Message-Based Interface for Consistent Business Data Exchange

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current business interfaces are not consistent across industries and departments, leading to difficulties in exchanging information between heterogeneous business entities due to differences in semantics, formatting, and currency usage, requiring a consistent way to facilitate transactions.

Innovation Solution

A message-based interface is generated from a business object model, allowing for consistent exchange of information through a hierarchical organization of messages, including selections by inventory location, custodian party, and other relevant criteria, enabling seamless communication across different business entities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If heterogeneous business entities use their own programs with different semantics and formatting, then each business entity can handle its part of the transaction according to its specific requirements, but information exchange between different business entities becomes difficult and complex

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveBusiness entity autonomyVSAvoidInformation exchange complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a message-based interface as an intermediary layer between heterogeneous business entities. This interface acts as a mediator that translates between different business entity semantics and formatting requirements, enabling information exchange without requiring each entity to directly understand the other's internal representations. The message-based approach standardizes the interaction protocol while allowing each entity to maintain its own internal structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal message-based interface that can be used across different industries, businesses, and departments. This interface is designed to be multi-functional, handling various types of information exchange (goods, services, inventory changes) through a consistent framework. The standardized interface provides a common ground for heterogeneous systems to interact, eliminating the need for separate custom interfaces for each business scenario.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If human interaction is required to facilitate transactions between heterogeneous programs, then semantic differences can be manually resolved, but transaction processing time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSemantic compatibilityVSAvoidTransaction processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables automatic self-service transaction processing through the standardized message-based interface. The interface includes built-in mechanisms for automatic translation, validation, and routing of messages between business entities. This eliminates the need for manual human intervention to resolve semantic differences, as the system automatically handles the complexity of interoperability through predefined message formats and protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If standardized interfaces are implemented across all business entities, then information exchange consistency is improved, but flexibility to handle specific business requirements is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveInterface consistencyVSAvoidBusiness-specific customization
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the standardized interface into modular components that can be selectively applied. The message-based interface includes core standardized elements for general information exchange, while allowing optional extensions and configurations for business-specific requirements. This segmentation enables organizations to adopt the standardized framework while customizing only the portions needed for their specific business scenarios, rather than being forced to implement the entire standard uniformly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20140006223A1Consistent Interface for Goods and Activity Confirmation
Publication Date: 2014.01.02 SAP SE
  • US20140006223A1 patent drawing
  • US20140006223A1 patent drawing
  • US20140006223A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a goods and activity confirmation business object.