Training Courses for Supply Chain Professionals

Following the success of its three new courses delivered in autumn 2011, BIC, in association with the Publishing Training Centre, is organising five further training courses in the early summer of 2012. The courses have been developed and will be delivered by acknowledged experts in their fields and will provide an unrivalled opportunity to gain information and expertise in areas of vital supply chain importance.

The one-day courses, each limited to 16 delegates, will be held at Book House, 45 East Hill, London SW18 2QZ. The cost is £295 plus VAT for BIC members; £395 plus VAT for non-members.

Thursday 3 May

Bibliographic metadata and ONIX: practical guidance and best practice

This course will provide delegates with practical information about the importance of reliable metadata, both to sales performance but also to efficient in-house operation, and the ways in which it is best communicated and disseminated in the marketplace. The trainer is Graham Bell, Chief Data Architect with EDItEUR, the international standards organisation which maintains the ONIX metadata standard.

Thursday 7 June

Introduction to BIC EDI message formats and code lists

This course is aimed at those in publishing, distribution centres and bookselling logistics who wish to acquire a better understanding of the electronic data interchange standards used by the book trade. It will focus on the role, mechanics and value of EDI in the supply chain, provide practical guidance on the use and interpretation of the existing BIC EDI transactional standards and how these can help overcome the constraints of current systems and processes. The trainer is Stephen Long, Head of Nielsen BookNet.

Thursday 21 June

A technical introduction to XML and ONIX

This course will provide delegates with an understanding of the principles of XML and its applications to the ONIX metadata standard and the structuring of content. Aimed at those with some technical knowledge, it will offer practical guidance on the implementation of XML-based technology and workflows in the book industry. The trainer is Francis Cave, an internationally respected XML expert and resident consultant to BIC and to EDItEUR on all matters XML-related.

Tuesday 3 July

Understanding BIC subject classification

This new course will describe the structure and purpose of the BIC subject classification scheme and provide practical guidance in how codes should be best assigned and how they are interpreted in the supply chain. It will also put subject classification into an international context and address how subject classification can be used for effective search and discovery online. The trainer is Howard Willows, Senior Manager, Data Development at Nielsen Book, and chair of the BIC Subject Categories Steering Committee.

Tuesday 17 July

Introduction to XML transactions and web services

This new course will provide delegates with an appreciation of how XML and web-based systems and services are transforming the way in which transactions are carried out in the book trade as it moves from traditional batch processing to real time. It will provide detailed practical information about the international EDItX transaction standards, including digital sales reporting, and the BIC web services standards. The trainer is Francis Cave, an internationally respected XML expert and resident consultant to BIC and to EDItEUR on all matters XML-related.

Download booking forms at www.bic.org.uk/74/TRAINING-COURSES/.

For more information on these courses, please contact Karina on +44 (0)20 7255 0516 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it