ISO 25500-2:2026

• Abstract:

  This document defines terms relating to supply chain interoperability and integration. These terms are used in documents developed in the ISO 25500 series for supply chain interoperability and integration.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 03-Nov-2026
• ICS: 35.240.63 - IT applications in trade
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 184/SC 5 - Interoperability, integration, and architectures for enterprise systems and automation applications
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 184/SC 5 - Interoperability, integration, and architectures for enterprise systems and automation applications
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 04-Nov-2026
• Completion Date: 04-Nov-2026

ISO 25500-2 is an ISO standard for supply chain interoperability and integration. It defines the vocabulary used across the ISO 25500 series so buyers, suppliers, and system designers can use the same terms for data exchange, identity, verification, and related supply chain processes.

What does ISO 25500-2 specify?

ISO 25500-2 specifies terms and definitions for supply chain interoperability and integration. It is a vocabulary document for the ISO 25500 series, so its main job is to standardize meaning rather than to set performance tests or product requirements.

Clause 1 gives the scope, Clause 2 states the normative references, and Clause 3 contains the terms and definitions. Annex A is informative and provides document identification, and the bibliography lists related standards and references used in the definitions.

Clause 2 states that there are no normative references in this document. In practice, that means the document stands on its own as a vocabulary reference, while still pointing readers to related standards in notes and the bibliography.

What are the key requirements of ISO 25500-2?

ISO 25500-2’s practical value is in the concepts it standardizes for automated, verifiable supply chain data. The vocabulary links identity, location, certification, and procurement terms so organizations can describe the same object or party in a consistent way.

Identity and legal status

Clause 3 defines legal entity, legal name, legal status, jurisdiction, register, authoritative legal entity identifier (ALEI), international business registration number (IBRN), and international business identifier (IBID). In practice, these terms support unambiguous identification of companies, government entities, and other trading parties, which matters when data is shared across systems, countries, and registers.

The definitions also distinguish an authoritative identifier from a proxy identifier and explain how a register and authoritative source relate to legal status. That distinction matters when a buyer or system must verify that a supplier is active, properly registered, and able to enter contracts.

Quality identifiers and resolution

Clause 3 defines quality identifier, identifier issuer, prefix name server (PNS), and concept encoding. These terms matter because the standard expects identifiers to be resolvable back to the dataset they represent, which supports machine processing and reduces ambiguity in master data exchange.

Related terms such as international part number (IPN), international facility identifier (IFI), and facility location show how the same identifier logic extends beyond legal entities to parts and facilities. For implementers, this means the document supports a structured way to identify what was bought, where it is located, and who is responsible for it.

Verification, certification, and security

Clause 3 defines certificate, certificate authority, certificate record, certificate description, and certificate recipient. These terms matter when a party needs to show that an item, service, organization, or location meets a stated certification requirement and that the evidence can be checked later.

The document also defines callback security and industrial internet. In practical use, these terms describe trusted electronic exchange where the identities of the requester and responder are verified before data is exchanged.

Procurement and supplier management

Clause 3 defines procurement, sourcing, strategic sourcing, onboarding, know your customer (KYC), know your item (KYI), and know your supplier (KYS). These terms matter because they describe the data gathering and validation steps used before a supplier, material, or service is approved.

For buyers and procurement teams, the vocabulary helps separate supplier selection, master data creation, and ongoing verification. That is useful when documenting due diligence, responsible sourcing, and control of item and supplier records.

What terms does ISO 25500-2 define?

• Authoritative legal entity identifier (ALEI) - an identifier assigned by the authority that granted and maintains a legal entity’s legal existence and contracting right.
• International business registration number (IBRN) - the formatted identifier used to reference a legally authorized trading entity in a register.
• International business identifier (IBID) - a string that combines the IBRN, legal name, and date of origin to identify a trading entity.
• Quality identifier - an ISO 8000-115 compliant identifier with a registered, globally unique prefix that resolves to the dataset it represents.
• Prefix name server (PNS) - a register of prefixes that identifies the owner of an identifier prefix and provides an electronic address for resolution.
• Know your customer (KYC) - the process of verifying customer identity to prevent fraud and other misuse.
• Know your item (KYI) - the process of verifying item specifications, origin, certifications, and related information.
• Know your supplier (KYS) - the process of verifying supplier identity for sourcing, risk reduction, and related business goals.

Who uses ISO 25500-2?

ISO 25500-2 is used by organizations that need shared vocabulary for supply chain interoperability and integration. That includes procurement teams, buyers, suppliers, master data teams, certification and compliance teams, and software developers building data exchange or verification systems.

