X12 Statement on B2B Transactions and Response to COVID-19

X12 is closely monitoring COVID-I9 (coronavirus) pandemic developments and response efforts while proactively taking measures to minimize potential risks as well as providing the high-quality service and support that X12 members expect.

At this historical juncture, the coronavirus public health outbreak highlights more than ever the critical need for efficient communication between businesses, non-profit associations and government organizations using data standards that keep transactional-based operations running smoothly and responsibly. In addition, the crisis highlights the requirement to build agile processes to develop new business messages that are rapidly aligned with the changing e-commerce landscape.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and an overwhelming percentage of EDI data exchanged in the U.S. are based on standards developed and maintained by X12. Until now, the business-to-business transactions upholding America’s electronic information exchange have largely flown under the radar due to their successful adoption worldwide.

Since the 1970s, an army of X12 volunteers (members and stakeholders) have collaboratively developed and implemented the standard for critical business messages. Today, we are the beneficiaries of their hard work. EDI standards help keep the trains running on time, supply trucks on the roads, barges on the waterways, the grocery store shelves restocked ─ and elevate the efficiency of auto tracking passengers entering or leaving our country.

X12's newest subcommittee – the B2X – is focusing on best practices and the future needs of the world's business-to-business (B2B) electronic commerce. Its constituents include stakeholders representing manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, software vendors, service providers, networks, and industry associations. Our goal is to increase participation in order to better protect domestic and international companies from future B2B disruptions.

In this time of crisis, we express our deepest gratitude to all X12 member organizations and volunteers for their generosity of time, knowledge sharing and tireless dedication developing and implementing X12’s expansive vocabulary of data elements and constructs.  X12 will increase the power of its standards through its neX12 solutions ─ Glass, Bridge and ARC ─ in responding to new technologies and business processes.

If you are a stakeholder in the supply chain or other industries, we'd appreciate your participation to help us all improve current systems and build standards for the future.

Please contact us at membership@X12.org to find out how to get involved with the B2X and other X12 subcommittees.

Steph Fetzer
X12 Board Chair