The proof of concept trials of the common vocabulary (known as XML, or extensible mark-up language) form part of a joint initiative from the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and the Business Applications Software Developers Association (BASDA).
The push for common IT standards for e-procurement should enable suppliers and public sector buyers to conduct business on-line more easily, and will facilitate access to the government marketplace for smaller suppliers.
The objective of the trials is for a version of eBIS-XML 'Order and Invoice' schemas - basically the exchange of information, via a common vocabulary, between different computer systems – to become compliant with the e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF).
The e-GIF sets out the policy and standards for interoperability across the public sector and is effectively the Government's standard system requirement, with which any cross-government system would need to comply.
If successful, suitable XML schemas will be built into commercial off-the-shelf e-procurement applications. This will ensure that whichever purchasing system a supplier chooses to use, it will not be precluded from doing business with the Government through system incompatibility.
Benefits of using e-procurement include contractual savings, real-time financial information on what is being spent with each supplier, lower levels of 'maverick' or 'off-contract' purchasing and improved commercial relationships with suppliers.
OGC Executive Director for Supplier and Government Marketplace Development, Martin Sykes, welcomed the collaboration, saying:
"OGC has been working closely with BASDA to drive the interoperability agenda forward. OGC is committed to providing better value for money for taxpayers through offering better access for suppliers to the Government marketplace. These trials represent a major step in the right direction".