Create a new Credential to track Products that are intended to be imported

[mprorock]

need product clearly identified in intent to import
minimum properties:

• product name
• product description
• hts
• gtin
• plu ( can be left off if we permit additional fields)

[nissimsan]

There was a reason we removed these elements from the ITI credential. It was replaced with the "traditional" documents which describe and identify products:

• Commodity on import forms
• Consignment item-level on bills of lading
• Trade item-level (GTIN) on purchase orders and commercial invoices
• Industry-specific product elements on industry-specific documents (like Mill Test Reports for steel products)

Rather than repeating these elements, the ITI must be included in a Workflow, and associated credentials in the workflow will then describe the product according to established requirements and business processes.

https://w3c-ccg.github.io/traceability-vocab/#intention-to-import-workflow
https://w3c-ccg.github.io/traceability-vocab/#IntentToImportCredential

[PatStLouis]

@mprorock is the product to be included in an intent to import as depicted here a specific product (ex: a specific batch of copper coming from a specific mine on a specific date) or a more broad statement about a type of product (ex: copper)?

[mprorock]

Product as optional if known to the extent possible. Often times this information is known at a very granular level in markets such as agriculture, at other times, maybe only minimal product info such as the HS chapter is known

[brentzundel]

I'm happy to raise a PR for this, but I don't have powers to assign myself to the issue.

I'm also not finding the original issue where removing this was discussed, only this PR #760
Can anyone point me to the original conversation so I can better understand the history?

[OR13]

In our use cases, we submit the intent to import as a simple credential that communicates that products* will be imported.

We use other credentials to identify those products and associate them to the intent to import over time.

Adding optional properties to the intent to import increases the verifier burden and complexity, now the verifier has to handle the case where one or more products are present, and where no products are present.

Our experience has shown that we can't make the product information mandatory, since sometimes it changes over time.

We don't think adding an optional product identifier to intent to import is an improvement.

Here is how we see this problem being solved best:

0. Intent to Import Created -> Workflow Instance / Shipment Number Created
1. Products associated to shipment / intent to import
2. Additional credentials as required for the products (some products require cert A, others B and C)
3. Additional import data submitted through existing channels, PDFs, ABI, ... email.
4. Entry Number associated with Workflow Instance, and thereby intent to import

The last step is where the early data connects to the traditional data.
We know that Entry Numbers can map to multiple products, or a single product.

The purpose of intent to import is to obtain early information about a future entry, and then link that information to the entry when that becomes possible.

For these reasons, we do not believe it is advisable to add product information to the intent to import.

[brentzundel]

@OR13, thank you for that very clear explanation of your user flow. Do you expect it would be reasonable for an importer who wishes to indicate product information at the onset to combine steps 0 and 1 into a single presentation?

[OR13]

@brentzundel yes, in fact the first communication to a customs authority can look like this:

presentation:
- shipment id / workflow instance id
- intent to import
- product 1 credential
- product 2 credential
- packing list with 5 products

If the sender knows / has all the information at the time, they can send it all in their first presentation... if they only have the following information at that time:

presentation:
- shipment id / workflow instance id
- intent to import
- packing list with 5 products

They can send what they have, as early as possible... they don't need to wait to start sending early data.

[brentzundel]

In light of that, I believe this issue can be closed.

[mkhraisha]

I think whats happening is theres a conflation of two ideas:

What I believe we need is a way to signal which products in a workflow are intended to be imported, and which products within that workflow are not intended to be imported.
We also need a way to "open" the workflow i.e. a credential that has the legal statements necessary to allwo the receiving party to view the workflow credentials.

In my mind we need:

1. Legal Disclaimer Credential that says I want to start an import workflow and will be sending credentials in the future.
2. Intent to Import Credential that says these 3 products are the ones I'm importing.
3. Product Credentials that says these is product details that may or may not be imported.

[brentzundel]

@mkhraisha that makes a ton of sense. Thank you for the clear delineation between the different use cases.

[OR13]

I still think this issue should be closed.

All use cases are better addressed, by keeping credentials as simple as possible.

That means not adding optional properties, when other credentials exist to convey them.

[brentzundel]

I think the next step is for those who best understand the workflow solutions (@nissimsan) to help walk those of us who think we need product data (@brentzundel @mkhraisha) to help us see if the things we believe need to be communicated are by the use of workflows.

[mkhraisha]

Had a chat with @nissimsan and @brentzundel we resolved that we should have:

1. Intent to Import credential -> Exact same as current Intent to Import which acts as a legal disclaimer
2. New credential schema TBD on the name -> Optional Credential to signify that this import workflow is about Credentials with IDs [1,2,3]
3. Product Credentials and others do not need to change.

[mkhraisha]

Next Steps:

1. Find a good name for this new credential
2. Create a Credential schema and add an example workflow to the trace vocab.

[nissimsan]

@mkhraisha, reminder on the call

[brentzundel]

I think for the sake of moving the spec forward this should just be closed.