Core principle 2: Event-driven coordination

In the event of a notable event, such as cargo arriving in a port, subscribed parties will immediately receive a notification and the relevant data. In other words: the BDI supports the process we call ‘event-driven coordination’.

In this context, storage locations, suppliers and others need to coordinate matters constantly, as the coordination of daily logistics activities is time-sensitive. Examples are planning updates, transfers, compliance checks and payments.   

Metadata and involvement of several parties

‘Events’ generate notifications (metadata). The ‘owner’ of the event sends these notifications to a select group of entities. One example is a notification about the arrival of a freight train.  

In this context, several organisations are often involved and (meta)data needs to be sent beyond organisational boundaries. However, the security policies of these organisation can still differ, so the distribution mechanism for coordinating ‘events’ needs to take this into account. 

Order-specific closed network

Being able to exchange event-driven data easily and safely requires an order-specific closed operational network. This includes only the parties that are involved in the execution of a specific event, like an order.  

This type of network is formed at the time when the order starts and is dissolved once the order is complete. Preferred suppliers may repeatedly participate in several orders and, if required, authorities may be involved to check regulatory compliance. 

Consequences

• The first consequence is that the parties involved have a business relationship. This is determined before the data exchange starts.
• The second consequence is that a party may participate in several simultaneous, dynamically created (and later dissolved) virtual operational networks