Conversation for Action

Note: The conversation for action concepts are not part of Valueflows yet, but are provided here as input to implementing something like this.

Exchanges may use any of several technical protocols, but the main human-level protocol has been in use for many years. It may be called Offer-Acceptance or Conversation for Action. It may include several preparation stages for agents who have never exchanged anything before, or it may be really simple if they exchange resources all the time.

ISO 15944-1 lists 5 phases:

1. Planning: In the Planning Phase, both the buyer and seller are engaged in activities to decide what action to take for acquiring or selling a good, service, and/or right.
2. Identification: The Identification Phase pertains to all those actions or events whereby data is interchanged among potential buyers and sellers in order to establish a one-to-one linkage.
3. Negotiation: The Negotiation Phase pertains to all those actions and events involving the exchange of information following the Identification Phase where a potential buyer and seller have (1) identified the nature of good(s) and/or service(s) to be provided; and, (2) identified each other at a level of certainty. The process of negotiation is directed at achieving an explicit, mutually understood, and agreed upon goal of a business collaboration and associated terms and conditions. This may include such things as the detailed specification of the good, service, and/or right, quantity, pricing, after sales servicing, delivery requirements, financing, use of agents and/or third parties, etc.
4. Actualization: The Actualization Phase pertains to all activities or events necessary for the execution of the results of the negotiation for an actual business transaction. Normally the seller produces or assembles the goods, starts providing the services, prepares and completes the delivery of good, service, and/or right, etc., to the buyer as agreed according to the terms and conditions agreed upon at the termination of the Negotiation Phase. Likewise, the buyer begins the transfer of acceptable equivalent value, usually in money, to the seller providing the good, service, and/or right.
5. Post-Actualization: The Post-Actualization Phase includes all of the activities or events and associated exchanges of information that occur between the buyer and the seller after the agreed upon good, service, and/or right is deemed to have been delivered. These can be activities pertaining to warranty coverage, service after sales, post-sales financing such as monthly payments or other financial arrangements, consumer complaint handling and redress or some general post-actualization relationships between buyer and seller.

Offers and Wants are matched in the Planning and Identification Phases. Conversation for Action covers Negotiation, Actualization and some of Post-Actualization.