What is traceability?
Tracing products from the consumer to the raw material
The term traceability is derived from the English word traceability. It refers to the ability to track a product throughout its entire life cycle. This Track & Trace starts with raw materials and semi-finished products, includes manufacturing and assembly processes and extends to delivery to retailers and customers. The last step in the product life cycle, which should be traceable, is disposal.
Serialization through unique codes
Basis for product tracking
Goods can be traced by assigning a unique coding to each individual item. This so-called serialization makes it possible to find out who was involved in the production, processing and storage of a product, when and where, and how it was transported, sold and disposed of.
The codes for serialization and traceability vary in detail depending on the industry and company requirements. They can contain the following elements:
- Batch number
- Best before date
- Date of manufacture
- Serial number
- Product or medicinal product description.
- Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN) of the manufacturer
- Storage unit (SKU)
- Production line and machine details
To ensure reliable traceability, all product markings have to be permanent, clearly readable and unambiguous on products and packaging.
Consumer protection, forgery-proof, product quality
Why product traceability is important
There are legal requirements for product traceability in many industries. This is especially true where the health and safety of consumers can be particularly endangered by substandard products. These include the
- Pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry
- Medical technology
- Automotive manufacturers, automotive suppliers and the automotive industry
- Food and beverage industry
In the event of recalls and withdrawals, consistent traceability enables manufacturers to identify affected products fast and in a targeted manner and to withdraw or recall them from circulation. This protects consumers and helps companies to react fast and precisely to crises and production errors.
In addition, product tracking is an important means of increasing forgery-proofing. This is because counterfeits can be detected faster and product piracy made more difficult with appropriate markings. Ultimately, traceability also plays a role in internal quality assurance. If every raw material and every production step can be precisely traced, weak points can be better identified and rectified.
