Using ebXML for Supply Chain Traceability - Pitfalls, Solutions and Experiences

In this paper, we analyze the main issues of traceability along the supply chain: architectural solutions, business process interaction, lot identification, traceability information management, and communication standards. In particular, the employment in this setting of two different standards for inter-enterprise business collaboration (as ebXML and Web Services) is discussed. Moreover, different standards for lot identification and data capture, as EPC for RFID and EAN/UCC for bar code are taken into account, uncovering their potential contributions in reducing the cost of procedures for tracking goods. The Cerere project experience is finally reported: it is shown that the architecture of a Web Information System framework (developed to assess food supply requirements) witnesses the actual possibility to support process integration and semantic interoperability via XML-based technologies.