UBL: Universal Business Language


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Facilitating interoperability in business data exchange by defining a semantic library and syntax bindings of business documents

The OASIS Universal Business Language (UBL) TC solves this problem by defining a syntax neutral semantic library for business documents (the UBL semantic library) that can be restricted or extended to meet the requirements of particular industries, sectors and communities, as well as providing interoperability between systems and vendors when used as a generic interchange document format.

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Scope of Work

The specific objectives of the TC are:

– To define, specify and maintain the UBL specification, the UBL semantic library, as well as associated and supporting work products

– To continue promoting UBL’s status as the international standard for electronic business documents

– Fulfill the responsibilities of the designated maintenance authority for ISO/IEC 19845 as well as any other publicly available specification submitted by the TC to an external standards development organization (SDO)

Deliverables

The TC will work on delivering the following work products:

– Publication of the UBL semantic library

– Production of XML and other syntax bindings from the semantic library, as well as technical specifications supporting their use and implementation

– Production of Committee Notes and Specifications to provide guidance for implementing UBL

IPR Mode

The TC will operate under the RF on Limited Terms mode of the OASIS IPR Policy.

UBL is owned by OASIS and is available to all, with no royalty fees.

UBL Technical Subcommittees

UBL Commodities Subcommittee

UBL Organisation Master Data Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Naming and Design Rules Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Payments and Finance Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Post-Award Procurement Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Pre-Award Procurement Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Small Business Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Transportation Subcommittee

Regional Localization Subcommittees

OASIS UBL Latin American Regional Localization Subcommittee

Localization Subcommittees

OASIS UBL Australian Localisation Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Chinese Localization Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Danish Localization Subcommittee

OASIS UBL German Localization Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Italian Localization Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Japanese Localization Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Korean Localization Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Spanish Localization Subcommittee

OASIS UBL Turkish Localization Subcommittee

Managerial Subcommittees

OASIS UBL Adoption Subcommittee


Frequently Asked Questions

Why was UBL created?

Originally developed by an OASIS Technical Committee with participation from a variety of industry data standards organizations. UBL is designed to plug directly into existing business, legal, auditing, and records management practices. It is designed to streamline information exchange through standardization, facilitating seamless connections between small, medium-sized, and large organization, thereby eliminating the re-keying of data and providing a comprehensive framework for electronic commerce.

UBL is owned by OASIS and is available to all, with no royalty fees.

Who should be interested in UBL?

The following groups (public and private) should have an interest in the exchange of structured business documents:

– ERP vendors
– Software and service providers
– National, regional and local public authorities
– Procurement and trade communities
– E-invoicing networks
– Supply chain communities
– Logistics and transportation companies

How do you gain access to the UBL library and latest approved version of the standard?

The UBL semantic library is a well-developed information and data model with validators, authoring software, parsers and generators. As of June 2021, the latest approved OASIS Standard is UBL Version 2.3, which includes a total of 91 business document types. All UBL minor versions are fully backwards compatible back to UBL Version 2.0. View all the committee’s work products <here>.

How do I view the mailing list archive?

Archives of the mailing list used by OASIS members to conduct Committee work will be viewable following the Call for Participation. TC membership is required to post to this list. TC members are automatically subscribed.

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