It is also relevant to organizations working across applications, facilities, companies, and borders where legal entity identity, product identity, and location identity must be handled consistently. In practice, these users rely on the standard when onboarding suppliers, verifying certificates, classifying trading parties, and documenting sourcing data.

Which standards are used with ISO 25500-2?

ISO 25500-2 has no normative references, but it points to several related standards in notes and the bibliography:

• ISO 25500-1 - gives an example of a supply chain data formatting contract clause.
• ISO 25500-3 - describes how to construct the IBID and how to verify trading entity data.
• ISO 8000-115 - defines quality identifiers and the prefix-based resolution model used for several identifiers in this vocabulary.
• ISO 8000-116 - defines authoritative legal entity identifiers and the IBRN.
• ISO 8000-118 - defines natural location identifiers, used here for facility location.
• ISO 3166-1 and ISO 3166-2 - support jurisdiction prefix creation through country and subdivision codes.
• ISO 8601-1 - supports date representation used in identifier formats.
• ISO 10303-1 - defines the meaning of the object identifier used in Annex A.
• ISO 20400:2017 - is the source for the definition of procurement.
• ISO/IEC 8824-1 - provides the notation basis for the Annex A object identifier.

What does the ISO 25500-2 document contain?

ISO 25500-2 contains a vocabulary of supply chain interoperability and integration terms, with definitions, notes to entries, examples, and some source attributions. The entries cover legal entities, identifiers, registers, facilities, certificates, procurement, and trust-related concepts used in automated supply chain data exchange.

The document also includes an informative Annex A that gives a document identifier for open-system use. The bibliography lists related ISO, ISO/IEC, and ISO 20400 references that support the terminology and identifier concepts used throughout the document.

International
Standard
ISO 25500-2
First edition
Supply chain interoperability and
2026-11
integration —
Part 2:
Vocabulary
Interopérabilité et intégration dans la chaîne
d'approvisionnement —
Partie 2: Vocabulaire
Reference number
© ISO 2026
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
Annex A (informative) Document identification . 9
Bibliography .10

iii
Foreword
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 184, Automation systems and integration,
Subcommittee SC 5, Interoperability, integration, and architectures for enterprise systems and automation
applications.
A list of all parts in the ISO 25500 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
Supply chains need standardized solutions to increase their effectiveness, efficiency, and security of business
through greater interoperability and integration across applications, facilities, companies, and borders. For
interoperable, integrated, and sustainable supply chains, key data elements need to be verified through
automated processing. At each step of planning, sourcing, making, delivering, and returning, buyers and
suppliers need standardized ways to request, reply to, and read data to verify it in a way that is computer
processable, automated, and efficient. The ISO 25500 series for supply chain interoperability and integration
(SCII) addresses these needs. A vocabulary for the ISO 25500 series enables users to understand the overall
subject matter of supply chain interoperability and integration.
Organizations can use this document on its own or in conjunction with other parts of the ISO 25500 series.
Annex A contains an identifier that conforms to ISO/IEC 8824-1. The identifier unambiguously identifies this
document in an open information system.

v
International Standard ISO 25500-2:2026(en)
Supply chain interoperability and integration —
Part 2:
Vocabulary
1 Scope
This document defines terms relating to supply chain interoperability and integration. These terms are used
in documents developed in the ISO 25500 series for supply chain interoperability and integration.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
administered area
legally defined geographic area with points of demarcation where a defined population is subject to specified
rules governed by a defined administrative entity (3.2)
3.2
administrative entity
legal entity (3.40) with authority to define and enforce rules
3.3
authoritative legal entity identifier
ALEI
identifier (3.27) assigned by the government agency that has granted and maintains an entity’s legal
existence including its right to enter into legally binding contracts
EXAMPLE An identifier assigned by a government business register (3.52) to reference a registered business.
Note 1 to entry: Government agencies are typically formed through legal actions such as proclamations, regulations,
and acts and are not typically referred to by an identifier within those acts. Thus, a government agency’s legal name
(3.42) is its ALEI.
Note 2 to entry: ISO 8000-116 specifies how to represent the ALEI as an ISO 8000-115 conforming quality identifier
(3.51) making it an international business registration number (IBRN) (3.32). The ISO 25500-3 formatted international
business identifier (IBID) (3.31) includes the IBRN as part of a string that is used to definitively identify a legal entity
(3.40).
3.4
authoritative identifier
identifier issued by an entity that is the authoritative source (3.5) or that is a legal authority
EXAMPLE The original part manufacturer issues the authoritative identifier for that part. Distributors can also
assign proxy identifiers (3.50) (not authoritative identifiers).

