[December 03, 2002] Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES) "is a comprehensive suite of data exchange standards that offers new efficiencies and cost savings for staffing customers, staffing suppliers, and other stakeholders in the staffing supply chain. SIDES was developed by the HR-XML Consortium, an independent, non-profit standards organization with representation from around the World. SIDES is freely available; it is not a product or commercial offering. However, a growing number of commercial services, solutions, and trading-partner arrangements will incorporate and conform to SIDES. SIDES is based on the eXtensible Markup Language (XML). SIDES modules are defined using XML schemas. The SIDES schemas define a common language for data exchanges and provide a rich and customizable set of options to fit a wide variety of needs... SIDES incorporates HR-XML Cross Process Objects or CPOs, which are small 'building blocks' used throughout HR-XML specifications for data like person name and contact method. SIDES also makes use of other key schemas produced by HR-XML Consortium workgroups, including: Competencies, Resume, Timecard, WorkSite, and WorkEnvironment. SIDES 1.0 supports the ability to exchange and track a wide variety of information between a staffing supplier and a staffing customer or their intermediary: (1) Quote/Order process (2) Human Resource information -- details about an individual's experience, competencies, availability and preferences, if applicable; (3) Basic request/response communication; (4) Assignment and Rate information; (5) Timecard and expense information; (6) An invoice which uses the Open Applications Group's 8.0 invoice with extensions containing SIDES-specific reference and tracking identifiers and customer-required reporting fields." [from the FAQ document]
From the SIDES Version 1.0 specification: "The HR-XML SIDES Workgroup has produced 8 major schemas and several reusable modules to allow for transmission of Staffing Industry information between trading partners. The staffing industry (staffing companies) requires a compendium of XML schemas to enable the exchange of data between its staffing customers (hiring companies), intermediaries (vendor management services) and its own members. The Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards Version 1.0 (SIDES) comprises this compendium of relevant XML schemas, some already approved, some of which are cross process objects, and some newly created. The cost of exchanging data between staffing suppliers (companies), staffing customers and intermediaries due to the diversity of existing front and back-office systems, and the need for many-to-many connections, is proving to be extremely high. SIDES 1.0 offers a cost effective means of exchanging data over the Internet using XML, by standardizing data elements and attributes and the way they are exchanged. SIDES 1.0 will assist in eliminating duplicate effort and streamlining processes and cross-company data exchanges. Through standardized XML data exchanges, staffing suppliers, staffing customers and third party vendor managers may share orders, assignments, resumes, etc. It enables a common standard to be applied by large and small companies alike, yet does not impact upon the competitive differences between staffing suppliers. SIDES 1.0 supports eight independent payloads, plus 15 reusable modules described in section 1.2. It provides a full set of specifications for each payload, summarizes its purpose and dependencies, and indicates where each payload fits into the overall business process... The vocabulary developed for SIDES 1.0 to describe stakeholders, business processes, and information modules has two goals: (1) To ensure terms are generic enough to accommodate the variety of staffing models and scenarios that exist today as well as new scenarios that may exist in the future. (2) To avoid name collisions with future data models that may better support specific types of staffing or recruiting scenarios..."
[October 29, 2001] On September 10, 2001 the HR-XML Consortium announced that six leading staffing companies (Adecco, Kelly, Manpower, Randstad, Spherion, and Vedior) would submit a collection of XML-based Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES) to the consortium for review and further development.
From the announcement of 2001-09-10: "The objective of the Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards is to provide a set of standard protocols for data transfer and exchange of information between the staffing industry, intermediaries and customers. This will improve efficiency and significantly reduce costs for the staffing companies, intermediaries and customers by dramatically reducing the need to design, build and implement separate, and potentially conflicting, data interfaces for the exchange of data between different applications and businesses... The sponsors of the initiative [Adecco, Kelly, Manpower, Randstad, Spherion and Vedior] are the world's six leading staffing companies, who have worked collaboratively for the first time in their history to develop an extensive specification, which has been donated to the HR-XML Consortium for review, revision, and implementation..."
Motivation: "Requisitions for temporary staffing typically originate in the purchasing department rather than in the Human Resources department. One of the principal goals of the SIDES initiative is to allow the rich description of human resource requirements within standard e-procurement mechanisms."
From the draft "strawman" specification of 2001-07-02:
Objective: "The objective of the Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards 1.0 (SIDES) is to analyze and identify what data is currently being exchanged between Staffing Supplier Companies and Staffing Supplier Customers and to provide a basic standard for which the exchange of data can occur within the general staffing industry. To achieve this objective, SIDES based its development on existing published HR-XML documentation and used these materials as guidelines when identifying standard data elements and attributes. We adopted existing HR-XML standards wherever possible to align our development the existing HR-XML Consortium. Another objective is to provide an exchange that is equitable and sustainable throughout the staffing industry. The adoption of SIDES will promote a competitive environment while promoting and streamlining data exchange standards."
