scope:

1. The aim of this document is to offer a Guideline of the updated Reference Architecture (RA) for the eBusiness harmonisation in the Textile Clothing and Footwear sectors as it results from the activities of the CEN Workshop "eBusiness in the textile, clothing and footwear sectors (WS eBIZ)". The eBIZ architecture aims to enable interoperability between existing systems and organisations. Achieving it, would lower the threshold for starting eBusiness both for large enterprises and for medium and small actors in the supply chain and would also encourage technology suppliers to provide better support and services for eBusiness. It can be used as reference both for new eBusiness implementations and by existing users needing to modify their systems or to achieve interoperability with others. The first version of the Reference Architecture was developed in 2009 in the framework of the eBIZ-TCF project (www.eBIZ-TCF.eu), a DG Enterprise and Industry initiative that was an European large scale initiative to foster the adoption of eBusiness and related technologies and standards in sectors characterised by a large presence of SMEs and by a low level of adoption of eBusiness and interoperability standards. This document is the final version of the Reference Architecture of eBIZ, released in 2013. The CEN Workshop on eBusiness in the textile, clothing and footwear sectors (WS/eBIZ) has performed an activity to review and update the RA in order to satisfy new requirements and progress in the real textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) industry. 2. As main initial requisite, wherever possible, the architecture"s specifications are based on existing public standards and already running experiences. In general terms, the RA does not aim to develop or validate a new technology or a new software but aims to setup an approach to foster eBusiness adoption (eAdoption) in two sectors dominated by SMEs through a work of harmonisation that is strongly aware of t ...