Tracking & tracing systems in value-generating networks for the industrial material utilization of renewable resources
(Themenfeld B.5)

– IT-based tracking of fiber from the plant to the finished product and tracing of fiber from the end product to the plant –

Strict product liability, the rising consumer power, and legal traceability requirements led to the growing significance of identifying the current status and location of an object, such as packaging unit, shipment, specific products (tracking) as well as the ex post reconstruction of the object history (tracing). In order to capture, archive, and communicate the relevant data, tracking and tracing systems (TTS) are implemented. In recent years, research on potential benefits of systems in the food and logistics sectors has been carried out. Such an investigation is, however, still lacking in the area of the forest, and wood industry. With regard to the existing research gap, the goal of this work is the investigation of the potential benefits of TTS in value networks for industrial material use of renewable resources and the development of proposals for the use and associated recommendations for the implementation of TTS. The knowledge from already carried out literature studies points out that the potentials can roughly be divided into three groups: economic use (improvement of internal and inter-organizational business processes, meeting customer requirements regarding the provision of detailed information, as a risk management tool, etc.), fulfillment of the legal requirements (e.g. EU regulation 995/2010, EU regulation 1935/2004/EC), and supporting the certification processes (especially chain-of-custody certification). Researching all three potential directions should help in carrying out the requirement analysis of TTS. The requirements will be summarized using requirements catalog. After that, the design of TTS, which is implemented using reference models (especially data modeling and system architecture) and the modeling of the cost-benefit relationship, which will allow assessing the economic efficiency of TTS, will be performed. To implement the research project, methods from two research paradigms are used: behaviorism (behavior-oriented research) and design science (constructive-oriented research). The literature studies, case studies, and quantitative surveys should assist in such an extensive requirements analysis. The reference models during the TTS concept as well as the cost-benefit model are artifacts that are to be developed in the context of design science.
The presented combination of theory- and practice-oriented approaches is on the one hand intended to ensure a scientific contribution of the work and on the other hand the specify the implementation and action recommendations for the practice. The following aspects contribute to the scientific side: summary of the research and practical state of the art with regard to TTS; explanation of the use of TTS; working out the costs-use model, the requirement catalog, and the reference models for TTS in value-generating networks for the industrial material utilization of renewable resources. The results of this work allow the practical participants to understand the potentials of and challenges for TTS in the selected area. In addition, the cost-benefit model can help in decision making regarding the investment in TTS. The recommendations furthermore provide support in the implementation of TTS.