Synchronized exchange of material and information

Abstract

Commerce is all about the carefully managed exchange of material, money, and information. Traditionally, the connection between material and information has been tenuous, with humans acting as the intermediaries. This has made the supply chain inefficient and expensive. The Auto-lID Center has created a stronger, automatic link between inanimate objects and computers. This thesis completes the information exchange, or feedback loop, which makes commerce possible. Specifically, it identifies a framework for information exchange alongside material exchange using Savant-to-Savant communication. Messaging standards will need to support the Auto-ID Center's technology, and this thesis suggests how to augment existing and emerging communication standards to accomplish this feat. Finally, to address the issue of increasing information management, this thesis analyzes the aggregation database, an IT infrastructure component that might be of value to organizations. The outcome of this thesis is an understanding of the various issues necessary to develop a secure, efficient and robust system for tracking and automatically confirming material exchange.