What company role in Catena-X is the right fit for you

The Catena-X registration process may throw up some questions if you aren’t certain of your company’s role. We take a look at the key roles — Active Participant, Service Provider, Application Provider, and Onboarding Service Provider — to help you quickly wrap up your registration.

Defining your company role in Catena-X

Once you’ve decided on Catena-X, you’ll be directed to begin the registration process via the Cofinity-X portal. The first few steps are pretty straightforward, such as entering your company’s details and setting a password. But when it comes to clarifying the right role for your company, you may find that you have a few questions.

Many businesses struggle with understanding where they fit into the ecosystem, leading to registration errors and delays. To ensure a smooth registration, businesses should take the time to identify their role before beginning the process. The good news? More than likely, you’ll register as an “Active Participant”. That simply means you want to provide and exchange data with business partners.

What do the other roles mean? The Cofinity-X portal has built-in explanations, but for added clarity, we have summarized them for you here. Here’s an overview of the four different roles available in the Catena-X dataspace:

The four key roles in Catena-X

1. Active Participants (Data Providers & Consumers)

The majority of companies in Catena-X fall under this category. These businesses either provide or consume data, or both. Their role is crucial for facilitating seamless data exchanges within the network. Examples of Active Participants include major industry players like Continental, Magna and Bosch, but also their many suppliers.

2. Service Providers

These companies offer consulting and advisory services to help businesses navigate and integrate with Catena-X. They assist with process optimization, compliance and overall implementation strategies. Well-known service providers in this space include CGI and Capgemini.

3. Application Providers

Software companies that develop and distribute applications based on Catena-X standards fall into this category. They contribute by creating tools that enhance the platform’s functionality and usability. Examples of application providers are SAP and O9 Solutions.

4. Onboarding Service Providers (OSPs)

An OSP is an agency that supports new participants in every step along the way. They thereby act as intermediaries, streamlining the registration process for companies unfamiliar with the ecosystem. These providers handle administrative and technical onboarding, ensuring smooth integration. T-Systems is a well-known OSP operating within the Catena-X network.

Where Cofinity-X comes in

Not mentioned above is the role of Operator, because that is the role of Cofinity-X, enabling access to the dataspace and ensuring seamless operation. Cofinity-X is the first operator of the Catena-X dataspace, providing governance, security and continuous improvements to enhance the ecosystem for all participants.

Other roles, e.g. user roles

Once your registration is completed and approved, you will also explore different portal user roles for different responsibilities. These include:

• Company Admin – manages registrations, configurations, and user management
• CX User – explores services and business applications but can’t create agreements
• Purchaser – subscribes to apps and services
• IT Admin – oversees technical operations and configurations
• Business Admin – handles subscriptions and invites users

You’ve got this!

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For companies joining Catena-X, selecting the right role is a crucial first step. This article, combined with resources available on the Catena-X portal and our Intercom Help Center, should provide you with a helpful roadmap for a smooth onboarding experience – but don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!

Start your journey today and unlock the full potential of data-driven collaboration with Catena-X.

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Related links

‍Read more about company roles at Catena-X.

Read more about onboarding as an Active Participant (Data Provider & User).

Get a better idea for how Catena-X can benefit your company.

Learn more about the difference between Catena-X and Cofinity-X and how to get started.

Read more about the registration process.

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