GFT instruments / Cotton provenance
Pull the thread through a simulated custody chain. The illustrative default reaches the fabric roll, then stops at a missing yarn reference. Repair a record and see what reconnects.
2 of 5 links followed. Stops at the fabric roll.
Method / a chain is stronger than a filled form
Six records, five parent joins, read from the garment upward. Each step below lights a different part of the chain.
DEMO-SERIAL-ADEMO-CUT-ADEMO-ROLL-ADEMO-YARN-ADEMO-BALE-ADEMO-GIN-Aevents = 6parent links = 5gin.parent_id = nonereach(gin) means: a recorded lot, not a farmusable(e) = id ∧ operator ∧ location ∧ timecut.parent_id = DEMO-ROLL-Afabric.id = DEMO-ROLL-A ✓ matchtime(fabric) = 2026-01-13time(cut) = 2026-01-14 ✓ parent ≤ childlink = usable(child) ∧ usable(parent) ∧ child.parent = parent.id ∧ time(parent) ≤ time(child)fabric.parent_id = (missing) ✗reach(gin) = reach(bale) ∧ link(bale, gin)traversed = 2 of 5review fields: material, evidencea gap is counted, the link stays40 + 1 = 41 fields4 + 1 = 5 links01 / Records
This model holds an ordered record for each stage: gin lot, cotton bale, yarn lot, fabric roll, cut bundle and garment serial. Each stage has an output identifier. Every stage after the gin also has a parent identifier naming the material it used.
Fabric roll: output=DEMO-ROLL-A • parent_id=MISSING (break)
02 / Boundary
The gin is the upstream boundary of this exercise. It has no parent field here, so reaching it cannot establish farm origin.
Gin lot (DEMO-GIN-A): recorded boundary. Has output ID, operator, place and UTC time, and no parent field.
03 / Usable
A locally usable event has an output identifier, accountable operator, location and valid event time. The model treats these as core fields for a credible handover.
usable(e) = id ∧ operator ∧ location ∧ time (all 4 core fields present)
04 / Join
A child links to its parent only when both events are usable and the parent reference matches the parent's output identifier. These are deliberately explicit GFT simulation rules, informed by GS1 event dimensions. They are not an EPCIS validation schema.
parent_idDEMO-ROLL-Afabric roll (parent)output idDEMO-ROLL-A✓ MATCH: cut.parent_id (DEMO-ROLL-A) = fabric.id (DEMO-ROLL-A)
05 / Order
The parent's timestamp must be no later than the child's. Together the four tests make one local link.
time(fabric) 2026-01-13 ≤ time(cut) 2026-01-14 • Chronology holds
06 / Stop
Traversal starts at the garment and stops at the first failed test. A healthy link further upstream remains visible but cannot bypass the break. This distinction matters: counting filled rows could produce a comforting total while the garment's actual path remains disconnected. Repair the nearest break, recalculate, then inspect any further interruption that becomes reachable.
Link 3 (Fabric -> Yarn): FIRST FAILED TEST (stops trace at 2 of 5 links)
07 / Context
Material descriptions and evidence references are also counted. Their absence triggers a review gap but does not alone sever an identifier link. This prevents the tool from confusing record connectivity with documentary completeness. A linked chain with missing evidence is still a chain needing investigation.
2 documentary review gaps flagged; custody identifier link remains connected
08 / Accounts
The field reconciliation is captured fields plus missing fields equals applicable fields. The root parent is excluded. The link reconciliation is valid local links plus broken local links equals all modelled parent links. These checks detect accounting mistakes; they do not reveal fraudulent entries.
