This document specifies requirements for the exchange of messages that contain master data consisting of characteristic data. These requirements can be checked by computer. The messages are suitable for exchange between organizations and between systems.

EXAMPLE 1     A supplier sends a message to a customer. The message contains characteristic data describing an item that the customer is considering buying.

The following are within the scope of this document:

—    conformance of master data messages to a formal syntax;

—    semantic encoding of master data messages;

—    conformance of master data messages to data specifications;

—    requirements on access to the data dictionaries that enable decoding of master data messages.

The following are outside the scope of this document:

—    master data that are not characteristic data;

—    data that are not in messages;

—    messages that do not exchange master data between organizations or systems;

EXAMPLE 2     A merchant sends a message to a credit card company. The message represents a credit charge transaction and does not exchange master data between the organizations.

—    recording the provenance of master data;

EXAMPLE 3     ISO 8000‑120 addresses the capture and exchange of data provenance information.

—    accuracy of master data;

EXAMPLE 4     ISO 8000‑130 addresses the representation and exchange of information about the accuracy of master data that consists of characteristic data.

—    exchange of data that are not master data;

EXAMPLE 5     ISO 8000‑140 addresses the representation and exchange of information about the completeness of master data that consists of characteristic data.

—    management of master data internally within an organization;

EXAMPLE 6     Data within an organization's enterprise resource planning or product data management system is out of scope.

EXAMPLE 7     Making backup copies of data files containing master data is out of scope.

—    quality of data dictionaries;

—    a specific formal syntax for the exchange of master data.

EXAMPLE 8     The ISO 9735 series, the ISO 13584 series, the ISO 15926 series and the ISO 22745 series specify formats that enable exchange of master data.

The requirements in this document are considered necessary but not sufficient to achieve data quality with respect to exchange of master data. Issues such as the accuracy and provenance of master data also need to be addressed as part of an overall data quality strategy.