ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 

Response to the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology, Federal Agency Participation 

Effectiveness of Federal Agency Participation in 

Standardization in Select Technology Sectors for 

the National Science and Technology Council’s 

Sub-Committee on Standardization 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 

Response to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Federal Agency 

Participation 

Effectiveness of Federal Agency Participation in Standardization in Select Technology 

Sectors for the National Science and Technology Council’s Sub-Committee on 

Standardization 

Table of Contents 

1. Introduction ............................................................................................p. 3 

 

2. X12 Insurance (X12N) ..............................................................................p. 4 

3. X12 Transportation (X12I) .........................................................................p. 10 

4. X12 Finance (X12F) .................................................................................p. 14 

5. For Additional Information .........................................................................p. 16 

6. Appendix................................................................................................p. 17 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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INTRODUCTION 

The Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12, chartered by the American National Standards 

Institute more than 30 years ago, develops and maintains EDI and CICA standards along with 

XML schemas which drive business processes globally. The diverse membership of ASC X12 

includes technologists and business process experts, encompassing health care, insurance, 

transportation, finance, government, supply chain and other industries. 

ASC X12, a cross-industry organization and leader in electronic data messaging standards, 

welcomes the opportunity to respond to the National Institute of Standards and Technology 

(NIST) regarding the Effectiveness of Federal Agency Participation in Standardization in Select 

Technology Sectors for the National Science and Technology Council’s Sub-Committee on 

Standardization. ASC X12 will address Health Information Technology, from an Insurance 

perspective, and other technologies involving significant government participation, from a 

Transportation and then Finance perspective, in the context of these topics: 

 Standards-setting Processes, Reasons for Participation and the Benefits of 

Standardization 

 Perspectives on Government’s Approach to Standards Activities 

 Issues Considered During the Standards Setting Process 

 Adequacy of Resources 

Subject matter expertise is critical to the development and maintenance of standards. Federal 

agencies have valuable experience and can provide useful input on many of the operational and 

technological challenges addressed by private sector counterparts. Agencies’ subject matter 

experts have provided support to develop and maintain standards and have served as useful 

resources in the management and leadership for some standards development work groups. 

SDO success is driven by the number and caliber of volunteers who provide valuable time and 

expertise to create and maintain quality standards, which may affect standards that impact 

government operations and systems. 

However, per the ANSI rules, Federal agencies and other standards stakeholders have an equal 

vote in the standards process, not a veto vote or a vote that supersedes other stakeholders 

affected by the relevant standards. 

Additional, focused resources are valuable to standards development in several ways, including 

to improve the process of: 

 Gathering critical multi-stakeholder input. 

 Identifying and documenting use cases and issues. 

 Expediting the development, evaluation and review process. 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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INSURANCE 

The X12N (Insurance) Subcommittee respectfully addresses Health Information Technology in 

the context of the following topics. 

Standards-setting Processes, Reasons for Participation and the Benefits of 

Standardization

1. Who participates in standards-setting activities? 

 Health Plans 

i. Commercial 

ii. Private 

iii. Blue Plans 

 Providers 

i. Hospitals 

ii. Physicians 

iii. Dentists 

iv. Academic Medical Centers 

v. Provider Organizations 

1. AMA 

2. AHA 

3. ADA 

vi. Pharmacies 

vii. Labs 

 Vendors 

i. HealthCare Clearinghouse 

ii. Value Added Network 

iii. Software 

1. Adjudication 

2. Billing 

3. Translator 

 Consultants 

 Federal Agencies 

i. CMS 

ii. DoD 

iii. VA 

iv. CDC 

v. SSA 

 State Agencies 

i. Medicaid 

ii. Dept of Labor/Workers’ Comp 

iii. DMV 

 Other Standards Development Organizations, Data Content Committees, and 

Industry Associations 

i. HL7 

ii. NUCC 

iii. NUBC 

iv. NCPDP 

v. NAHDO 

vi. WEDI 

vii. IAIABC 

viii. CAQH 

 Hybrid organizations 

 Other Payer/TPA 

i. Motor Vehicle 

ii. Workers’ Comp 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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iii. Pharmacy Benefit Manager 

 Government Contractors 

2. What are the most important reasons for participation? 

 Ensure business process representation 

 Competitive Advantage 

 Be aware of changes 

 Discounts on education material and publications 

 Networking 

 Exchange of industry information, trends, and ideas 

 Maintain continuity of critical business practices 

 Influence outcome 

3. What are the benefits of developing standards for this sector? 

 Administrative simplification 

 Cost savings through eCommerce 

 Consistency to promote clarity amongst trading partners 

 Expand install base 

 Interoperability 

4. How do the standards impact organizations and their competitiveness? 

 Promote innovation 

 Reduce costs 

 Improve data quality and accuracy 

5. How has standardization spurred innovation in the technology sector(s) that is the subject 

of your comment? 

