Approaches to Internationalization

2002 July 9

IntroductionIntroduction What is HR-XML? Why is Internationalization a priority for HR-

XML? What are some of the architectural considerations

for internationalizing e-business standards? What are some of organizational considerations

for internationalizing HR-XML’s work?

What is HR-XML?What is HR-XML? Independent, non-profit corporation (Dec 1999) Define standard vocabularies to streamline HR

data interchange Open to users, vendors, consultants, standards

bodies, employers and other end-users, and individuals

115+ organizational members International – Mission to produce specifications

that are relevant and useful across many country contexts.

Why Is Internationalization a Priority?Why Is Internationalization a Priority?

1. HR-XML has many large, multinational corporations as members.

Oracle, PeopleSoft, and SAP were among the founding members that insisted on a broad, international orientation as condition of joining that HR-XML.

Other multinationals participating within the Consortium include Hewlett Packard; IBM; Microsoft; Northrup Grumman, etc.

Why Is Internationalization a Priority?Why Is Internationalization a Priority?(Continued)(Continued)

2. HR-XML has growing participation by non-U.S. headquartered organizations:

ARINSO International; Adecco Corporation; BP, Embrace Ltd; European Community Telework Forum; Halcyon Internet plc; MrTed; ProfileUp; Randstad Holding; Reed Business Information Services/Totaljobs.com; Rompetrol Refining; SAP; Schlumberger; Shell Oil; Siemens Business Services oHG; StepStone.com; Swedish National Labor Board; e-peopleserve ltd

Why Is Internationalization a Priority?Why Is Internationalization a Priority?(Continued)(Continued)

3. Consortium members are aware that standards adoption is always driven by local interests and needs.

The Consortium measures the quality of its standards by the degree to which they are adopted. A failure to address certain jurisdiction-specific requirements will leave barriers to adoption.

Why Is Internationalization a Priority?Why Is Internationalization a Priority?(Continued)(Continued)

4. HR-XML’s specifications have gained a significant amount of early adoption from around the World.

Noteworthy is that HR-XML’s recruiting-related specifications are being put to use by government public employment services within European countries such as Sweden and Germany.

Approaches to InternationalizationApproaches to Internationalization

While internationalization is an enormous undertaking, HR-XML is taking steps architecturally and organizationally to support its internationalization priorities.

Architecturally, two things HR-XML is doing to support internationalization are: Modeling to deliver generalized, jurisdiction-neutral

models whenever possible; Aligning ourselves with emerging schema design best

practices

Approaches to ModelingApproaches to Modeling Wherever possible HR-XML develops models that are useful

across different jurisdictions and cultural contexts HR-XML’s PersonName 1.2 and PostalAddress 1.2 are good

examples of HR-XML’s efforts to produce models that are useful across different jurisdictions.

PostalAddress 1.2 includes reference examples for Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Simplified Chinese (Mainland China), South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and United States.

PersonName 1.2 includes examples for English, French, Dutch, Korean, Mexico, Portuguese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spain, Agentina/South America, India, Greece, and Russia. (Recently adopted by 384-member TeleManagement Forum)

Schema Design Best PracticesSchema Design Best Practices HR-XML is revising its architecture to better support the

needs of its members and to align itself with emerging best practices for XML schema design.

One of the concrete steps we have taken is to adopt a “UserArea” extension mechanism modeled on the one developed by the Open Applications Group.

Country-specific XML structures might initially be accommodated within the UserArea, while leaving a base, jurisdiction-neutral schema undisturbed.

After consideration by the broader membership, support for might be built into the base schema either in a generalized or jurisdiction-specific form if Consortium members believed there were benefits for doing so

Organizational ConsiderationsOrganizational Considerations HR-XML has received numerous requests from individuals

and organizations interested in forming country-specific HR-XML ‘chapters’

The HR-XML leadership wants the Consortium to continue to operate as single, international organization that produces and approves HR-related specifications of broad international relevance.

Leadership wants to find effective, responsive, and practical means to involve stakeholders regardless of what country they live in.

Organizational ConsiderationsOrganizational Considerations HR-XML leadership recognizes that the first step in working

with local initiatives is the identification of local requirements and an assessment of the breadth of support for working on the particular project at hand.

After local requirements are identified and the breadth of support determined, it is much easier to determine whether the project can be adequately handled through the Consortium’s existing workgroup formation methodology or through an on-going, locally supported initiative.

HR-XML recognizes that the goal of involving local stakeholders often can be achieved by working with pre-existing groups within various jurisdictions. For example, ECP NL is a group in the Netherlands is a group that has much promise as a partner in promoting HR-XML’s Staffing Industry Data Exchange Standards in the Netherlands.

MeetingsMeetings Most HR-XML work is accomplish through teleconference

and e-mail. Because the majority of active HR-XML members are based

within the United States, most face-to-face meetings to date have been US-based.

In recognition of growing European involvement, HR-XML had two meetings in London last year and has a meeting scheduled in Amsterdam this month (2002 July 15-16).

Going forward, the plan is continue to have face-to-face meetings where it is most convenient for the majority of our members and to continue to have at least one meeting in Europe each year. HR-XML also will likely have at least one “education and outreach” meeting in the Asia-Pacific region in 2003.

SummarySummary Consortium members remain committed to the idea of

operating HR-XML as single, international organization that produces and approves HR-related specifications of broad international relevance.

The Consortium wants to address country and regional requirements of importance to HR-XML members and wants to find practical and effective ways of involving relevant stakeholders wherever they live.

The Consortium is reviewing and revising its architecture, in part, to be able to more flexibly support the diverse country and region-specific requirements it receives from around the World.