Blockchain Linked ASNs

Deprecated

Organization: Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability

Challenge Owner Name: Thomas Burke tburke@ift.org

Video Pitch

Challenge Statement:

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) supply chains often communicate pertinent delivery information from suppliers to buyers in Advanced Shipment Notices (ASN) via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). While ASNs contain key data on products, lots and timing, they do not contain data on the whole pedigree of the products like is include in EPCIS formatted files. Blockchain offers a unique opportunity for sharing whole pedigree data with an indelible linkage of ASNs to the pedigree data.

Background:

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a business messaging suite of standards that allow business to communicate purchase orders and acceptances of those orders, among other message types, in an automated and binding manner. EPCIS is an information sharing standard for communicating visibility event data (e.g. production, inspecting, packing, shipping, etc. of goods) between trading partners. In a nutshell, the standard defines a data model for visibility event data and interfaces to capture and share the data. ASNs describe what should happen in a company-to-company transaction while traceability data in EPCIS describes what did happen. These two standards represent key methodologies for sharing data between segmented actors in a supply chain and complement each other’s purposes.

Possible Solution:

An effective solution to this challenge will demonstrate an indelible link embedded in both an ASN for a goods shipment and for the EPCIS data associated with the goods. The effective solution will also demonstrate how blockchain can be leveraged to share EPCIS-formatted data. It will also highlight how the unique benefits of blockchain contribute to making the linkage immutable. The solution should also showcase how actors can publish and retrieve data in accessible manner.

Resources:

• Advanced Shipment Notice definition
• GS1 EDI Standards and materials
• EPCIS Standard 1.2
• EPCIS Standard webpage
• Sample ASN
• ASN 856 Specification