 Data consistency has allowed organizations to reallocate resources to other 

initiatives. 

 Vendors are able to build more robust and automated systems. 

 Patient safety is enhanced through clean, accurate and rapid access to data. 

 Analytical capabilities are enhanced to provide more qualitative results. 

6. What is the current phase of the standards development process for this technology? 

 Mature 

7. How has the process worked so far? 

 The ASC X12 open consensus-based process has worked well and is successful. 

As an organization, ASC X12 is constantly working to improve our standards to 

meet industry needs. 

8. When developing standards, how are the standards-setting processes managed and 

coordinated? 

 ASC X12 has an open process that allows any interested stakeholder to 

participate in development. 

 The development life cycle includes several layers of approval before being 

presented to the membership and any materially-impacted party for public 

comment and formal ballot. 

9. Is there a strategic plan that identifies the standards needs and defines the standards 

development life cycle? 

 Yes. Please see above. 
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10. Are there barriers to developing high level strategies for standard-setting activities? 

 Yes. The barriers include: 

i. Resource constraints (Including: people, funding, time, etc.) 

ii. Keeping pace with a rapidly advancing Health Care Industry, Regulation, 

and Legislation. 

iii. Reconciliation of competing priorities 

iv. Qualified knowledge base (Both strategic and tactical) 

Perspectives on Government’s Approach to Standards Activities 

Responses to the following questions will help the Sub-Committee better understand which 

methods of engagement by Federal agencies are most effective and why. 

1. What methods of engagement are used by Federal agencies to participate in private 

sector led standards development? 

 Method 1) 

Agency staff are among the participants at the table for both in-person meetings 

and conference calls. 

 Method 2) 

Agencies also hire contractors to serve as their representatives. 

 Method 3) 

Agency requirements are also represented by stakeholders who must comply 

with the published regulations and policies. 

2. How transparent is each method? 

 All methods are transparent, as all work products and processes are open to all 

interested parties. 

3. How effective is each method? 

 Method 1 and Method 2 effectiveness is dependent on the level of knowledge 

and empowerment of the representative. 

i. Representatives who are sent with the purpose of obtaining information 

and must consult with superiors before decisions can be made are highly 

ineffective. 

ii. Knowledgeable representatives who are empowered to make decisions 

are very effective. 

iii. Often times the representatives are from the technical areas of the 

agency. This results in new initiatives coming forward at the end of the 

process. Policy representatives not being engaged with, or consulting 

with, the SDO early in the process results in: 

1. Extensive delays in realizing an implementable solution. 

2. The intent of the policy and the solution to support it are 

incompatible. 

3. A disconnect between the policy and the standard in place. 

4. A misrepresentation and/or misunderstanding of the intent of the 

policy. 

 Method 3 can be effective when the policy or regulation is clear. However, when 

there is room for interpretation, it can be counter-productive and impedes 

development. 

 Method 1 and Method 2 for federally funded state agencies (For example: 

Medicaid) are under represented 

4. How could the methods be improved? 

 Engage standards organizations early in the policy creation process. 
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 Ensure both policy and technical representatives participate (It is unrealistic to 

expect technical staff to be able to answer all questions as to the intent of the 

policy). 

 Permit agency representatives to be more open during the Rule Making process, 

to ensure promulgated rules and the standards that support them are compatible. 

 Make the Federal policy and rule-making process more transparent. 

 Create a coordinated and realistic HHS-level Strategic Plan (including regulatory 

and statutory timelines) that provides the industry with time and resources to 

meet the mandates and implement their own strategic initiatives. 

 Provide proper funding to enable appropriate levels of participation from both 

policy and technical areas of the agency. 

 Require Federally-funded state agencies (Medicaid) to participate and provide 

adequate funding for this purpose. 