Problem Domain: "Based on industry analysis there are no existing standards for data exchange that have been identified within scope. Without Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES), Staffing Suppliers are unable to exchange or provide common and consistent data to Staffing Supplier Customers due to the different proprietary systems utilized by the Staffing Suppliers. Once Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards have been identified, the complexity of implementing data exchange standards utilizing a Staffing Management tool raises significant technology issues. These issues are prevalent since most Staffing Suppliers use different technology platforms. It is imperative to overcome these issues in order to bridge the gap and facilitate a standard methodology of data exchange."
Scope: "SIDES supports nine payloads by providing full specification for each payload, summarizing its purpose and dependencies, and where each payload fits into the overall business process. The nine payloads defined in SIDES include: (1) Assignment; (2) BackgroundCheck; (3) ContactDetail; (4) HumanResource; (5) Invoice; (6) Order; (7) Qualification; (8) StaffingAction; (9) StaffingSupplier; (10) StaffingSupplierCustomer; (11) TrackingInformation.
DTDs: Corresponding to the payloads, draft XML DTDs are presented. Draft XML DTDs in this specification include: Assignment DTD, BackgroundCheck DTD, ContactDetail DTD, HumanResource DTD, Invoice DTD, Order DTD, Qualification DTD, StaffingAction DTD, StaffingSupplier DTD, StaffingSupplierCustomer DTD, TrackingInformation DTD, PersonName DTD, Postal Address DTD, TimeCard DTD.
Major Components: Major components of this standards specification include:
- Models of supported staffing processes. By modeling supported business processes, the intent is to provide a general context for understanding and implementing the protocol's data exchange rules. The intent is not to impose a particular recruiting and staffing model or process on implementers of the protocol.
- Data dictionary extracts. The data dictionary extracts provide highlights of the DTD specification including the element or attribute name, description, content model, and the restricted value list. The content model describes whether the entity is optional or required, as well as whether multiple elements with the identical name may exist. The restricted value list specifies what values are acceptable in the XML file for a specific attribute. The list enables the DTD to restrict certain data to a single, clearly agreed upon value.
- Document Type Definitions (DTDs). DTDs set constraints on the structure and content of the messages exchanged between stakeholders. The DTDs developed define message payloads. A separate mechanism such as W3C Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) can be used to define the structure of the message envelope that carries the payload.
Business Benefits: The way in which data is exchanged is constantly being reinvented using different technologies and methodologies. By standardizing data elements and attributes and the way they are exchanged, Staffing Suppliers can still retain their competitive technology advantages while streamlining the way data is exchanged between a third party (e.g., Staffing Management vehicle). By utilizing HR-XML and identifying Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES), standards facilitate a customer need and supply the need industry wide as well as globally. SIDES creates a vehicle to exchange data between Staffing Supplier Companies and between Staffing Supplier Companies and their customers without having to redesign and implement potentially conflicting data interfaces, thus saving time, money and resources. Adopting and integrating Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES) via HR-XML implements and facilitates standards that enable customer-to-staffing company and staffing-to-staffing company information exchange. Cross-company data exchanges eliminate duplicate efforts, streamline processes, and reduce redundant setup costs... XML is very easy to understand, non-proprietary, and easy to read and write, making it an excellent format for interchange of data between different applications and businesses. Standardized XML data exchanges will enable staffing companies to share orders, assignments, resumes, etc. between staffing companies and staffing company customers.
Related HR-XML activity: Project Proposal: Background Checking Workgroup. Project Scope: "The purpose of this project is to review and describe the 'Background Checking' domain and to produce one or more schemas that will enable the exchange of data related to background checking. The objective of the project is to standardize the exchange of information related to background checking. In order to accomplish this, we will need to review and describe the specific processes we wish to accommodate and establish specific terminology to describe them... The Background Checking Workgroup will research and model the specific processes to be supported. At a minimum, the workgroup will develop DTDs/schemas to support background checks requests from employers (or more generically BGCheckConsumers) as well as DTDs/schemas to support the return of background check reports from vendors of background check services (BGCheckSuppliers). The DTDs/Schemas will be developed to support a variety of types of background checks, such as checks relating to criminal records, education, employment history, and credit worthiness..." A draft XML schema was released. See the reference in the posting and the source .DOC format.
