# Supply Chain Data Sharing on Kafka Share inventory, orders, and shipment data with suppliers and carriers without exposing Kafka infrastructure. Virtual clusters isolate partners. Field-level encryption protects sensitive data. Usage metering tracks consumption. [Book a demo](https://www.conduktor.io/contact/demo) Trusted by platform teams at ## Why per-partner clusters don't scale for retail. ### Infrastructure Sprawl New Kafka clusters for each supplier, carrier, and marketplace inflate cost and operational load. Topics duplicated across environments. ### Slow Partner Onboarding Weeks to provision a new supplier connection. Network changes, security reviews, and custom integration work block time-sensitive partnerships. ### Data Exposure Risk Suppliers see more data than they need. No field-level controls. Audit trails scattered across systems. ## Why Conduktor for Supply Chain Sharing - **Virtual Clusters** — Create isolated environments for each partner on existing Kafka infrastructure. No new clusters, no VPC peering, no infrastructure sprawl - **Topic Filtering** — Share specific topics with each partner. They see only the data relevant to their integration—not your entire event stream - **Field-Level Encryption** — Encrypt or mask sensitive fields per partner contract. One topic serves multiple views with different data protection levels - **Usage Metering** — Track bytes produced and consumed per partner. Export via API for billing, chargeback, or capacity planning - **Rate Limiting** — Set throughput limits per partner. Premium partners get higher quotas. Prevent any single partner from overwhelming the cluster - **Audit Trail** — Centralized logs for all partner activity across clusters. Export to SIEM or compliance systems - **Conduktor Gateway Isolation** — Partners connect through Conduktor Gateway, a Kafka proxy. Kafka brokers stay inside your network, never exposed to external parties - **Crypto-Shredding** — Delete encryption keys to revoke partner access instantly. Meet GDPR right-to-erasure without data deletion - **Multi-Region Support** — Partner zones can bind to regional clusters. Route EU partners to EU clusters for data residency compliance - **Real-Time Visibility** — Monitor partner consumption, lag, and errors from Console. Identify integration issues before partners report them - **Self-Service Onboarding** — Partners request access via API or Console. Approval workflows route to platform team. Policies auto-enforce on approval - **No Replication** — Share topics without duplicating data. One source of truth, multiple controlled views ## How Partner Data Sharing Works From signed deal to live data feed without new infrastructure. - **Define Partner Zone** — Create a virtual cluster with topics, fields, and rate limits. Attach to IdP group or external identity provider - **Set Protection Policies** — Configure field-level encryption per partner contract. Mask pricing, PII, or competitive data as needed - **Enable Metering** — Track bytes and messages per partner. Use for cost attribution, chargeback, or commercial agreement reporting - **Onboard Partner** — Partner connects through Conduktor Gateway with their credentials. Policies enforce automatically. No cluster exposure ## Key Use Cases - **Supplier Integration** — Share demand forecasts and purchase orders with suppliers. Filter to show only their products. Encrypt pricing data - **Carrier Data Feeds** — Expose shipment and tracking events to logistics partners. Different tiers of access for different carrier classes - **Marketplace Integration** — Connect order and inventory data with Amazon, Shopify, and other marketplaces. Per-marketplace topic access - **3PL Warehousing** — Share inventory and order events with third-party logistics providers. Real-time visibility into stock movements - **Returns Processing** — Let return partners consume return authorization events. Track refund status back to your systems - **Loyalty Partners** — Share customer event streams with loyalty program partners. Encrypt PII, expose only program-relevant data For Kafka cost allocation and compliance, see [data protection](https://www.conduktor.io/solutions/use-case/data-protection). For internal team self-service, see [developer self-service](https://www.conduktor.io/solutions/industry/retail-and-ecommerce/developer-self-service). For the full data sharing overview, see [Data Sharing](https://www.conduktor.io/solutions/use-case/data-sharing). ## Read more customer stories - [Swiss Post: Partner Data Sharing](https://www.conduktor.io/customer-stories/how-swiss-post-governs-democratizes-kafka-usage) - [Bitvavo: Secure External Access](https://www.conduktor.io/customer-stories/bitvavo-ensures-compliance-dora-mica) ## Frequently Asked Questions **Do partners need Kafka expertise to consume data?** No. Partners consume through standard Kafka clients. They see a simple, governed interface. Your infrastructure complexity stays hidden. **Can different partners see different fields from the same topic?** Yes. Field-level policies let you expose, mask, or encrypt specific fields per partner. One topic, multiple contractual views. **How does partner usage tracking work?** Usage metering tracks bytes, messages, and consumers per partner zone. Use for internal cost attribution, chargeback, or commercial agreement reporting. **How fast can we onboard a new supply chain partner?** A new partner zone can be configured in minutes via API or Console. No cluster provisioning, no network changes, no weeks of integration work. **How do we handle partners in different regions?** Partner zones can bind to regional clusters. Configure zones to route EU, US, or APAC partners to appropriate clusters for data residency. ## Launch your first partner zone See how retail platform teams use Conduktor to share Kafka data with suppliers and carriers without infrastructure sprawl. Get a personalized demo. [Book a demo](https://www.conduktor.io/contact/demo)