Integration of Standardized and Non-Standardized Product Data

Abstract

Smart products adapt to environments, process contexts, users and other products. Standardized product data such as BMECat, eCl@ss, and EPC global formats are designed to support the exploitation of product data and therefore contribute to more efficient supply chains. Non-standardized product data mainly target soft benefits which targets the exploration of product data [Su04]. We present an extended product data model (SPDO) that integrates standardized and non-standardized product data. The SPDO model consists of five product information types that receive product data and, if available, associated explicit semantics. Explicit semantics are used for advanced services, such as compatibility testing or product bundling. Exemplified by the GS1 approach, we present how standardized product data is retrieved via RFID-based Electronic Product Codes (EPC) and stored in SPDO instantiations.