UN layout formatting specification for UBL Despatch Advice instances

$Date: 2004/09/05 15:15:15 $(UTC)


Table of Contents

1. Despatch advice formatting specification
1.1. Status
1.2. Example rendering
1.3. Layout order and information
1.4. Namespaces
2. Miscellaneous information
2.1. Document header information
3. Main document and party information
3.1. Seller / consignor
3.2. Advice number
3.3. Date
3.4. Seller's reference
3.5. Buyer's reference
3.6. Consignee
3.7. Buyer
4. Delivery and transport
4.1. Other UK transport details
4.2. Vessel / flight no. and date
4.3. Port/airport of loading
4.4. Port/airport of discharge
4.5. Place of delivery
4.6. Terms of delivery
4.7. Location
4.8. Special terms
4.9. Terms of payment
4.10. Currency of payment
5. Consignment information
5.1. Shipping marks, container number
5.2. Number and kind of packages; description of goods
5.3. Total gross weight (kg)
5.4. Total cube (m3)
5.5. Total net weight (kg)
6. Line item information
6.1. Item / References
6.2. Description
6.3. Quantity
7. Summary information
7.1. Special notes: Remarques
7.2. Additional distribution
7.3. Name and telephone number of contact
8. Continuation page

1.  Despatch advice formatting specification

This formatting specification describes a rendering of the UBL Despatch Advice document model according to the United Nations Layout Key for Trade Documents guidelines for application for the 351 despatch advice form:

  • 351 Despatch Advice: Document by means of which the seller or consignor informs the consignee about the despatch of goods.

For a list of all formatting specifications and an overview of the documentation conventions, please visit the formatting specification home page.

1.1.  Status

This specification has no formal status at this time. It should not be considered a reference interpretation of UBL documents. Feedback is sought from users of stylesheets that implement this formatting specification regarding suggestions for change for consideration by the OASIS UBL committees for incorporation into these formatting specifications.

Presentational semantics may never be formalized or normative in the UBL project due to differing international requirements and conventions for the presentation of information found in business documents. This document contains only examples from a few of what will probably be many available UBL stylesheet libraries.

1.2.  Example rendering

The following is an example rendering that illustrates the position and decoration of the information items found in an instance of the document type:

1.3.  Layout order and information

Items in this formatting specification are ordered roughly from the laid out fields on the form in the order left-to-right, top to bottom.

Certain descriptions are verbatim quotes from the United Nations guidelines document.

Important: the rendering of a number of fields is very simplified, reflecting a Western European interpretation of a subset of fields (as in names and addresses). User requirements need to be better understood for the level of granularity in these formatting specifications.

1.4.  Namespaces

The following namespaces are mapped to the prefixes in the expressions below:

  • xmlns:da="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:DespatchAdvice-1.0"

  • xmlns:cac="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonAggregateComponents-1.0"

  • xmlns:cbc="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonBasicComponents-1.0"

2.  Miscellaneous information

The following information is unrelated to the visible fields of the form.

2.1.  Document header information

Table 1. XPath information

XPath addresses
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​da:ID
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:OrderReference/​cac:SellersID

This information shows up in the window-title bar of the HTML browser, and in the document title supported by some XSL-FO processors.

3. Main document and party information

Header information is associated with the form as a whole, not to the individual items of goods.

3.1. Seller / consignor

Table 2. XPath information

XPath addresses
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:PartyName/​cbc:Name
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:BuildingNumber
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:StreetName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:CountrySubentity
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:PostalZone
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cac:Country/​cbc:Name

This field is intended to show the name and address of the sender of goods or the originator of the documents, as the case may be.

3.2. Advice number

Table 3. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​da:ID

This number is a unique number assigned to the despatch advice by the seller.

3.3. Date

Table 4. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cbc:IssueDate

This number is a unique number assigned to the despatch advice by the seller.

3.4. Seller's reference

Table 5. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:OrderReference/​cac:SellersID

This field provides a seller assigned reference to the order corresponding to this despatch advice.

