4. Development Process - opensupplyhub/supplychaindata.exchange GitHub Wiki
Development Process
The Supply Chain Data Exchange Standard (SC-DEX) was developed through an open, collaborative process involving multiple stakeholders from civil society, the private sector, and technical experts. Below is a timeline of key milestones and phases in the development of the SC-DEX.
Key Milestones
September 2023 β Convening in Dhaka
A convening was held in Dhaka with Open Supply Hub, Mapped in Bangladesh, and WikiRate, where a basic data model was established, challenges were identified, and a roadmap for SC-DEX was drafted.
- Open Supply Hub: A platform mapping global supply chains.
- Mapped in Bangladesh: A project mapping garment factories in Bangladesh.
- WikiRate: A platform that allows stakeholders to research and rate companies on social and environmental performance.
January 2024 β Convening in Amsterdam
Around 30 organizations met to further develop SC-DEX, focusing on common data attributes and setting up workstreams. This convening laid the groundwork for the technical standard.
Laudes Learning Grant Phase
This phase, led by Open Supply Hub, Mapped in Bangladesh, and WikiRate, resulted in a draft roadmap, identified barriers to adoption, and produced a technical requirements draft.
Governance Model and Advisory Board
In preparation for the long-term sustainability of SC-DEX, an initial advisory board was installed in 2024. The advisory boardβs mandate is to create a process for nominating and electing an official governance committee, which will oversee the development and maintenance of the standard moving forward.
The governance model ensures transparency and inclusivity in decision-making, with the steering board representing diverse stakeholders. Public feedback is encouraged, and all key decisions are open to review.
Technical Draft and Open Public Review
V0 β Initial Technical Draft
The first technical draft of SC-DEX (V0) was published in August 2024, providing a foundational model for feedback and consultation. This included the required and optional fields to describe the geospatial location and organizational affiliation of a supply chain asset.
V1 β Technical Draft Update
Version 1 (V1) of the SC-DEX technical standard was published in October 2024 following public work sessions and discussions, marking a significant step forward in the development process. In this draft, relationship types were considered a separate object than location and organizational IDs to allow more flexibility of the model.
Public Review Phase β October 31, 2024
Starting on October 31, 2024, the Governance Model, Technical Draft, and Open Letter of Commitment will be open for a four-week public review phase. During this period, stakeholders are invited to provide feedback to ensure the standard continues to evolve based on community input. Following this period, the technical standard is put into a testing phase with partner organizations in a series of pilots.
Summer 2024 β Open Work Sessions
A series of work sessions were held to discuss the Technical Standard, Governance Model, Use Cases, and the Open Letter of Commitment. These sessions facilitated public participation and are integral to the co-creation process of SC-DEX. View the public calendar here.
Pilots β 2025
Throughout 2025, pilots to test potential use cases of SC-DEX will be held with select partner organizations.
What Comes in 2025: Expanding Beyond the Standard
Based on learnings from SC-DEX pilot implementations in early 2025, the project is evolving beyond just a technical schema toward a broader ecosystem of adoption, governance, and collaboration.
Details on the growth of SC-DEX will be published in late 2025. Stay tuned or join the Slack to follow along and if you have a perspective to share, please fill out our ecosystem survey.
Principles of Openness and Co-Creation
SC-DEX is built on the principles of openness and co-creation, with a focus on accessibility for both technical and non-technical partners. Public feedback and contributions from the community have been vital to shaping the standard. To stay involved, join the open Slack group here.