The previous versions of the WCO DM grouped the WCO DM into five Base Information Packages (BIPs): Declaration BIP, Licence, Permit, Certificate and Other document (LPCO) BIP, Response BIP, Intergov BIP, and Meta Data BIP.
Enhancement of the BIP grouping was anticipated based on feedback and lessons learned, consolidated from the implementation and maintenance of version 3.0.0 of the WCO DM. Some of the considerations in enhancing BIP organization included:
• The need to consolidate the overall information model:
Some IPs shared the same classes/data elements, indicating the harmonized reuse of those classes and data elements in different contexts. However, each IP was managed independently; therefore, the relationship of data objects belonging to different IPs was not sufficiently visible. The introduction of a superstructure (i.e. the Overall Information Structure - OIS) that could bring together the different information models of all IPs was therefore considered to indicate the reuse of classes, data elements, and their data structures (information path);
• The need for an identifier to indicate the address/location of each piece of information in the information model:
The proposed identifier was intended to identify each information path to indicate its reuse in different Information Packages based on their Unique Position ID (WCO-UPI);
• The need to enhance the accuracy of the BIP grouping:
The five BIPs needed to be reorganized based on a grouping that represented their characteristics accurately. Some considerations for reorganizing BIPs included the following:
o The Meta Data BIP had unique features compared to the other BIP. The Meta Data BIP focused on technical information relating to the data exchange and deserved to be introduced as a stand-alone IP. The separation of Meta Data as a separate IP helped other IPs to focus on their non-technical functions,
o The Declaration BIP and the LPCO BIP had actual business information, while the Response BIP and the Intergov BIP acted as a wrapper or envelope to the original business information (Declaration or LPCO). To that end, the Response BIP and the Intergov BIP needed to be excluded from the BIP group and added to a new group that represented their characteristics (i.e. an Additional Information Package - AIP);
• The need to remove overlaps between the Declaration BIP and the declaration information contained in the Response BIP and the Intergov BIP:
The Response BIP and the Intergov BIP have an association with the Declaration class. However, the associated class is managed separately from their respective BIP. The independent management of the Declaration class under the Response BIP and the Intergov BIP present the risk of misalignment with their main BIPs.
• Meta Data Information Package (MDIP): an IP that focuses on the technical aspect of data exchange;
• Content Information Structure (CIS): a sub-structure of the OIS with the technical aspect of data exchange (i.e. the MDIP) excluded and focused on information that has roles and is meaningful for CBRP;
• Base Information Packages (BIPs): Information Packages that have actual business information required for the CBRPs by Customs and partner government agencies as outlined in the relevant legal frameworks. The BIP group has two members:
o Declaration BIP: BIP representing Business to Government (B2G) data submission. Some of the messages that fall under this BIP include, but are not limited to, the Import / Export Customs Declaration, Cargo Report, and Transit Declaration,
o LPCO BIP: BIP for Licences, Permits, Certificates and Other documents. Some of the messages that fall under this BIP include, but are not limited to, the Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary Certificate, Food sanitary certificate, and Certificate of animal health;
• Additional Information Package (AIP): Information Package that act as wrapper or envelope to original business information contained in the BIPs. The AIP has two members, namely:
o Response: AIP to represents G2B data exchange,
o Intergov: IP to represents G2G data exchange.
• a response message that contains an amendment of the value of the previously submitted declaration;
• an intergov message which includes an export declaration sent by the Customs of exporting country to the Customs of importing country in the context of Globally Networked Customs (GNC);
• an intergov message which includes a transit declaration sent by the Customs of exporting country to the Customs of transiting and importing countries in the transit corridor in the context of GNC on transit interconnectivity; and
• an intergov message which includes a food safety certificate sent by the competent authority of exporting country to the competent authority of importing country through the national Single Windows of each country.
Unlike the conventional relationship between classes, which is based on “Association”, the relationship between an AIP and BIP is defined as “Composition”.
A composition indicates a loose relationship between two different information packages (IPs), such as AIP and BIP, MDIP and AIP, or MDIP and BIP. (i.e., separate UML class diagram). The two IPs are separate information models (i.e., separate UML) with a composition relationship. The parent IP (i.e., the AIP) includes an empty class (i.e., a class without an attribute/data element) for the root class of the included child IP (i.e., the BIP) that act as a placeholder for the composition.
At the implementation stage, the composition can be implemented in different ways, including:
• merged: The AIP and BIP message schemas are merged as one schema. The AIP is the parent structure of the BIP, and the other way around, the BIP is the child of the AIP. The AIP is the root class for all classes and data elements in the schema.
• detached: The AIP and BIP are implemented in different message structures. Possible configurations of the detached approach include:
o single schema: AIP and BIP structure implemented as siblings to each other
o different payload: AIP and BIP are implemented in different schema
Class | A representation of a real-life supply chain object described by the class name and definition. The various characteristics of the object are represented by the class attributes (or data elements). A class is identified by a WCO ID. |
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Attribute / data element | A unit of information describing specific characteristics of a class. An attribute is a member of one or more classes. The meaning of an attribute is incomplete if it is separated from its parent class. An attribute is identified by a WCO ID. |
Class definition | The unique definition of a class and its identification (i.e. the WCO ID) in the WCO DM Library. |
Information model | A composition of classes, including their attributes, is connected using class associations. The WCO DM information model is based on the Unified Modelling Language (UML) Class Diagram (without behavioural attributes) and the Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD). The class associations of the information model are linear, one-directional (left to right), and non-circular, resulting in a tree-like structure. The tree structure of the information model is the basis of the structure of the Overall Information Structure (OIS), Content Information Structure (CIS), and Information Packages (IPs) |
Class instance | The use of a class in an information model is the result of association of the class with another class. There might be multiple instances of a class in the information model. Each instance of a class may use a different number of attributes, taking into account the attributes of the class activated for the instance. |
Information path | A node in the tree structure of the WCO DM information model identified by an information path and Unique Position ID (UPI). An information branch may represent a class instance or an attribute instance. |