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What is IMDE

Interoperable Modular Data Exchange (IMDE) is a framework that will enable machine-2-machine exchange data across the entire value network. Minimizing the cost for collecting, using and distributing data. IMDE can overcome a number of the challenges faced by organizations, solution providers and data processors like datapools in terms of improving simplification of data exchange while at the same time improving data quality (consistency, relevance, completeness, accuracy and timeliness). The biggest benefits are in exchanging data with both upstream and downstream business partners. The beneficiaries are machines!, so not humans. The whole framework is designed for fully autonomous communication between machines.

Why Interoperable and Modular?

Many of the initiatives in the past focussed on creating standards for specific use cases, or in specific industries. These standards often covered all six layers of data exchange:

The challenge in this approach is that the world is big, so there are many standards, for different territories, industries and use cases. Which has resulted in the fact that data exchange is still a technical and organizational nightmare. Example: A Food manufacturer sourcing raw materials and components from multiple suppliers and selling both A-Brand and Private Label products can be dealing with dozens of different ways to exchange origin and allergen data. While the type of data is 100% the same in all situations: Allergens information has the same data points for raw materials, production materials, semifinished goods and finished goods, and allergen data is not different for A-Brands or Private label brands. But still, from a technical standpoint, organizations need to deal with many ways to export or import allergen related data.

The solution is to move away from all-in-one standards, where all standards had the strategy to become THE standard. And where every standard covers all 6 layers: the dictionary, the information model, the message structure, the exchange technology, the identifiers and the code lists. This new approach is based on the idea of allowing modular standards with independent solutions for all 6 layers. Also supporting/allowing multiple standard per layer. For example:

• Support data exchange using either an Excel file or an XML message.
• Exchange technology: Indirect via and or more data pools or direct via a RestAPI.

The key principle is to model for multiple interoperable modular standards in any part of the framework. In this way, industries, organizations and solutions providers can choose the standard per part of the data exchange that suits best.

IMDE Standard and versioning

IMDE goal is to support multiple standards and standard versioning (backwards and forwards) for all data points relevant to manufacture, distribute and commercialize discrete products (e.g. food, beverages, fashion, electronics, power tools, adhesives, pet food, personal care, home care, et cetera).

The IMDE framework is implementation agnostic so that IMDE can be implemented in any DataPool, Data Network or Digital Catalog (like FABDIS or BMECAT).

Data Format and Data Containers

IMDE supports the exchange of data related to the following entities via so called DataContainers. A data container contains a message or file related to one or more entities of the same type.

• Material: Use to exchange data related to physical items. Materials can be transported by car, truck, plane or boat. There are multiple types of materials:
  • Raw materials (e.g. eggs, porkbelly, salt, oil, tree trunk)
  • Production materials (e.g packaging components like foil & cans and food components like herb-mixes or electronic components)
  • Semi-finished goods (e.g. bottled beer without labels, frozen fries not yet packaged), usually produced by the brandowner/product manufacturer).
  • Finished goods (e.g. TV, mobile phone, bottle of shampoo, ready to eat salad, smoothie in plastic bottle)
  • Handling units (e.g. crates, cases, displays and pallets).
• Legal Entity: Organizations and corporations like Manufacturers, Retailers, NGOs and government bodies. Easy check: Legal entities can be sued in court
• Location: Any place on earth where activities take place, like farms, forests, production facilities, distribution centers and retail stores). Easy check: Locations can be found on Google Maps.
• Brand: Covers both product and organizational brands.
• Person: Individuals/humans like employees and consumers)

Every entity will have a defined DataContainer within IMDE framework to exchange data related to this entity (e.g. product information for materials). Every DataContainer will have a header which includes an identifier which will enable machines to process the data in a fully automatic way.

One or more Data Topics per container

The core principles of the IMDE framework are interoperable and modular. That also applies to data messages and files. Within the IMDE framework industry groups will work on defining DataTopics. A DataTopic will contain all datapoints covering a specific topic. Examples are: Packaging Materials, Allergens, Marks or Claims. Any data message can contain one or more DataTopics, depending on the needs in that part of the supply chain. For example

• Packaging Component Supplier will include the Packaging Materials datatopic
• Herb Mix Supplier will include all datatopics related to the recipe like Allergens, Ingredients and Nutrients
• The Manufacturers exchanging data related to the consumer product will include both Food and Packaging related DataTopics in the data message that is sent to, for example, the retailer.

This covers the modular part, the frame becomes interoperable by allowing multiple formats per DataTopic, with defined transformations between the formats. This allows every party (both data senders and receivers) to work in the format they prefer (no longer deliver multiple formats to all different data receivers).

IMDE will support multiple DataFormats per DataTopic (e.g allergens) and related data points, making sure all industries and all territories can join IMDE. IMDE will also support multiple DataFormats per Data topic. Example: allergen exchange Excel template and Allergen Exchange XSD. IMDE will also support existing information standards per data topic, like for example:

• ETIM, the international classification standard for technical products
• FAO for Fish farming and Fishery related information standards
• ISO (e.g. for languages, countries and units)

See first proposed list of IMDE Data Topics