More RFID Journal Sites: RFID Journal Espanol RFID Journal Brasil RFID Journal Events RFID Journal Awards
Home / Supply Chain / RFID Standards / Operations / IT/Infrastructure / Innovation / Retail / Manufacturing
Manufacturing EXPERT VIEWS
Text size:
T
T
T
How to Deploy a Nine-Party EPCIS Network Within Two Months
The experience of setting up a nine-party EPCIS network for LIVE! 2008 was not unlike the process of establishing a true EPCIS network among trading partners. Here are lessons learned, which apply equally to a real-world deployment:
Agree on the data and document it. The EPCIS standard offers a structure, but trading partners must agree on how to populate it. The written specification we provided to exhibitors in advance, including many examples, was the key to success.
Click here to view a larger version of the chart.
Provide self-service testing. One month prior to the event, I deployed a test server where each exhibitor could send EPCIS data and have it played back, with an error message displayed if that data was out of spec. Trading partners could thus work out problems before final integration began.
Synchronize your clocks. When you bring EPCIS data together, it won't make sense if each trading partner's clock is set differently. At LIVE!, we needed to address this issue, as exhibitors brought equipment from different time zones and, in some cases, forgot to reset it.
Use test data, but keep it separate from real data. We conducted many tests at the show to make sure each exhibitor was generating EPCIS data properly. In a production setting, it is important to separate this test data from real information. Test data is not just utilized during initial integration—even after a trading partner is online, expect to periodically run test data to confirm the system continues to operate correctly.
Establish strong lines of communication with your trading partners. You may care more about the data you receive from your partner than he does, so it's important to have a point of contact if you suspect the information is not coming through properly. At the event, one booth stopped transmitting data five minutes before demo time because somebody unplugged the reader to charge his cell phone. That person wasn't looking at the data himself, so he didn't realize he had done anything wrong.
Keep it simple. Completing a nine-way integration in one day may sound complex, but it worked because the underlying design was simple and clearly understood by all parties involved. The EPCIS standard is fundamentally simple and solid, and sticking to it dramatically reduces the technical risk.
One year ago, it might have seemed impossible to deploy a nine-party supply chain visibility network with only two months' preparation time and one day of integration. EPCIS technology and commercial products have matured to the point, however, where such a goal is not only possible, but easily achieved. If you thought EPCIS was too difficult to set up and use, then now is the time to take another look.
Ken Traub, an independent consultant specializing in enterprise software architecture and EPC RFID standards, is the editor of the EPCIS specification.
more Manufacturing articles
Agree on the data and document it. The EPCIS standard offers a structure, but trading partners must agree on how to populate it. The written specification we provided to exhibitors in advance, including many examples, was the key to success.
|
Click here to view a larger version of the chart.
Provide self-service testing. One month prior to the event, I deployed a test server where each exhibitor could send EPCIS data and have it played back, with an error message displayed if that data was out of spec. Trading partners could thus work out problems before final integration began.
Synchronize your clocks. When you bring EPCIS data together, it won't make sense if each trading partner's clock is set differently. At LIVE!, we needed to address this issue, as exhibitors brought equipment from different time zones and, in some cases, forgot to reset it.
Use test data, but keep it separate from real data. We conducted many tests at the show to make sure each exhibitor was generating EPCIS data properly. In a production setting, it is important to separate this test data from real information. Test data is not just utilized during initial integration—even after a trading partner is online, expect to periodically run test data to confirm the system continues to operate correctly.
Establish strong lines of communication with your trading partners. You may care more about the data you receive from your partner than he does, so it's important to have a point of contact if you suspect the information is not coming through properly. At the event, one booth stopped transmitting data five minutes before demo time because somebody unplugged the reader to charge his cell phone. That person wasn't looking at the data himself, so he didn't realize he had done anything wrong.
One year ago, it might have seemed impossible to deploy a nine-party supply chain visibility network with only two months' preparation time and one day of integration. EPCIS technology and commercial products have matured to the point, however, where such a goal is not only possible, but easily achieved. If you thought EPCIS was too difficult to set up and use, then now is the time to take another look.
Ken Traub, an independent consultant specializing in enterprise software architecture and EPC RFID standards, is the editor of the EPCIS specification.
