Why: Introduction
Relevance
The Catena-X Operating Model Whitepaper is a normative document of the Catena-X Association. Normative documents outline rules, guidelines, and characteristics for activities and results for all participants within the Catena-X ecosystem. The Catena-X ecosystem includes Governance, Standardization, Certification, Development and Operations. These are established by consensus among the working groups and approved by the executive board of the Catena-X Association. As part of the Catena-X regulatory framework, this document is binding for all participants of the Catena-X ecosystem. This normative document is a foundational building block, allowing all participants to collaborate within a global ecosystem.
Executive Summary
Introduction
With Catena-X, the automotive industry is creating targets for a trustworthy, collaborative, open, and secure data space to enable a data-driven value chain for their relevant business processes. All participants can be connected in business process-centric end-to-end value chains, where everyone operates on an equal playing field, has sovereign control over their data and no lock-in effects occur. Thereby, the digitalization of intercompany processes and value chains, especially those of small and medium-sized companies, can be performed on a cost-effective, timely, and lasting basis. Further, it ensures that market participants and competitors collaborate in a compliant and trusted way.
Objectives
This document defines the operating model and processes required within the Catena-X ecosystem. The operating model is linked to the concepts and values of Gaia-X and the International Data Space Association (IDSAIDSA The IDSA is an organization working to create the future of the global digital economy with International Data Spaces (IDS): a secure, sovereign system of data sharing where participants can realize the full value of their data.) to create the first open and collaborative data ecosystem for the automotive value chain. Thereby, Catena-X applies these concepts and extends them by integrating automotive-specific requirements for compliance, interoperability, and security. The operating model lays the foundation and is the pre-requisite for further standardization, certification, implementation, and operations of software components and partners in the Catena-X data space. The operating model is continuously updated to reflect the evolution of business and regulatory requirements, as well as emerging technologies.
Scope
The Catena-X operating model describes the entire Catena-X ecosystem, focusing on the operating environment and its roles, processes, and solutions, and how they interact. Since Catena-X is under continuous development, the document refers, where appropriate, to dynamic content that can be found on the website of the Catena-X Association.
Document updates
The Catena-X Association releases updates to its operating model in regular intervals to always guarantee a well-functioning, up-to-date framework for its data space operations. Updates are developed within the framework regulations of the Catena-X Association and require approval from the Association's executive board. Every update of this operating model will automatically be applied to all Catena-X initiatives, existing participants, and doesn't require individual approval. An update will be communicated in due time via the Catena-X Association.