5. What other methods should the Federal agencies explore? 

 With proper funding, virtual meetings may be an opportunity to bring more 

individuals to the table. 

6. What impact have Federal agencies had on standards activities? 

 The impact is significant in many ways. 

i. Federal and state data content requirements provided the foundation for 

some standards. 

ii. The force of Federal Regulation and legislation has helped to drive the 

industry to mass adoption of the standards. 

iii. Federal programs represent a significant percentage of the business 

conducted by industry trading partners. 

iv. Agencies are encumbered by obsolete policies and regulations resulting 

in an impediment to progress and innovation. 

7. How well do Federal agencies coordinate their roles in standards activities in the sector of 

interest? 

 There appears to be little or no coordination. 

 Some of this may be a result of policies and regulation limitations. 

8. When Federal agencies have been involved in standards setting efforts in a technology 

sector, how has the progress of standards setting efforts in this technology sector 

changed after Federal agencies became involved? 

 See Question #6, regarding impacts, above. 

9. Are Federal agencies generally receptive to input from other participants in standards 

setting activities? 

 The level of reception varies dependent upon the issue. Factors impacting 

flexibility include: 

i. Federal policies and requirements 

ii. Representative’s knowledge of the policy/issue and intent 

iii. Representative’s level of empowerment 

10. In those sectors where Federal agencies plays a significant role in standards activities, 

how valuable and timely is the work product associated with this effort? 

 Having the agencies present enables the SDO to create a higher quality product 

by ensuring their perspective is not omitted. 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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Issues Considered During the Standards Setting Process

The Sub-Committee is interested in understanding the types of issues (e.g., technology, 

competition, innovation, intellectual property rights, foreign regulations, etc.) that have been 

considered, and how these have been addressed/are being addressed. 

1. Has Federal agency participation in standards-setting impacted the consideration and 

resolution of these issues, and the standards setting processes? 

 Competition and innovation can be handicapped by the fact that Federal 

agencies are highly motivated to see change based upon their needs, however, 

Federal agencies are resistant to change brought on by other stakeholders within 

a given sector that will affect all. 

 The Federal rulemaking process does not allow the industry to progress in a 

timely fashion. Arguments are made for voluntary adoption, but that is unrealistic 

due to the plethora of other mandates which must be met. 

2. With respect to foreign regulations... 

This section is not applicable to ASC X12. 

3. With respect to intellectual property, the Sub-Committee would like to understand the 

approaches you have experienced or found most appropriate for handling patents and/or 

other types of intellectual property rights that are necessary to implement a standard. 

a. How does the need for access to intellectual property rights by Federal agencies 

factor into the use or development of standards? 

 Not applicable 

4. To what extent, if any, has the development, adoption or use of a standard, by Federal 

agencies in this technology sector been affected by holders of intellectual property? 

a. How have such circumstances been addressed? 

 Not applicable 

b. Are there particular obstacles that either prevent intellectual property owners from 

obtaining reasonable returns or cause intellectual property owners to make IP 

available on terms resulting in unreasonable returns when their IP is included in 

the standard? 

 Not applicable 

c. What strategies have been effective in mitigating risks, if any, associated with 

hold-up or buyers’ cartels? 

 Not applicable 

Adequacy of Resources 

The availability and commitment of financial resources, personnel, and industry expertise may 

impact the success of standards development. In some instances, changing priorities or changes 

in an organization’s budget may impact the resources an agency commits to an ongoing project. 

The Sub- Committee would like to better understand the resources that both private sector 

organizations and Federal agencies commit to standards-setting activities, constraints on those 

resources, and how the level of resources affects the success of the effort. 

1. What resources are needed to successfully complete the efforts? 

 Policy/business analysts from all facets of the sector 

 Technical expertise from all facets of the sector 

 Federally funded state agencies such as Medicaid actively participating 

 Proper support from organizations that provide the volunteers to allow not only 

travel and meeting support, but also time for planning, documentation, and 

quality assurance activities 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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 SDO’s sufficiently funded to provide administrative and documentation support 

2. Taking into account budget constraints and competing initiatives, have Federal agencies 

committed adequate resources? 

 No. See “Perspectives on Government’s Approach to Standards Activities,” 

Question #1 regarding Methods, above. 

3. What resource constraints impact the successful completion of the standards efforts? 

 See answers to previous questions. 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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TRANSPORTATION 

The X12I (Transportation) Subcommittee respectfully addresses other technologies involving 

significant government participation in the context of the following topics. 

