Resources, events, agents (REA) is a model of how an accounting system can be re-engineered for the computer age.
[2] In business practice, REA has influenced IBM Scalable Architecture for Financial Reporting, REATechnology,[3] and ISO 15944-4.
At the heart of each REA model there is usually a pair of events, linked by an exchange relationship, typically referred to as the "duality" relation.
The duality relationship can be more complex, e.g., in the manufacturing process, it would often involve more than two events (see Dunn et al. [2004] for examples).
The pattern is extended to encompass commitments (promises to engage in transactions, e.g., a sales order), policies, and other constructs.
The competing XBRL GL standard however is at odds with the REA concept, as it closely mimics double-entry book-keeping.