EPC Global Network in Action

Working in coordination, the components defined above provide the ability to capture and share information in the EPCglobal Network. To capture data, inexpensive EPC tags carrying a unique EPC number are affixed to objects in motion in the supply chain. Then, strategically placed EPC readers at gateways throughout the supply chain will read each tagged object as it passes and communicate the EPC number, the time, date and location of the read to the EPCglobal Network. EPC Middleware will control and integrate the EPC tags, readers, and local infrastructure at the individual site.
Once the information is captured as described above, the EPCglobal Network then uses Internet technology to create a network for sharing that information among authorized trading partners in the global supply chain. Discovery Services is a suite of services that enable users to find data related to a specific EPC and to request access to that data. The ONS is one component of Discovery Services. From there, actual access to data in the EPCglobal Network is managed at the local level by the EPC IS where the company itself designates which trading partners have access to its information. The result is a network of information that traces individual product movement in real time.