<s>
The	O
Transparent	B-Device
Prototype	I-Device
is	O
a	O
project	O
in	O
the	O
automotive	O
industry	O
to	O
track	O
and	O
trace	O
test	O
vehicles	O
and	O
prototype	B-Application
parts	I-Application
using	O
Radio	B-Application
Frequency	I-Application
Identification	I-Application
(	O
RFID	B-Application
)	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
objective	O
of	O
the	O
project	O
"	O
Transparent	B-Device
Prototype	I-Device
"	O
is	O
the	O
tracking	O
&	O
tracing	O
of	O
test	O
vehicles	O
and	O
prototype	B-Application
parts	I-Application
via	O
Radio	B-Application
Frequency	I-Application
Identification	I-Application
(	O
RFID	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
development	O
phase	O
,	O
prototype	B-Application
vehicles	O
are	O
subject	O
to	O
continuous	O
change	O
and	O
reassembly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Currently	O
,	O
these	O
changes	O
are	O
still	O
documented	O
by	O
using	O
barcodes	O
or	O
data	B-Algorithm
matrix	I-Algorithm
codes	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Transparent	B-Device
Prototype	I-Device
"	O
aims	O
to	O
substitute	O
these	O
manual	O
procedures	O
with	O
RFID	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
done	O
with	O
so	O
called	O
RFID	B-Application
gates	O
(	O
see	O
figure	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apart	O
from	O
RFID	B-Application
the	O
project	O
"	O
Transparent	B-Device
Prototype	I-Device
"	O
also	O
addresses	O
enhanced	O
electronical	O
data	O
interchange	O
(	O
EDI	O
)	O
among	O
automotive	O
manufacturers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
supply	O
chain	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Transparent	B-Device
Prototype	I-Device
"	O
project	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
showcases	O
of	O
the	O
Industry	B-General_Concept
4.0	I-General_Concept
initiative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
the	O
German	O
Association	O
of	O
the	O
Automotive	O
Industry	O
(	O
VDA	O
)	O
established	O
the	O
cross-company	O
working	O
group	O
"	O
Transparent	B-Device
Prototype	I-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
working	O
group	O
developed	O
the	O
industry	O
recommendation	O
VDA	O
5509	O
,	O
which	O
describes	O
the	O
process	O
and	O
technical	O
solutions	O
for	O
tracking	O
&	O
tracing	O
test	O
vehicles	O
and	O
prototype	B-Application
parts	I-Application
with	O
RFID	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
RFID-based	O
tracking	O
&	O
tracing	O
of	O
test	O
vehicles	O
and	O
prototype	B-Application
parts	I-Application
with	O
RFID	B-Application
has	O
been	O
implemented	O
in	O
practice	O
extensively	O
since	O
2013/2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
the	O
technical	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
Volkswagen	O
brand	O
is	O
supplied	O
by	O
approximately	O
400	O
suppliers	O
with	O
RFID	B-Application
labeled	O
components	O
,	O
the	O
whole	O
VW	O
group	O
receives	O
RFID	B-Application
components	O
from	O
more	O
than	O
500	O
suppliers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
this	O
reason	O
,	O
the	O
project	O
currently	O
ranks	O
among	O
the	O
most	O
significant	O
RFID	B-Application
initiatives	O
within	O
the	O
automotive	O
industry	O
and	O
is	O
therefore	O
a	O
driver	O
for	O
cross-company	O
RFID	B-Application
standardization	O
in	O
the	O
context	O
of	O
Industry	B-General_Concept
4.0	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
