This document provides governance rules to be used for executing an organized process for business entities to connect to one another electronically for the conduct of electronic trade in a secure and open environment through a standardized framework for information exchange. This standardized framework includes processes and process tools to ease connections between trading partners, to provide full visibility, and to reduce the time goods spend in transit. The application of these rules and attendant standards and technology applications are expected to allow business entities to engage their legacy systems without the cost of upgrades.