Ontology of Product Provenance for Value Networks

Abstract

The economic issues surrounding value networks have received much attention from the research community in business modeling. However, other aspects can also influence the success of a network. One of them is sharing subjacent information that has value for the actors involved and fulfills a consumer’s business need, such as product provenance. Thus, it is also essential to address these aspects in business modeling. Considering that provenance is a significant value to be explored, this work proposes an ontology for modeling value networks with an indication of provenance, focused on geographical indications. The ontology allows configuring models that show different ways of sharing information to assist business analysts in making strategic decisions about their value propositions for consumers. The Design Science Methodology and an Ontology Engineering methodology (SAMOD) guided the design of the ontology. Technical Action Research (TAR) supported the validation of the ontology in a Brazilian biotechnology company providing organic beverages. Expert opinion helped evaluate the utility of the ontology according to the support to decision-making provided by its derived models. This research also provides new insights into the importance of considering provenance information essential for modeling business networks, especially in economic and environmental sustainability cases.