EPCIS stands for Electronic Product Code Information Services. It is a GS1 standard for sharing event data between trading partners in the supply chain.

EPCIS defines four event types:

• ObjectEvent: Observation of objects (commissioning, shipping, receiving)
• AggregationEvent: Parent-child relationships (packing/unpacking)
• TransactionEvent: Links objects to business transactions
• TransformationEvent: Input/output relationships (manufacturing)

An ObjectEvent captures observations about objects at a point in time. Common uses:

• Commissioning (serial number activation)
• Shipping (products leaving a location)
• Receiving (products arriving)
• Dispensing (products given to patient)

Action types: ADD, OBSERVE, DELETE

An AggregationEvent records parent-child relationships between containers and their contents:

• ADD: Items packed into a container
• DELETE: Items unpacked from a container
• OBSERVE: Confirmation of aggregation

Essential for case and pallet tracking.

Common bizStep values in pharmaceutical track and trace:

• commissioning: Serial number activation
• packing: Items packed into container
• shipping: Products shipped
• receiving: Products received
• dispensing: Given to patient
• destroying: Product destruction

CBV (Core Business Vocabulary) defines standard values for EPCIS fields:

• Business steps (commissioning, shipping, receiving)
• Dispositions (active, inactive, recalled)
• Business transaction types
• Source/Destination types

Using CBV ensures interoperability between systems.

EPCs (Electronic Product Codes) in EPCIS follow URN format:

• SGTIN: urn:epc:id:sgtin:CompanyPrefix.ItemRef.Serial
• SSCC: urn:epc:id:sscc:CompanyPrefix.SerialRef
• GLN: urn:epc:id:sgln:CompanyPrefix.LocationRef.Extension

Disposition indicates the business state of objects after an event:

• active: Normal, sellable state
• inactive: Not available for sale
• recalled: Subject to recall
• expired: Past expiry date
• destroyed: Physically destroyed

EPCIS 2.0 is the latest version of the standard with new features:

• JSON-LD support (in addition to XML)
• REST API bindings
• Sensor data integration
• Digital link URIs
• Enhanced CBV 2.0

EPCIS 2.0 was released in 2022.

An EPCIS Repository is a system that stores EPCIS events and provides:

• Capture interface (to receive events)
• Query interface (to retrieve events)
• Event persistence and management

Regulatory portals like TATMEEN and RSD act as EPCIS repositories.

Two different timestamps in EPCIS:

• eventTime: When the physical event actually occurred
• recordTime: When the event was recorded in the EPCIS repository

eventTime should reflect real-world timing; recordTime is system-generated.

A TransactionEvent associates objects with business transactions such as:

• Purchase orders
• Invoices
• Shipment notifications

Links physical product movement to business documents.

EPCIS supports two data formats:

• XML: Traditional format, widely supported, verbose
• JSON-LD: Added in EPCIS 2.0, more compact, better for web APIs

Choose based on your system capabilities and regulatory requirements.

Source and destination identify the parties involved in a transaction:

• Source: Where objects came from (owning_party, possessing_party)
• Destination: Where objects are going

They provide context for shipping and receiving events.

A TransformationEvent records when inputs are transformed into outputs, such as:

• Manufacturing (raw materials → finished product)
• Repackaging
• Kitting

Links input identifiers to output identifiers.