Standards-setting Processes, Reasons for Participation and the Benefits of 

Standardization 

1. Who participates in standards-setting activities? 

 Transportation Carriers 

i. Air 

ii. Marine 

iii. Motor 

iv. Rail 

 Users of Transportation Services 

i. 3PL’s 

ii. Shippers 

iii. Consignees 

iv. Government Agencies, Federal and state 

v. Other interested parties 

 Vendors 

i. Value Added Network 

ii. Software 

iii. Other 

 Consultants 

 Other Standards Development Organizations, Data Content Committees, and 

Industry Associations 

2. What are the most important reasons for participation? 

 Ensure that Federal agency requirements are met by the standards that they use 

daily for the exchange of data with the trade 

 Exchange of industry information, trends, and ideas 

 Maintain continuity of critical business practices 

 Influence outcome 

3. What are the benefits of developing standards for this sector? 

 Paperwork reduction 

 Meeting advance data requirements for Homeland Security 

 Cost savings through eCommerce 

 Consistency to promote clarity amongst trading partners 

 Interoperability 

 Improved supply chain visibility 

4. How do the standards impact organizations and their competitiveness? 

 Promote Innovation 

 Cost reduction 

 Improved data quality and accuracy 

5. How has standardization spurred innovation in the technology sector(s) that is the subject 

of your comment? 

 Use of ANSI ASC X12 standards has allowed the DoD to streamline their supply 

chain 

 Use of ASC X12 standards has allowed Homeland Security to receive advance 

data on shipments before they enter the United States 
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 Receipt of advance data has allowed Homeland Security to concentrate on 

shipments that require extra scrutiny 

6. What is the current phase of the standards development process for this technology? 

 Mature, ASC X12 standards have been in use by various Federal agencies for 

over 20 years 

7. How has the process worked so far? 

 ASC X12’s open consensus based process has worked well and is successful. 

As an organization, ASC X12 is constantly working to improve our standards to 

meet industry needs 

8. When developing standards, how are the standards-setting processes managed and 

coordinated? 

 ASC X12 has an open process that allows any interested stakeholder to 

participate in development, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) and 

the DoD are represented at all transportation meetings 

 ASC X12’s processes and procedures for standards setting are well documented 

and tested. 

 The development of ASC X12 standards includes several layers of approval and 

a vote of the entire membership. All materially impacted parties can participate in 

the development and approval process. 

9. Is there a strategic plan that identifies the standards needs and defines the standards 

development life cycle? 

 Various agencies have differing requirements and deadlines. In the case of 

transportation the life cycle of the standards is defined by the agency. 

10. Are there barriers to developing high level strategies for standard-setting activities? 

 No, there are no barriers 

Perspectives on Government’s Approach to Standards Activities 

Responses to the following questions will help the Sub-Committee to better understand which 

methods of engagement by Federal agencies are most effective and why. 

1. What methods of engagement are used by Federal agencies to participate in private 

sector led standards development? 

 Federal agency staff is among the participants at the table for both in-person 

meetings and conference calls. 

 Federal agencies also hire contractors to serve as their representatives, such as 

the Logistics Management Institute (LMI). 

2. How transparent is each method? 

 All methods are transparent, as all processes are open to all interested parties. 

3. How effective is each method? 

 Both methods have worked well in transportation as both the USCBP and the 

DoD (U.S. Transcom, through it’ss use of LMI as a contractor) have been 

participating for over 20 years 

4. How could the methods be improved? 

 Additional participation from other Federal agencies has been sporadic. 

Additional participation when needed would be helpful. 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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5. What other methods should the Federal agencies explore? 

 The Federal agencies that participate in the transportation subcommittee utilize 

all methods of participation available. 

6. What impact have Federal agencies had on standards activities? 

 The Federal agencies participating in the Transportation Subcommittee directly 

impacts the data requirements and timing 

 A task group within the Transportation Subcommittee was established to meet the 

ongoing requirements of USCBP 

7. How well do Federal agencies coordinate their roles in standards activities in the sector of 

interest? 

 There is excellent coordination between USCBP and the other agencies (OGA’s) 

that rely on data from the trade. 

8. When Federal agencies have been involved in standards setting efforts in a technology 

sector, how has the progress of standards setting efforts in this technology sector 

changed after Federal agencies became involved? 

