XML?

[eric235u at newmag.org (D. Eric Chadbourne)]

Hi. I've been charged with synchronizing two databases belonging to
different companies.  My task is almost accomplished but it got me 
thinking about how these two very large corporations communicate.

Vendor wants to add new product line. Vendor data specialist sends file
to clerk1. Clerk1 does some minor reformatting. Prints it out and hands
it to Super Big Retailer. Clerk2 at Super Big Retailer takes this hard
copy and manually types in the details to pretty browser based GUI. Info
now in Oracle. Product can be received and rings up at register. 
There's lots of other details, taxes by state, yadda yadda yadda.

I've never worked at a gigantic company before and found it amazing that
they do business like this. They have a team of people typing all day.

Couldn't they just use an electronic format like XML and tell the 
vendors to send all product information this way? Just give them a 
template to work off of.  Run some sort of automated check to make sure 
the vendor didn't screw things up prior to file feed.  I think most 
M$Office versions can import / export XML. Less errors and faster db 
updates no?

I did a quick search on b2b XML this afternoon but nothing really 
interesting popped up.  Am I thinking about this a little too simply? 
How do some of you swap data like this? Thanks for any tips / links.

If I do scheme up a way to make this process more efficient, when my 
contract is up, me and the typists can hang out in the unemployment line 
together.  :)

--------------------------
D. Eric Chadbourne