Supply Chain of the FutureThe Shelf v0.9, open for comment

Library Pilots

Pilot report

Freshness Indicators: Real-Time EPCIS 2.0 Sensor Capture

Pilot 1 report: how quality at pack, in-transit sensing and shelf-life models can meet in one decision signal, and what the first order taught us

A report on Pilot 1: how quality at pack, in-transit sensor readings and shelf-life models can meet in one signal using GS1 identifiers and EPCIS 2.0 events, and what the first order taught us.

What it is

A research-grade report on the first pilot in the 2026 SCOTF series. It explains why a freshness signal has to arrive before the product does, teaches the GS1 and EPCIS 2.0 concepts behind sensor capture, shows how Driscoll's, Pacific Coast Fresh, Tive, Hemdahl and a regional retailer set up three coordinated orders of berries, and reports honestly what the first order showed. The pilot is still running, so this version states its results as they stand and will be updated.

Who it is for

Grower-shipper QA and logistics
Read the data flow and the table of data elements to see what quality-at-pack data a distributor's signal needs, and when. The checklist shows how to bind pallet quality records to a tracker before the truck leaves.
Distributors
Read the success measures and the sections on orders 1, 2 and 3. They show the measures one distributor set and how the pilot tests whether a signal changes allocation and handling decisions.
Retail category and DC teams
Read why freshness signals matter and the pilot setup. They show how arrival checks at the store are used to test the estimate. The report publishes no store data.
Technology teams
Read the concepts, the sensor event figure and the integration approach. They cover the EPCIS 2.0 sensor element, GS1 identifiers and the role-filtered signal.

What is inside

  • Why freshness signals matter
  • Concepts in plain language (identifiers, EPCIS 2.0, the sensor element, remaining shelf life)
  • The pilot, its participants and its data flow
  • The integration approach, with an illustrative EPCIS 2.0 sensor event
  • Success measures
  • What order 1 showed
  • Orders 2 and 3, and phase 2
  • A checklist for your own trial
  • Open questions
  • Three figures and five tables

Key takeaways

  • A shelf-life signal is only valuable if it changes a decision before the product arrives, and Pilot 1 tests that on a live lane of Driscoll's berries moving through Pacific Coast Fresh to a regional retailer.
  • Open standards let quality, sensor and model data meet without anyone replacing their systems: GS1 identifiers name the pallet and the place, and EPCIS 2.0 events carry the readings in a format any compliant system can read.
  • Order 1 of the pilot's three golden orders (coordinated, closely instrumented orders chosen in advance) showed where hand-offs lose time; the data came together after the fact, so the distributor's assessment is that the decision capability is not yet demonstrated.
  • All three orders ran and data was collected, but linking the data and getting near-real-time access fell short of what the team expected, so the pilot is continuing with a phase 2 that adds more automation and better communication between participants.
  • You can run a small trial of your own by starting with one lane and one decision, using the checklist in the section How to run your own trial.

Questions

What is a golden order?
A coordinated order chosen in advance and followed from pack to store, with each hand-off instrumented and recorded, so the team can compare what the signal said with what happened. Pilot 1 uses three, each of berries and each less than a full truckload.
Did the pilot show that a freshness signal changes decisions?
Not yet. For order 1 the data came together after the fact, and the distributor's assessment is that the capability was not yet demonstrated. Orders 1 to 3 ran and data was collected, but linking the data and getting near-real-time access fell short of what the team expected. The team is running a phase 2 with more automation and better communication between participants, and the report will state its results as measured.
Do participants have to replace their systems?
No. Each provider sends data through its existing platform by API or file export, and the readings travel as EPCIS 2.0 events.
Which standards does the pilot use?
GS1 identifiers (GTIN, SSCC and GLN) and GS1 EPCIS 2.0 with the Core Business Vocabulary. The report describes the sensor element as GS1 publishes it and adds no extension to the standard.
Is pilot data published?
This report describes the pilot and its design. It publishes no pilot datasets and no commercial terms.

Your next step

Run your own trial with the checklist.