Traceability
Establishing a data chain with connection between sub-components, components and vehicle
Quick facts
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The Traceability Use Case enables technical measures and root cause analysis along the entire supply chain by establishing connections between components and their subcomponents. This supports fast, intelligent collaboration, efficient problem-solving, and improved quality management.
Key Features
- End to End part tracing within the full value chain
- Connection of Digital Twins across value chains
- Efficient and fast communication within the value chain
• Easy connection of companies/plants to Catena-X
• One solution to manage different Catena-X use cases
• EDC and AAS submodels (DTR submodels) | Optional – BYOD (Bring your own device)
• Automatically integrated data mapping
• PCF management
• Extendable with ONCITE DPS Track & Trace
• Faster detection and isolation of faulty components
• Reduced recall scope and operational risk
• Cost reduction from narrowing quality issues
• Quicker action in front of emergencies
• The fastest, most accurate, call-backs in the industry
• Standardized, Catena‑X–compliant data exchange
• Secure collaboration across supply chain partners
• Increased part quality and fewer rejects
• Fast, clear error identification
• Fast quality control for recalls (traceability)
• Exchange of quality messages in the network
• Faster reaction to quality incidents
• Reduced manual effort and errors
• Improved transparency and traceability
• Lower risk of defective parts reaching production
• Stronger collaboration across the supply chain
• Empower your teams to respond faster, reduce costly
disruptions, and protect production quality.
Dataspace OS transforms complex quality processes into a simple, scalable, and reliable workflow driving efficiency and trust across your supply chain.
The guidance represents an example reference process. Depending on your specific requirements, existing system landscape, level of maturity, and business objectives, certain steps may be skipped, additional activities may be required, or a different sequence may be more appropriate. The guidance is therefore intended for orientation purposes only.
1. Join the Catena-X ecosystem
To getting started with Traceability in Catena-X, your company first needs to have an active registration to the Catena-X dataspace through Cofinity-X.
What you'll need:
- Register with Cofinity-X
- Complete company verification
- Receive your Business Partner Number (BPN) and the required Catena-X credentials
CTA:Register now
2. Get your Traceability app
The Cofinity-X Marketplace hosts certified Traceability solutions. Choose the app that meets your business needs:
3. Create your digital product structure
Establish Digital Twins for products, components, batches and serialized parts based on Catena-X standards. So should do your supply chain partners.
Examples:
- Vehicles
- Components
- Serialized parts
4. Connect your systems
Before you can exchange data within the ecosystem, you need to set up your technical environment.
What you'll need
- An EDC connector (dataspace connector)
- Registration of your EDC connector in the Catena-X ecosystem
- Digital Twin Registry
Many Traceability solutions in the Cofinity-X Marketplace already include an integrated EDC connector. Please reach out to your provider if you are unsure or check our provider overview.
CTA:Explore EDC connectors on the Cofinity-X Marketplace
5. Connect your supply chain data and exchange data
Link products and components across direct supplier and customer relationships with the help of digital twins and unique IDs to create end-to-end traceability. Provide and consume standardized traceability data with business partners according to agreed access rights and governance rules (One-up-one-down-principle). Use standardized notifications to collaborate with partners in case of potential defects or quality issues.
Examples:
- Quality Investigations: Report quality issues detected in supplier-provided products and request an investigation top-down.
- Quality Alerts: Notify customers about quality issues identified within your own production processes bottom-up.
- Block Notifications: Immediately block or isolate defective components before they reach production or are shipped further.
6. Analyze and improve
Use traceability data to narrow down affected components, identify root causes and support compliance requirements across the product lifecycle. Reduce recall scopes (only affected parts instead of preventive recalls) and operational risk.
7. Scale across your supply chain
Expand the Traceability approach to additional suppliers, customers and production sites to improve resilience throughout the supply chain.
1. Join the Catena-X ecosystem
Need help?
Further questions can be addressed either through our Help Center or through qualified consultants available in the Cofinity-X Marketplace. For technical details, standards and implementation guidance, please refer to the Catena-X Developer Kit.