References:
- Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES) website
- Announcement 2002-05-01: "HR-XML Consortium Unveils Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES). Staffing Industry Leaders Endorse Latest HR-XML Standard." [source]
- Guide to SIDES. "Provides a non-technical explanation of the scope and purpose of the new Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES) specification." 13 pages. [cache]
- SIDES FAQ document
- SIDES Fact Sheet
- Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards 1.0. Recommendation 2002-April-29. Reference: SIDES-1_0. 103 pages. Edited by Kim Bartkus (HR-XML Consortium). Authors: SIDES Project Leader -- Ian Anson (Vedior); SIDES Technical Coordinator -- Steven Huang (Staffing Industry Sponsors); Workgroup Coordinator -- Kathi Dolan (Manpower); WorkGroup Leaders: Human Resources (Gail Bubsey, Kelly Services), Order (Tara Ryan/Barbara Johnson, Adecco), Assignment (Ronald Kruegel, Adecco). "The HR-XML SIDES Workgroup has produced 8 major schemas and several reusable modules to allow for transmission of Staffing Industry information between trading partners. This document describes those schemas, their expected usage, and the business processes meant to be supported." [source]
- [September 17, 2002] "French Staffing Leaders Endorse HR-XML's Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards." - "France's leading staffing firms today signaled their support for Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES), a set of open data exchange standards developed by the HR-XML Consortium, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to creating standards for human resources management. Executives from Adecco, Adia, Groupe Expectra, Kelly, Manpower, and VediorBis released a letter endorsing SIDES and announcing the intent of their companies to work within the HR-XML Consortium to develop extensions reflecting business practices and legal requirements within the French staffing industry. SIDES is a comprehensive suite of data exchange standards that offers streamlined communications between staffing customers and suppliers as well as improved accuracy and timeliness of invoicing. In the endorsement letter, the French staffing leaders also called upon their information technology suppliers and partners to similarly support SIDES within their software and service offerings... The SIDES specification defines a common vocabulary for staffing data exchanges and provides a rich and customizable set of options to fit a wide variety of needs." Announcement also in in French.
- [May 07, 2002] "Choosing SIDES:An Introduction ToStaffing Industry Data Exchange Standards." Presented at the Staffing Industry Executive Forum, 2002-May-7. By Chuck Allen (HR-XML), John Nurthen (Vedior NV), and Keith Ensroth (Kelly Services). 46 slides Whether you are a customer, staffing company, intermediary, software vendor, or systems integrator, HR-XML SIDES provides a staffing industry created and maintained solution that: (1) Will dramatically reduce the costs of integration; (2) Will promote the more rapid development of application program interfaces; (3) Is centrally maintained by the HR-XML consortium; (4) Is already the core of major integration projects; (5) Best of all -- IS FREE (free of royalties, free for anyone staffing company to use, free for anyone to download and evaluate, free to developers). [source .PPT]
- Draft v.1.0 XML DTDs for SIDES
- Announcement 2001-09-10: "Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards Donated To HR-XML"
- Data Dictionary for SIDES [Updated Data Dictionary]. 10/12/2001. 10 pages. Referenced in posting October 12, 2001. [cache]
- SIDES Component Overview. Graphic model. [cache]
- Project Proposal - Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standard (SIDES). Referenced in September 18, 2001 posting "SIDES Initiative listserv". September 18, 2001. 9 pages. "The Staffing Industry has a need to exchange data with customer and intermediaries in a standard and cost-effective manner. The purpose of the Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standard (SIDES) is to provide an enabling and comprehensive set of XML Data Type Definitions in the form of composite document. The Staffing Industry will use and recommend these standards to its customers, vendors and intermediaries..." [cache]
- SIDES Project Plan, referenced in September 18, 2001 posting "SIDES Initiative listserv". 3 pages. [cache]
- SIDES Initiative Listserv, referenced in September 18, 2001 posting "SIDES Initiative listserv"
- SIDES XML Schemas in draft, from a posting of Paul Kiel. "SIDES documents in repository" (October 8, 2001). References SIDES Schema documents in the SIDES document repository, addressable by URL. Examples in draft: Assignment-1_0.xsd; BackgroundCheck-1_0.xsd; ContactDetail-1_0.xsd; HumanResource-1_0.xsd; Invoice-1_0.xsd; Order-1_0.xsd; PersonName-1_2.xsd; Position-1_0.xsd; PostalAddress-1_2.xsd; Profile-1_0.xsd; Qualification-1_0.xsd; Resume-1_0.xsd; StaffingAction-1_0.xsd; StaffingSupplier-1_0.xsd; StaffingSupplierCustomer-1_0.xsd; TrackingInformation-1_0.xsd. [cache, .ZIP]
- [HR-XML/SIDES] Schema Design Guidelines. Referenced in posting October 12, 2001.
- Extending Schemas. HR-XML/SIDES document Referenced in posting October 12, 2001.
- Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards Overview. Presented by Ian Anson at the HR-XML Quarterly Meeting, October 2001. (cache) Also:
- Announcement 2001-09-25: "European Personnel And HR Leaders Invited To Attend HR-XML Consortium Meeting In London. Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES) to be Discussed" - "HR-XML Consortium, the world's only independent standards-creation body for the human resources industry, will gather in London, England, for the second time this year. The meeting, which runs October 15th and 16th [2001], will serve as an opportunity for members of the HR community to exchange and develop ideas. It will also be a venue for Consortium members to advance existing projects and explore new areas of activity. The October meeting agenda will include discussions of the Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards (SIDES), a proposed set of standards that will help staffing companies better integrate their information systems with those of their customers and partners. A comprehensive strawman specification has been donated to the Consortium by a group of the world's largest staffing firms..."
- HR-XML Consortium web site
- "HR-XML Consortium" - Main reference page.
- See also: "HR-XML Consortium Approves New Standards for Human Resources E-commerce"
- XML DTDs and Schemas in the Human Resources Area
