• Identify XML transactions that will facilitate these processes
• Work with IDEAlliance and papiNet to develop open transaction standards using their proven development methodology and relationships that have created synergies between customers, producers, system providers, and other supply chain partners
• Provide a structure for managing and maintaining the transactions to ensure integrity
• Provide a distribution channel for the standards that is freely available to all companies within the supply chain, not just members" [from the Summary]

About papiNet: "The papiNet standard is the set of XML message standards needed for the paper industry and complements and expands upon the foundation laid by EDI... papiNet is the global initiative to develop, maintain and promote the implementation of standard electronic transaction standards to facilitate the flow of information and facilitate computer to computer communications among all parties engaged in the buying, selling, and distribution of forest, paper and wood products. The set of standards is referred to as the papiNet standard..."