 Due to the need for rapid implementation of standards by various Federal 

agencies, the speed at which the standards have been developed has increased 

9. Are Federal agencies generally receptive to input from other participants in standards 

setting activities? 

 Yes 

10. Does receptiveness tend to depend on whether the Federal agency is a regulator or a 

customer? 

 No 

11. In those sectors where Federal agencies plays a significant role in standards activities, 

how valuable and timely is the work product associated with this effort? 

 Participation by the Federal agencies is invaluable. 

Issues Considered During the Standards Setting Process 

The Sub-Committee is interested in understanding the types of issues (e.g., technology, 

competition, innovation, intellectual property rights, foreign regulations, etc.) that have been 

considered, and how these have been addressed/are being addressed. 

1. Has Federal agency participation in standards-setting impacted the consideration and 

resolution of these issues, and the standards setting processes? 

 The Federal agencies that participate in the Transportation Subcommittee have a 

positive affect on the standards. (See Appendix, USTRASCOM Role) 

2. With respect to foreign regulations... 

a. how are foreign technical regulations are considered and addressed during 

standards setting or conformity assessment activities? 

 N/A 

b. Are efforts made to determine whether there is potential for overlap or duplication 

with existing international standards? 

 N/A 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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c. How are other appropriate international standards that may be of interest 

identified? 

 N/A 

d. Are efforts made to identify existing or planned regional or national standards that 

may be considered for use as the basis for foreign technical regulations, rather 

than the international standard being considered by the committee? 

 N/A 

3. With respect to intellectual property, the Sub-Committee would like to understand the 

approaches you have experienced or found most appropriate for handling patents and/or 

other types of intellectual property rights that are necessary to implement a standard. 

a. How does the need for access to intellectual property rights by Federal agencies 

factor into the use or development of standards? 

 N/A 

4. To what extent, if any, has the development, adoption or use of a standard, by Federal 

agencies in this technology sector been affected by holders of intellectual property? 

a. How have such circumstances been addressed? 

 N/A 

b. Are there particular obstacles that either prevent intellectual property owners from 

obtaining reasonable returns or cause intellectual property owners to make IP 

available on terms resulting in unreasonable returns when their IP is included in 

the standard? 

 N/A 

c. What strategies have been effective in mitigating risks, if any, associated with 

hold-up or buyers’ cartels? 

 N/A

Adequacy of Resources 

The availability and commitment of financial resources, personnel, and industry expertise may 

impact the success of standards development. In some instances, changing priorities or changes 

in an organization’s budget may impact the resources an agency commits to an ongoing project. 

The Sub- Committee would like to better understand the resources that both private sector 

organizations and Federal agencies commit to standards-setting activities, constraints on those 

resources, and how the level of resources affects the success of the effort. 

1. What resources are needed to successfully complete the efforts?

 Representation from the Federal agencies is required at all meetings 

2. Taking into account budget constraints and competing initiatives, have Federal agencies 

committed adequate resources? 

 Yes 

3. What resource constraints impact the successful completion of the standards efforts? 

 Lack of knowledgeable representation from Federal Agencies 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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FINANCE 

The X12F (Finance) Subcommittee respectfully addresses other technologies involving significant 

government participation in the context of the following topics. 

Standards-setting Processes, Reasons for Participation and the Benefits of 

Standardization 

1. Who participates in standards-setting activities? 

 Financial Institutions, Clearing House members, and Corporations actively 

participate in standards-setting activities. 

2. What are the most important reasons for participation? 

 Participation helps insure that standards are being developed to meet the 

broader needs of the industry. 

3. What are the benefits of developing standards for this sector? 

 Some of the benefits of developing standards for this sector include: 

 Ensuring the standards developed can help meet your specific business 

needs 

 Provide a better understanding of the issues facing other entities in your 

industry 

 Establish contacts with other entities in your industry to discuss issues and 

possible solutions to address those issues 

4. How do the standards impact organizations and their competitiveness? 

 In some respects, the standards helps to “level the playing field” for basic, core 

offerings while creating opportunities to be more competitive by offering 

additional or ancillary products/services. 

5. How has standardization spurred innovation in the technology sector(s) that is the subject 

of your comment? 

 Standardization has spurred integration of multiple applications that previously 

existed in stand-alone “silos.” Standardization has also helped rapid adaptation 

of new technology. 

