SOTS
Overview Why Use SOTS SOTS Process Implementation SOTS Data File Record Acceptance Reconciliation Administrative Report (Optional) FAQsSOTS Documents
Header Records XLS Header Records XML Data Record XLS Data Record XMLAdditional Resources
SOTS Overview (PDF) SOTS - A Best Practice (PDF) Implementation Design Document (PDF) Outage ClassificationsOverview
SOTS, Standard Outage Template System, is a business process standard intended to facilitate the transfer of performance (outage) data from customers to the suppliers resulting in lower costs, improved accuracy, and more reliable measurements. It defines a standard format that can be easily automated between the computer systems of the customer and the supplier. Information Technology or Database professionals who work in the customer and TL 9000 registered supplier organizations can use SOTS be automate the transfer of field performance data between the computer databases of customer organizations and TL 9000 certified supplier organizations.
The main SOTS process utilizes the SOTS Data file for transferring outage information from the customer to the supplier. The file consists of a header record and one or more data record(s) containing outage event data.
SOTS also provides two additional processes to support the outage data transfer process: the Record Acceptance process and the Reconciliation process. The SOTS Record Acceptance process is used by the supplier to screen and then accept or reject data records associated with outage events sent by a customer. The Reconciliation process is used by the customer and the supplier to reconcile any differences between the customer and supplier view of the outage data. The reconciliation process may occur at the same time as the record acceptance process or may be performed as an independent process.
The SOTS Overview provides the basis for the training on implementation of SOTS. A paper about why SOTS is a Best Practice was presented at the September 2005 Best Practice Conference of the QuEST Forum.
A key resource for implementing SOTS is the SOTS Implementation Design Document . Based on a design document created by one company very active in the SOTS sub-team as part of their SOTS implementation, this document contains guidance and additional detailed information for both a CSV and XML implementation of the SOTS. It should be emphasized that this design document is simply useful information based on one SOTS implementation and not in any way a mandatory implementation.
The information contained on these pages was developed by participants in the TIA QuEST Forum, IGQ Work Group, SOTS Team.