Traceability is the ability to trace a product’s history, the operations applied to it and its distribution location, from raw material to shipment.
The real test: recall
The value of traceability is invisible in normal operation. The test comes when a problem is detected: which parts were affected, where were they shipped, which raw material batch did they come from?
How quickly and with how narrow a scope you can answer these questions directly determines the cost.
Batch size is a design decision
The larger the batch, the wider the recall scope in the event of a problem. Thousands of unaffected parts falling into scope is a direct loss.
Traceability is therefore not a labelling job but a design decision: batch size, recording points, data retention period and the linking of systems must be planned in advance.
Relationship with product safety
Traceability is one of the foundations of the product safety capability, and the effective operation of the PSCR role depends on it.
The only way to know whether the system really works is to run a drill with a recall scenario and measure the response time.
System design, the batch size decision and testing a recall scenario are addressed in the CQI-28 traceability training. For the product safety side, see the PSCR training.