Product Traceability
Definition
The ability to identify a product or its components and to follow their movement and transformation through the supply chain, both forward from source to market and backward from a finished item to its inputs.
Expanded Explanation
Traceability has two directions and both are required in practice. Tracing back answers where a material or component came from, which is what substance restrictions, due diligence and recall scoping depend on. Tracing forward answers where a batch went, which is what determines who must be notified when a defect is found.
Its resolution is set by the identifier level. If records are kept only at model level, a problem in one production run cannot be separated from the rest of the range, and any corrective action must cover the whole model. Batch level records narrow the exposure; serial level records narrow it to individual items.
Traceability is also increasingly a legal expectation rather than an operational preference. Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 requires economic operators to identify the operators who supplied them and to whom they supplied products, and instruments such as Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation free products require geolocation level evidence for specific commodities.
Why It Matters
A passport is only as credible as the traceability behind it. Declaring recycled content, country of manufacture or a carbon figure without records that link the claim to a specific batch produces a statement that cannot be defended to a market surveillance authority.
Common Misconceptions
Most sustainability and material claims originate several tiers upstream, at the processor, mill or smelter. Visibility limited to direct suppliers usually cannot substantiate them.
Related Terms
Related Knowledge Base Articles
Related Articles
- Supply Chain Tier
- EPCIS
- Product Identifier
- Authoritative Source
- Data Architecture
- Golden Record
- Product Data
- Product Data Governance
See Also
References
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance and compliance of products: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1020/oj
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation free products: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1115/oj
- ISO 9001, quality management systems, requirements: https://www.iso.org/standard/62085.html
About This Article
tieback Knowledge is a continuously maintained reference library covering Digital Product Passports, product traceability, product compliance and related regulations. Articles are reviewed regularly as legislation, standards and implementation guidance evolve.