The objective of ISO/IEC 15944-2:2006 is the identification, registration, referencing and reusability of common objects in a business transaction. As stated in ISO/IEC 15944-1, reusability of scenarios and scenario components is an achievable objective because existing (global) business transactions, whether conducted on a for-profit or not for profit basis, already consist of reusable components unambiguously understood among participating parties. However, such existing "standard" components have not yet been formally specified and registered. The purpose of ISO/IEC 15944-2:2006 is to fill this gap.

ISO/IEC 15944-2:2006 specifies procedures to be followed in preparing and maintaining registers of scenarios and scenario components. Although any organization may choose to establish registers of such items that conform to ISO/IEC 15944-2:2006, ISO/IEC 15944-2:2006 is intended particularly to apply to registers established under the auspices of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 32.

ISO/IEC 15944-2:2006 specifies the procedure by which Open-edi scenarios and scenario components can be registered as "business objects", starting with requirements for reusability and the ability to support cultural adaptability, as well as requirements of a jurisdictional nature as are applicable to the nature and goal of the business transaction. Registration principles are then stated, including

• the federation of registration authorities;
• internationally unique identification of Open-edi registry entries;
• responsibilities of registration authorities;
• registry operation;
• registration status;
• state of a register;
• information required for registering scenarios and scenario components;
• formal specification of scenarios and scenario components using an Open-edi Descriptive Technique.

The composite Open-edi registry item identifier, as well as roles and responsibilities in the management of Open-edi registers, are described. Registration authority and operations in the management of an Open-edi register are also described and a linkage to existing register standards is made by giving an overview of the ISO 19135:2005 register and its adaptation to the Open-edi register schema.

Normative and informative annexes contain

• consolidated list of terms and definitions;
• Open-edi registration administration attributes;
• reference to Open-edi scoping and specification attributes;
• description of scenario classification concepts;
• brief description of UML notation;
• information on two classes of constraints, i.e. internal and external, as part of the business transaction model.