Traceability is the ability to follow the identity, history, location or use of a product, material or record through defined stages. The required depth depends on the risk and the decisions the record must support.
How should a business apply Traceability?
Choose the traceability unit and link supplier, material, process, inspection, shipment and customer records with controlled identifiers.
What records support Traceability?
Test whether a finished item can be traced backward and affected inputs can be traced forward within the required time.
Traceability: control and evidence
| Area | What the record should show |
|---|---|
| Control | Choose the traceability unit and link supplier, material, process, inspection, shipment and customer records with controlled identifiers. |
| Evidence | Test whether a finished item can be traced backward and affected inputs can be traced forward within the required time. |
| Tradeoff | Collecting lot numbers without linking them across records creates the appearance of traceability but not a usable chain. |
What should buyers verify about Traceability?
Collecting lot numbers without linking them across records creates the appearance of traceability but not a usable chain.
