Data analysis and simulation of Auto-ID enabled food supply chains based on EPCIS standard

Abstract

The development of Auto-ID technologies has brought new opportunities to improve tracking and tracing process and thus enhance safety and traceability in the food supply chain. EPCIS (EPC Information Service) is a crucial specification for enabling EPC-related data sharing within and across enterprises in standardized way. Due to the limitations of real case implementations, we exploit a simulation method to replicate key identification processes and to generate EPCIS-Events which are captured by such processes in Auto-ID enabled food supply chain. For illustrating this in details, key identification processes and their mapping to related EPCIS-events are illustrated by using a case study in frozen food chain. Suggestions for EPCIS-extensions are also discussed by considering the specific characteristics of frozen food chains. In our work, the generated EPCIS-Events are sent to EPCIS-based repository in real time which better reflects the real world applications. We believe our simulation method could provide a proof-of-concept way in EPCIS-enabled tracking and tracing in food supply chain. Furthermore, the real-time transmission of EPCIS-Events provides a good basis for developing or testing high-level applications.