Introduction to the EPCIS Events API

Walmart's Electronic Product Code Information Service (EPCIS) Events API processes data related to the shipment and transfer of products to Walmart. The EPCIS Events API ingests EPCIS events in XML version 1.0 format and publishes the processed data to the blockchain.

EPCIS events can include a variety of information about a product, including its location, movement history, and current status. Some examples of EPCIS events might include the arrival of a product at a warehouse, the shipment of a product to a store, or tracking temperature during transport.

By using a standardized format for sharing this information, EPCIS events can help to improve supply chain visibility, increase efficiency, and reduce errors in the transfer of products.

Use Cases

The EPCIS Events API is used for managing and exchanging supply chain event data at a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) lot level that includes identification of what the product is, when it was shipped, where it was shipped from, and why it was delivered to a location. Here are some common use cases for EPCIS Events:

• Inventory Management: Optimize inventory management and streamline replenishment processes as well as provide accurate and detailed product information.
• Compliance for Serialized Drug Traceability: For the pharmaceutical industry, tracking, reporting, and monitoring the movement of medications is essential for meeting Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) regulation requirement.
• Food Safety Compliance: For food safety, EPCIS enables end to end traceability back to the source, detailing every step of the supply chain to allow real-time visibility to trace where a contaminated product was produced and manufactured.
• Product Authentication: EPCIS Events API can be used to verify the authenticity of products by tracking the movement of goods and to ensure that they follow the expected supply chain path.
• Product Traceability: Increasing customer trust and transparency through end to end traceability back to the source including additional provenance attributes such as sustainability and responsible sourcing.

EPCIS Events API applies GS1 standards to provide a standardized method to exchange supply chain event data and enables interoperability across different systems between stakeholders in the supply chain ecosystem. By analyzing each event, you can identify patterns, optimize processes, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. With these data driven decisions, you can improve your supply chain efficiency.

EPCIS Event Types

The following six EPCIS event types are recognized by this API:

• Aggregation: An aggregation event bundles smaller groups of objects together into a larger container, such as moving boxes onto a pallet before shipping.
• Disaggregation: A disaggregation event breaks down larger objects into smaller units, such as removing boxes from a shipping pallet for retail distribution.
• Commission: A commission event creates a new Electronic Product Code (EPC) object.
• Decommission: A decommission event removes an existing EPC object.
• Observation: An observation event captures real-time observations of an item at a specific place and time, such as a barcode scan at a retail point-of-sale or warehouse checkpoint.
• Transformation: A transformation event converts input items into output items through an irreversible process, such as creating packaged goods from raw materials.

The table below specifies the various data types and event actions for each API request: