The goal of STAR's architecture specifications is to provide clear frameworks and patterns around automotive business process integrations. These specifications were created to address specific areas of Web Architecture that include Transportation as well.
The Standards
STAR has been shaping how the automotive industry does data since its inception. As the automotive industry standard, STAR enables businesses to easily exchange and use data critical to running all areas of a retail automotive entity.
STAR's standards are generated by its members within several Work Groups (WG), created to address specific points of interest to the automotive retail IT industry. Most are chartered with developing or maintaining the existing data formats (XML Business Object Documents or "BODs"). STAR also has an architecture work group, which is chartered with finding common infrastructure and interoperability among STAR members. Additionally, the Dealer Infrastructure Guidelines (DIG) group collaborates to provide a guidebook and deployment handbook for IT infrastructure at the dealership.
BODs (XML Schemas)
The term BOD refers to "Business Object Document" which is written using XML schemas. STAR's members submit requests for items they would like a BOD created for and modifications of existing BODs on an ongoing basis. This helps assure that the BODs created by STARs are best tailored to suit the needs of STAR's members and the auto industry as a whole.