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 GuidelinesCanonical Guidelines.

Available canonicals

Transaction name	Description
Advanced ship notice canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Article master canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Batch creation canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, and X12 canonical mapping guidelines.
Carrier shipment status canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Credit debit adjustment canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
CSOS validated purchase order canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
E222 purchase order canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Forecast plan canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Forecast plan response canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Handling movement instructions canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Inventory balance canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Inventory update canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Inventory update request canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Inventory update confirmation canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Invoice canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Planned order canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Purchase order acknowledgment canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.
Purchase order canonical guidelines	View the IDoc, X12 and EDIFACT canonical mapping guidelines.