An architecture for cross-organisational business processes

Efficient means of electronic interaction are an essential requirement for the integration of different companies' business processes along the value chain. Until recently, this interaction relied on expensive, complex and inflexible solutions, mostly based on EDI or some proprietary means. The high set-up costs and time associated with this type of infrastructure prohibits the dynamic forging of business partnerships, which is of utmost importance to the services industry. The CrossFlow architecture supports the dynamic establishment and enactment of a business relationship between two organisations, based on a contract that specifies this relationship. This is achieved by creating an electronic market where advertising and searching for compatible business partners takes place. This is further enhanced by automating the set-up of the contract enactment and supervision infrastructure, and by connecting them together to allow the business processes of the partners to cross their organisational boundaries.