Digital Traceability Event
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Digital Traceability Events (DTE): Overview and Use Cases​
Looking for JSON-LD or schema details? See the Traceability Event Implementation Guide.
Digital Traceability Events (DTEs) are a core record type within the Responsible Business Transparency Protocol (RBTP), an extension of the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP). Each event captures how, where, and by whom materials or products move, change, or are verified throughout a value-chain.
RBTP adopts the core UNTP event classes shown below. They can be used alone or extended as new use-cases emerge.
| Event type | What it captures | Cross-sector example |
|---|---|---|
| TransformationEvent | A manufacturing step that consumes inputs and creates outputs | Spinning cotton fibre into yarn |
| AssociationEvent | Parent–child linkage between existing items | Installing a circuit board into a laptop chassis |
| AggregationEvent | Grouping / un-grouping of similar units for handling or transport | Palletising 500 bottles of shampoo for export |
| TransactionEvent (Sale) | Custody or ownership transfer between parties | Selling a container of coffee beans from cooperative to roaster |
| ObjectEvent | Action on a single item or batch (no new outputs) | Quality-control test of a turbine blade |
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) narrates a product’s life; each DTE marks a decisive moment in that narrative and anchors it to the relevant facilities (via DEFRs) and parties, creating an auditable provenance graph.
🔍 Key Characteristics​
- Verifiable | Issued as W3C Verifiable Credentials and cryptographically signed.
- Resolvable | Each event has a URL that returns current metadata or evidence.
- Chain-Forming | Events reference one another (and the associated DEFRs) to build an unbroken trace from raw material to end use.
- Extensible | RBTP uses the core UNTP event types but allows new ones if required.
🧩 When to Issue an Event​
| Event | Typical trigger |
|---|---|
| Transformation | Inputs are irreversibly altered or combined |
| Association | A component is attached, detached, or replaced |
| Aggregation | Units are packaged together or broken apart |
| Transaction | Legal ownership or physical custody changes hands |
| Object | An inspection, test, repair, or certification is completed |
Events are recorded immediately after the activity finishes, providing a time-stamped, tamper-evident history.
🧠Who Uses Traceability Events?​
| Role | How events help |
|---|---|
| Manufacturers & Recyclers | Prove origin, processing history, and ESG performance |
| Brands / OEMs | Compile complete DPPs and satisfy due-diligence rules |
| Logistics Providers | Attach chain-of-custody and emissions data to consignments |
| Auditors & Regulators | Verify claims, trace non-conformities, enforce compliance |
🧠Example Flow (Generic Electronics Product)​
- TransformationEvent – A supplier assembles printed-circuit boards from chips and substrates.
- AggregationEvent – 1 000 boards are boxed and palletised for shipping.
- TransactionEvent – Ownership of the pallet transfers to the device manufacturer.
- AssociationEvent – Each board is installed into a finished laptop.
- ObjectEvent – Every laptop undergoes final functional testing before release.
This sequence lets any stakeholder trace each laptop from raw materials through every process step, facility, and hand-off—supporting transparent provenance, ESG validation, and circular-economy objectives.
✅ Summary​
- Five UNTP DTE types—Transformation, Association, Aggregation, Transaction, and Object—cover manufacturing, assembly, logistics, and inspection needs in RBTP.
- All events are verifiable, resolvable credentials that link seamlessly with DPPs and DEFRs.
- Recording these events at each key moment delivers end-to-end supply-chain visibility today and leaves room for new event profiles as RBTP evolves.