3.5. Buyer's reference

Table 6. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:OrderReference/​cac:BuyersID

This field provides the buyer's reference to the original order.

3.6. Consignee

Table 7. XPath information

XPath addresses
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:BuyerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:PartyName/​cbc:Name
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:Delivery/​cac:DeliveryAddress/​cbc:BuildingNumber
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:Delivery/​cac:DeliveryAddress/​cbc:StreetName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:Delivery/​cac:DeliveryAddress/​cbc:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:Delivery/​cac:DeliveryAddress/​cbc:CountrySubentity
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:Delivery/​cac:DeliveryAddress/​cbc:PostalZone
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:Delivery/​cac:DeliveryAddress/​cac:Country/​cbc:Name

These fields are used to provide the name and address of the receiver of the goods involved in the transaction.

3.7. Buyer

Table 8. XPath information

XPath addresses
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:BuyerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:PartyName/​cbc:Name
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:BuyerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:BuildingNumber
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:BuyerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:StreetName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:BuyerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:BuyerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:CountrySubentity
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:BuyerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cbc:PostalZone
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:BuyerParty/​cac:Party/​cac:Address/​cac:Country/​cbc:Name

These fields are used to provide the name and address of the buyer of the goods involved in the transaction.

4. Delivery and transport

Transportation fields are header-like information and applicable to the entire order.

4.1. Other UK transport details

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

4.2. Vessel / flight no. and date

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

4.3. Port/airport of loading

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

4.4. Port/airport of discharge

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

4.5. Place of delivery

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

4.6. Terms of delivery

Table 9. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:DeliveryTerms/​cac:ID

This fields provides the INCOTERM code for the terms of delivery.

4.7. Location

Table 10. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:DeliveryTerms/​cbc:RelevantLocation

This field provides the location name (if relevant) associated to the delivery terms.

4.8. Special terms

Table 11. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:DeliveryTerms/​cbc:SpecialTerms

This field provides free text description of special conditions relating to the delivery terms.

4.9. Terms of payment

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

4.10. Currency of payment

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

5. Consignment information

The consignment information holds generic details and totals relating to all the goods items in the despatch advice.

5.1. Shipping marks, container number

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

5.2. Number and kind of packages; description of goods

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

5.3. Total gross weight (kg)

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

5.4. Total cube (m3)

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

5.5. Total net weight (kg)

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

6. Line item information

Line item information is associated with the individual item of goods in the despatch advice.

6.1. Item / References

Table 12. XPath information

XPath addresses
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:DespatchLine/​cac:ID
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:DespatchLine/​cac:OrderLineReference/​cac:BuyersLineID
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:DespatchLine/​cac:OrderLineReference/​cac:SellersLineID

The item field is the identification of the despatch line according to the seller's system.

The first reference is the buyer's assigned reference to the line item.

The second reference is the seller's assigned reference to the line item.

6.2. Description

Table 13. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:DespatchLine/​cac:Item/​cbc:Description

This provides a free text description of the line item.

6.3. Quantity

Table 14. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:DespatchLine/​cbc:DeliveredQuantity

This field states the number of items to be delivered for the line item.

7. Summary information

Summary information is associated to the entire despatch advice and not to any individual despatch line item.

7.1. Special notes: Remarques

Table 15. XPath information

XPath address
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cbc:Note

This notes field is used for any free text information that relates to the entire despatch advice.

7.2. Additional distribution

At this time this field is not being used in the despatch advice.

7.3. Name and telephone number of contact

Table 16. XPath information

XPath addresses
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:ShippingContact/​cbc:Name
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cac:SellerParty/​cac:ShippingContact/​cbc:Telephone

These fields provides the contact name and telephone number for this despatch advice.

8.  Continuation page

The continuation page comprises only a copy of the document identification information described in Section 3, “Main document and party information” and room for additional line item entries described in Section 6, “Line item information”.