XML structures of eBIZ/TC Upstream documents (Draft)

This guide aims to illustrate to fashion companies the standard XML format of the document type "TRACEABILITY REPORT", providing instructions for its use in the context of a TRACEABILITY SYSTEM involving Fashion Manufacturers, their customers, third parties and in case customs authorities, eBusiness and eCommerce platforms.

All the rules necessary for the construction and validation of the document are expressed through a specific XML schema, which is presented in detail in the paragraph "Implementation Guide".

This document has a double function:

- it can be used to RETRIEVE the FULL HISTORY of a traceability unit (in this case all the events relating to the traceability unit - the history - are contained in the document from the beginning of its history; the events relating to the components can be or not included depending on the level of detail requested and the disclosure allowed to the applicant); in some cases it might also retrieve information relating to more than one traceability units.

In this use, the report is usually a response to a request for information.

When reporting the complete history of a traceability unit the document would contain an item with attribute primaryItemFlag=true- which identifies the primary lot of the history, while the remaining items are related to the components.

otherwise

- it can be used to NOTIFY to a partner (for example the customer) or to the traceability system the NEW or (exceptionally) MODIFIED events relating to one or more traceability units (in this case the events contained in the document must be added to the history of the traceability unit to which they refer, as long as the sender has the appropriate authorization level).

In this case the report is sent to the receiver and constitutes a request for registration.

Validity of the report: the report contents are guaranteed at the issueing time: the past cannot be changed (with the exception of error corrections), but it may evolve with new events.

It is important to distinguish between two stages of the product life: reports up to the 'ready for use' status and circularity reports that include its life after usage up to dismantling:

1) when the product is finished, the ‘technical history’ of a lot of product is ended

2) changes may happen on logistic or ownership or usage between sales/delivering and recollection/dismantling

- logistic: changes of the lots (before sales/deliver) for example sent to different warehouses…
- usage: should not affect the tracing report