Reconciled: 40 captured + 1 missing = 41 applicable fields (root parent excluded)
Assumptions register / visible by design
| Input or rule | Thread tie & basis | Status & weight | Test it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custody stages | Gin, bale, yarn, fabric, cut and garment. A simplified production path specified for this instrument.If it fails: Six stations and five parent links exist only inside this scope. | Illustrative scope | Reference only |
| Identifiers, people and sites | DEMO-prefixed records, fictional teams and locations. No named supplier or facility is represented.If it fails: A wrong parent reference severs a link even when every field is filled. | Illustrative | |
| Event dates | Consecutive example dates in January 2026, one event per stage. Chosen to make chronology readable, not to model lead time.If it fails: A parent event dated later than its child severs the link. | Illustrative | |
| Material description | Cotton in a single-source stream. There is no blend fraction or mass allocation.If it fails: A blank description is counted as a review gap. It does not sever the link. | Illustrative | |
| Missing fabric parent | The initial scenario clears the fabric roll's parent field. Every other example field starts present.If it fails: The fabric roll cannot name its yarn lot, so the trace stops at the fabric roll. | Illustrative fault | |
| Core event dimensions | Identity, event time, place and business context inform the model. Operator and parent checks are this instrument's rules.If it fails: A missing identifier, operator, location or time makes an event unusable. | GS1 context ↗ | |
| Passport-style review fields | Material and evidence references prepare a discussion about provenance. Actual requirements depend on the relevant product rules.If it fails: Counted as review fields. No legal deadline or mandatory field list is asserted. | Commission context ↗ | Reference only |
| A usable event | An output identifier, accountable operator, location and valid event time.If it fails: Without these four fields no link can start or end at that event. | GFT model rule | Reference only |
| A connected parent | Both events usable, the parent reference equals the parent's output identifier, and the parent's time is no later than the child's.If it fails: Fails on the first of the four tests that does not hold. | GFT model rule | Reference only |
| Traversal | Starts at the garment and stops at the first failed test. Healthy links upstream cannot bypass it.If it fails: The depth reported is the number of links followed before the first failure. | GFT model rule | Reference only |
| Blends, splits and mass balance | Not modelled. The chain is single-parent and identity-preserved.If it fails: Real spinning and cutting create many inputs and outputs. This chain cannot show them. | Open, not modelled | Reference only |
| Authentication and certification | Not tested: physical segregation, signatures, certificate issuers, registry queries, farm-level origin.If it fails: A complete chain is an information design result, not certification. | Open, not modelled | Reference only |
Use the break to allocate work
Factory manager
Recover: the yarn lot named by the fabric roll
Assign the nearest break to the team that owns that transformation. Recover the source production record, check the material reference and retain who made the correction. A completed screen is not a substitute for a supported correction. Recheck adjacent stages because a repaired identifier may reveal an older gap.
Investor
Recover: the input lot and its evidence, at every station
Ask to see evidence for the sample chain rather than a total number of tags issued. A supplier can serialise finished garments while retaining weak upstream records. Test whether teams can retrieve the input lot, locate its supporting evidence and explain exceptions before relying on traceability in diligence.
Engineer
Recover: the splits and blends this chain cannot show
Specify identifier ownership, capture points, timestamp handling and correction history before choosing an interface. Real spinning and cutting create many inputs and outputs. A production system must represent split lots, blends, rework, losses and custody changes without forcing them into this single-parent chain.
Limitations: this simulation does not reconcile mass, test physical segregation, validate signatures, verify certificate issuers, query a passport registry or authenticate the truth of a supplied record. It excludes chemicals, trims, packaging, transport events and farm-level origin. A complete chain is an information design result, not certification, a sustainability score, or legal, tax or investment advice.
Source register / opened for this instrument
Interactive rule inspector / highlights the matching link
Four tests per link, one record per stage. Select a model test below to highlight the custody link and station it governs on the thread.
Active rule on the custody thread
child.parent_id = parent.idFails at Link 3 (Fabric roll -> Yarn lot): DEMO-ROLL-A has an empty parent_id field.
Follow the garment's parent reference upstream. Each link needs matching identifiers, accountable operator, location and event time; parent events cannot be later than their child. Missing material descriptions and evidence references are counted separately. This is an illustrative single-parent model, not proof of physical origin.
Method source
GS1 event dimensions, European Commission passport guidance and GFT illustrative model rules. ↗
A planning aid. Not investment, legal or tax advice. Verify inputs and boundaries before an operational decision.
Source receipts, exact short quotations and qualifications are available in the source register JSON. No programme production figure is used in this model, so there is no sourced GFT programme-default preset.
Continue along the spine / papers and companion instruments
Examines custody handovers, identifier granularity and passport data boundaries across the full cotton-to-garment path.
Use the result in its boundary
The instrument demonstrates where information stops. Use it to discuss data collection with suppliers, production teams and technical reviewers before selecting a passport platform.
Read the measurement approachThe chain ends at a recorded cotton gin lot. It does not identify a farm, authenticate fibre, verify labour conditions or establish legal compliance. Splits, blends, custody transfers, physical segregation and independent evidence require a richer operating system.
Corroborate first at / Fabric roll
Ask the weaving team to name the yarn lot used for this roll, corroborate it with the production record and keep who made the correction.