ISO 8000-117:2023

Overview

ISO 8000-117:2023 - "Data quality - Part 117" defines requirements for using identifiers in distributed ledgers including blockchains, supplementing ISO 8000-115. The standard focuses on ensuring high-quality, verifiable links between on‑ledger identifiers and the larger off‑ledger data sets they reference, primarily in supply‑chain transaction scenarios. It does not prescribe DLT implementation, immutability technology, or the processes for creating identifiers or data content.

Key topics & technical requirements

• Conformance with ISO 8000-115: All on‑ledger identifiers shall meet the syntactic, semantic and resolution requirements established in ISO 8000-115.
• One-to-one mapping: Each on‑ledger identifier must identify a single off‑ledger data set.
• Integrity verification: On‑ledger identifiers must include data sufficient to verify that the off‑ledger data set has not changed since the identifier was created (e.g., hash/checksum approaches - Annex B gives an example).
• Off‑ledger data set rules:
  • Must reference and conform to a formal syntax.
  • Shall consist of property‑value tuples, where each tuple results from semantic encoding.
  • The content must be the exact data used to generate the on‑ledger identifier.
• Normative references: ISO 8000-2 (vocabulary) and ISO 8000-115 (master data identifiers).

Applications and who should use it

ISO 8000-117 is practical for organizations that use distributed ledgers to exchange transaction and master data in supply chains. Typical use cases:

• Ensuring reliable traceability and interoperability between blockchain records and detailed off‑ledger master data.
• Enabling data governance and quality management where immutable ledger entries reference larger, mutable datasets.
• Providing verifiable links for procurement, logistics, and product‑authenticity workflows.

Primary users:

• Data stewards and data governance teams
• Supply‑chain architects and integrators
• Blockchain/DLT solution designers focused on data quality
• Quality managers, procurement and compliance officers

Related standards

• ISO 8000-115 - Master data: exchange of quality identifiers (required baseline for identifier structure and semantics).
• ISO 8000-2 - Vocabulary for data quality (defines terms used throughout the ISO 8000 series). These related parts help implement consistent identifier schemes, semantic encoding, and data quality controls across distributed ledger solutions.

ISO 8000-117 supports robust, verifiable connections between ledger entries and off‑ledger datasets, improving data quality, traceability and trust in blockchain-enabled supply-chain exchanges.