Note 1 to entry: An authoritative legal entity identifier (3.3) is an authoritative identifier issued by a governing
authority that granted and maintains its legal existence.
3.5
authoritative source
originator of the legal entity (3.40) or object identified
3.6
callback security
system used for protecting a computer network and its users, in which a user calls into a computer, which
checks the person’s username and password, ends the call, and then calls back the number or other form of
address connected with that username and password
3.7
certificate
representation of a record of an assertion or an observation of the occurrence of an event by a third party
3.8
certificate agent
legal entity (3.40) that has carried out the certification and handles the certification procedures for the
certificate authority (3.9)
3.9
certificate authority
certificate issuer
entity issuing the certificate (3.7) and which maintains the certificate record (3.14)
3.10
certificate expiration date
date after which the certificate (3.7) is no longer valid
3.11
certificate identifier
certificate number
unique identifier (3.27) assigned to the certificate (3.7)
3.12
certificate issue date
date when the certificate (3.7) was issued
3.13
certificate recipient
identified legal entity (3.40), as referenced by the legal entity’s international business registration number
(IBRN) (3.32) and legal name (3.42), to which the certificate (3.7) was issued
3.14
certificate record
dataset (3.23) maintained by a certificate authority (3.9) sufficient for the purposes of verifying that the
recipient has fulfilled the certification requirements
3.15
certificate description
certificate domain
description of the certification requirements including, if appropriate for understanding what the certificate
(3.7) covers, the procedure by which a party records that an individual, organization, item, service, or
location conforms to a specified requirement
3.16
certificate description identifier
ISO 8000-115 identifier (3.27) that points to a certificate description (3.15)

3.17
certification date
date when the certification took place
3.18
certified item
identified product, material, location, or other object, referenced by the item’s quality identifier (3.51), for
which the certificate (3.7) was issued
3.19
characteristic data
description of an entity by the class to which it belongs and a set of property values
3.20
citizenship type
jurisdictional authority of legal entity’s (3.40) registration
Note 1 to entry: Registrations that have their initial formation within the jurisdictional authority are domestic
registrations; registrations that are granted to an entity that has a domestic registration outside of the jurisdictional
authority are foreign registrations.
3.21
concept encoding
technique of replacing natural language terms in a message with quality identifiers (3.51) that reference data
dictionary entries
3.22
data
tangible, reinterpretable representation of information (3.30) in a formalized manner suitable for
communication, interpretation, or processing
3.23
dataset
characteristic data (3.19) that describes the object or legal entity (3.40) identified
3.24
date of origin
date of creation of a legal subject or object
3.25
facility
physical space in which a function is performed
3.26
facility location
geospatial address of the primary access into a facility (3.25) where administration is performed
3.27
identifier
string of characters created by a legal entity (3.40) to reference a dataset (3.23)
3.28
identifier issuer
legal entity (3.40) that issued the identifier (3.27) referenced and so can resolve the identifier to the dataset
(3.23) it represents
Note 1 to entry: ISO 8000-115 specifies how a globally unique, registered prefix placed before an identifier indicates
the identifier owner or issuer.
Note 2 to entry: ISO 8000-116 specifies how to identify a legal entity (3.40) through an international business
registration number (IBRN) (3.32) and ISO 25500-3 describes how to construct an international business identifier
(IBID) (3.31) to definitively identify a legal entity.

3.29
industrial internet
efficient and trusted environment for sharing industrial data (3.22) using callback security (3.6) where the
legal identity of the party requesting data verification and the legal identity of the party replying to the
request are verified
Note 1 to entry: The efficient and trusted environment is achieved by using registered ISO 8000-115 conforming
prefixes where each prefix owner is identified with an ISO 25500-3 international business identifier, IBID (3.31).
The IBID can be verified with the authoritative source (3.5) as an active registration of a legal business. Routing the
requests and the replies through an ISO 8000 prefix name server (3.48) maintains the confidential electronic address
information (3.30) used for the exchange of verified data between known, verified legal entities (3.40).
Note 2 to entry: Adoption of the ISO 25500-1 supply chain data formatting contract clause (3.56) supports the
implementation of the industrial internet.
3.30
information
knowledge concerning objects and legal entities (3.40) that within a certain context has a particular meaning
3.31
international business identifier
IBID
string of characters consisting of the three fields that uniquely identify a trading entity (3.57) [(the
ISO 8000-116 formatted international business registration number (IBRN) (3.32), the legal name (3.42),
and the date of origin (3.24) as eight numeric characters (YYYYMMDD)] separated b
...