Perspectives on Government’s Approach to Standards Activities 

Responses to the following questions will help the Sub-Committee to better understand which 

methods of engagement by Federal agencies are most effective and why: 

1. What methods of engagement are used by Federal agencies to participate in private 

sector led standards development? 

 Historically, some of the Federal agencies have become ASC X12 members and 

have actively participated in the development of the standards. 

2. What impact have Federal agencies had on standards activities? 

 When the Federal agencies are part of the standards-development activities, the 

resulting standard tends to address a broader range of business needs. When 

the Federal agencies are not part of the standards-development activities, the 

resulting standard may or may not be adopted by the Federal agency and create 

exception processing in the transaction life cycle. 

Issues Considered During the Standards Setting Process 

With respect to foreign regulations, the Subcommittee is interested in understanding how foreign 

technical regulations are considered and addressed during standards setting or conformity 

assessment activities. 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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1. Are efforts made to determine whether there is potential for overlap or duplication with 

existing international standards? 

 There are a number of ways of determining if there is potential for 

overlap/duplication with existing international standards. For example: 

 A number of ASC X12 members are actively involved, or are aware of other 

associates within their company that are involved, with other developing or 

existing international standards. 

 Harmonization efforts between ASC X12 and other standard-setting 

organizations have been undertaken 

Adequacy of Resources

The Sub-Committee would like to better understand the resources that both private sector 

organizations and Federal agencies commit to standards-setting activities, constraints on those 

resources, and how the level of resources affects the success of the effort. 

1. What resources are needed to successfully complete the efforts? 

 Typically the best resources for standard-setting activities are those that have a 

deep understanding of the business practices as well as those that have a strong 

technology background. 

2. Taking into account budget constraints and competing initiatives, have Federal agencies 

committed adequate resources? 

 ASC X12 has implemented virtual meetings to help address the budget 

constraints that were limiting member participation in the standard-setting 

activities. Hopefully, as more Federal agencies become aware of the virtual 

meetings, more Federal agencies and their resources can be committed. 

3. What resource constraints impact the successful completion of the standards efforts? 

 Without input from the Federal agencies, the standards solution may not meet 

the business needs of the Federal agencies. 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

For more information about the positions outlined above, please contact: 

Cathy Sheppard 

Chair, ASC X12 

(602) 295-0285 

cathy@sheppardgroup.org 

Jerry Connors 

President 

Data Interchange Standards Association 

ASC X12’s Secretariat 

(703) 970-2055 

jconnors@disa.org 
ASC X12 – www.x12.org – February 2011

  

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APPENDIX 

USTRANSCOM ROLE IN STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT 

The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) mission is to develop and direct 

the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise, to globally project strategic national security 

capabilities; accurately sense the operating environment; provide end-to-end distribution process 

visibility and responsive support of Joint, US Government, and Secretary of Defense approved 

multinational and non-governmental logistical requirements. 

USTRANSCOM established the Defense Transportation Electronic Business (DTEB) Committee, 

comprising the military services, DLA, DFAS, GSA, and USTRANSCOM. The committee provides 

a forum where the Defense transportation activities can coordinate the development of their ebusiness projects. It also serves as the DoD and Federal functional working groups for 

transportation. 

DTEB publishes implementation conventions for the USTRANSCOM EDI transactions that are 

based upon ASC X12 EDI standards. In support of those standards, USTRANSCOM actively 

participates in ASC X12 meetings, with a representative serving as a voting member of X12ITransportation Sub-Committee, where he actively participates in new transaction development 

and data maintenance in traditional EDI and in emerging XML data formats. The representative 

also serves as the secretary to the X12I – Transportation Sub-Committee, X12I/TG1 – XML 

Development and X12I-TG3 – Motor task groups. 

The USTRANCOM representative also monitors work undertaken by the X12C – 

Communications and Control, X12G – Government, and X12M – Supply Chain subcommittees 

and participates in those subcommittees as needed. 

USTRANSCOM continues to modernize its business processes and improve its ability to 

exchange information via electronic means. DTEB through its collaboration with X12 will continue 

to progress initiatives that will directly contribute to the success of several DoD logistics 

programs, including the Electronic Transportation Payment Program, Intransit Visibility, Total 

Asset Visibility, Defense Logistics Management Standards, and the DoD Logistics Strategic Plan.