Explore how IOTA addressed supply chain digitization challenges, including the role of data serialization formats (EPCIS 2.0), Distributed Ledgers (IOTA), and scalable, resilient databases (ScyllaDB) across specific use cases. To watch all of the recordings hosted during Scylla Summit 2022 visit our website here: https://www.scylladb.com/summit.

1. Scalable and Sustainable
Supply Chains with DLT and
ScyllaDB
José Manuel Cantera Fonseca
Tech Analyst & Project Lead

2. José Manuel Cantera
■ Based in Spain. Leading different initiatives dealing with the
digitisation of Global Trade and Supply Chains leveraging the
IOTA Distributed Ledger
■ More than 20 years of experience in the ICT industry, focused on
innovation through open source communities (Mozilla, FIWARE,
IOTA) and open standards (W3C, ETSI, GS1)
■ Enjoys coding and hands-on work!
Tech Analyst & Project Lead

3. The Problem

4. Supply Chain digitisation
A great challenge ahead
■ Multiple actors (and systems) generating data (identity is cornerstone)
• suppliers, OEMs, food processors, brands, recycling agents, consumers, ports, carriers, ground
transporters, inspectors / authorities, freight forwarders, customs, dealers, repairers, …
■ Multiple relationships (cross-border, no central anchor)
• B2B (at multiple tiers), B2C, B2G, G2G
■ Different functional needs (verifiable data is core). Cross-domain. Cross-sector
• Traceability as an enabler for: Compliance, Product Authenticity, Transparency, Provenance
• effective recalls, ethical sourcing, food safety …

5. Use Case: Cross-border trade

6. Diagram or photo
Cross-border trade : A multi-layered domain
Source: edi3.org

7. TLIP Initiative
Overview: Enabling new means of transparency
Today’s East Africa trade is still based on paper documents and outdated
processes often involving many actors (public and private). IOTA supports
digitisation of this supply chain where original documents and events are
reported in real time and made available to authorized actors. It provides
transparency to the process and allows everyone to piggy-back on the
original data.
The solution: Trade and logistics information pipeline
TradeMark East Africa and IOTA are developing a system that will connect
border agencies with overseas customs and local traders for a smarter and
more efficient experience.
Early indications suggest that such a system can add more than 5% to the
region’s GDP with economic opportunities and job creation as results. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnAfclXTaeI

8. Use Case: End to end
supply chain traceability

9. Source: GS1
Traceability data across supply chains
CTE: Critical Tracking Event
KDE: Key Data Element
The ability to identify and trace the history, distribution, location and application of products, parts and materials, to ensure the
reliability of sustainability claims, in the areas of human rights, labor (including health and safety), the environment and anti-corruption.
United Nations Global Compact and Business (UNGC)

10. Reference Architecture & Standards

11. Technical Challenges
■ Data interoperability
• Common syntax, reference vocabularies, semantic interoperability, extensibility
■ Scalable (open source) datastores
• Data has to be always available and kept for a long period of time at fine granularity level
■ Scalable, permissionless, feeless DLT
• data/doc verifiability, auditability and immutability within P2P interactions
■ (Increasingly) Decentralized Architectures
• i.e. no privileged actors

12. GS1 EPCIS 2.0
JSON-LD
(EPCIS 2.0 also defines a REST API)

13. Reference Architecture
(Functional View)
ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning
FMIS: Farm Management Information System
OT: Operational Technology
AIDC: Automatic Identification and Data Capture
MES: Manufacturing Execution System

14. Why ScyllaDB?
Automotive Supply Chain (OEM)
■ 10M cars manufactured per year (10% market share)
■ Each car has 3K trackable parts (10% of parts)
■ Each part has a lifetime of 10 years
■ Each part can generate 10 business events
■ → 300 Billion active business events
Maritime transportation operator
■ 50M containers per year (20% market share)
■ 10 events per container
■ 5 years of operation
■ → 2500M active events
■ Components where ScyllaDB can play a key role:
• Events Repository
• (EPCIS 2.0, DCSA, …)
• Item-Level Tracking
• Inventory
• Catalogue
• Any DLT Layer 2 data storage
■ Components that have already adopted ScyllaDB
• IOTA DLT Archiving Node (Permanode)

15. Conclusions

16. Conclusions
Supply chains digitisation poses technical challenges which
require a modular, thoughtful and holistic approach rather
than “biz as usual” bespoke solutions:
■ Interoperability → Open standards (EPCIS, W3C DID, …).
Ref. Architecture. Semantic IoP (JSON-LD). Building Blocks
■ Increasing decentralization → DLT (IOTA, IPFS, …), DApps
■ Data scalability and availability → ScyllaDB
■ Trusted Data Sharing → Decentralized IDs, DLT, P2P, …

17. Thank you!
Stay in touch
José Manuel Cantera
@jmcantera
jose.cantera@iota.org