Making Supply Chain Data Universal with Supply Chain Data EXchange Standard (SC-DEX)
Over the years, Wikirate has participated in numerous projects aimed at bringing transparency to supply chains of big corporations across various sectors by collaborating with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to shed light on issues linked with modern slavery and workers rights violations. When we began processing supplier lists back in 2017, it meant tackling tasks of extracting data from PDFs, cleaning, deduplicating and transforming fragmented information into a reusable format. These resource-intensive tasks highlighted the need for more efficient and standardized solutions. While there has been progress in making this data more accessible, we recognize there’s still much work ahead.
Through our collaboration with various organizations, it became clear that there were duplicated efforts in processing, cleaning, transforming, publishing and exchanging supply chain data. In September 2023, Open Supply Hub, Mapped in Bangladesh and Wikirate joined forces in Dhaka to explore ways to streamline data exchange and initiated discussions on creating a universal open supply chain data exchange standard. In January 2024, we reconvened in Amsterdam inviting to the conversation 13 additional CSOs to discuss further what developing such a standard might entail. The last few months, with Open Supply Hub’s leadership, SC-DEX has been developed through extensive expert sessions and valuable community feedback.
Wikirate has been an integral part of this initiative, providing technical guidance on structuring data schemas and advocating for open license to ensure transparency in its development while building a strong community around it. Additionally, we have driving discussions on crucial aspects of the standard, such as capturing affiliations between different entities, adopting universal identifiers and considering metadata for ensuring data integrity. By contributing our specialized expertise, we ensured that the standard reflects practical, effective solutions for industry-wide adoption.
Why is an open supply chain data exchange standard so important?
Supply chains synthesize a complex and interconnected ecosystem, involving various stakeholders, processes and systems that must work together. As new regulations mandate corporations to report on their supply chains, various stakeholders — ranging from companies and CSOs to regulatory bodies — are required to publish and exchange data about suppliers. However, the lack of a unified approach creates challenges, as different organizations invest time and resources in managing this data separately.
SC-DEX aims to address these challenges by establishing a common language for data exchange. By providing a standardized way to share and communicate supply chain information, SC-DEX aims to help streamline communication between stakeholders and significantly reduce duplicated efforts. A key element of SC-DEX will be the use of universal identifiers to ensure consistency and to make data integration seamless across platforms and organizations. Ultimately, an open supply chain data exchange standard fosters greater transparency, enhances collaboration and allows for more effective monitoring and assessment of corporate accountability and supply chain practices.
Why is SC-DEX released under an open license?
SC-DEX is released under a CC0 license to foster an open and collaborative community around the standard which is crucial for its success and long-term impact. By choosing a CC0 license, the founding organizations aim to create an environment where stakeholders from diverse backgrounds (including companies, nonprofits, civil society organizations and developers) can freely contribute, adapt and enhance the standard as well as develop supporting tools and technologies. This open licensing approach removes barriers to participation, encouraging the community to review, convene and extend the standard based on the ecosystem’s needs. Ultimately, an open license is essential because it ensures that the standard can evolve to meet a wide range of needs, promoting resilience and encouraging broader adoption over time.
Join the conversation: Help shape SC-DEX
SC-DEX is now open for public review and your input is crucial in shaping the future of supply chain data exchange. Here’s how you can get involved:
- Review the Technical Standard: Dive into the core schema, explore the details and share your ideas or questions. You can submit your feedback as issues on github or engage with us directly through our Slack community.
- Propose your Extension: SC-DEX is designed to support extensions. If you have a specific use case you’d like SC-DEX to address, submit a proposal for consideration and potential piloting.
- Contribute to the Governance Model: Commenting is open to the public directly in the document. Your insights can help us ensure it’s inclusive and effective for a diverse range of stakeholders.
- Sign the Open Letter of commitment: Public commenting is available and we are welcoming new signatories. Join us in showing your support and commitment to creating a more transparent and efficient supply chain ecosystem.
A huge thank you to Open Supply Hub and Shuya Gong for leading this work and to Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB) for driving the discussion forward.
