Integrating EPCglobal network with web services

Abstract

EPCglobal Network is a method for using RFID technology in the global supply chain by using inexpensive RFID tags and readers to pass EPC numbers. Web Services is one of the key technologies in recent 10 years, Web services could greatly reduce the need for enterprise application integration (EAI), the costly process of stitching disparate computer systems together. Because EPCglobal Network and Web Services are completely complementary technologies, EPCglobal Network with Web Services could play an integral role in managing information in future supply chains. In this paper, we propose a framework of EPCglobal Network integrated with Web Services. We first discuss the EPCglobal Network workflow; describing the basic process of using the EPCglobal Network in the supply chain, and then, we propose our framework based on the EPCglobal Network workflow, explaining the methods to integrate Web Services into EPCglobal Network. Finally, we give an example to implement our framework proposed.