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.
The operating decision
Choose the traceability unit and link supplier, material, process, inspection, shipment and customer records with controlled identifiers.
What to keep
Test whether a finished item can be traced backward and affected inputs can be traced forward within the required time.
| 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. |
A practical limitation
Collecting lot numbers without linking them across records creates the appearance of traceability but not a usable chain.
Related definitions: supplier qualification, strategic sourcing, landed cost.
