Type = Troubleshooting,; Topic = Multienterprise Information Network Tower (MINT),;Persona = TraceLink Administrator, User,; Orchestration = Manufacturing, Logistics, Commerce, Transportation, Clinical Supply,; Function = Supply Chain, IT, Procurement,

Canonical guidelines

Canonical is TraceLink’s standardized internal data format that normalizes and structures information across systems. It is intentionally system‑agnostic and functionally neutral, meaning it does not depend on any specific device, ERP, partner system, or application logic.

In the TraceLink network, companies use many different technologies such as SAP, Oracle, serialization systems, WMS platforms, regulatory tools, custom-built systems, and exchange data in formats like EPCIS, XML, CSV, JSON, or proprietary standards. Even when referring to the same business concepts (such as products, shipments, serial numbers, or transactions), each system represents the data differently.

The Canonical Data Model serves as a universal translation layer. It standardizes incoming data into a common format within TraceLink and then translates it into each partner’s required format for outbound exchange. This allows all partners to communicate seamlessly without changing their internal systems, enabling scalable, many‑to‑many interoperability across the network.

The following transaction canonical guidelines are available. For detailed information about the canonical structure and mapping guidelines, see Canonical Guidelines.

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