Mastering Traceability: Ensuring Safety and Efficiency Across Industries.
It is common to hear and apply the term “Traceability” in many contexts within companies and in daily life, often without being fully aware of its varied definitions. A brief definition of traceability is the tracking or monitoring of a product and, where appropriate, its components. To do this effectively, traceability must allow to identify and record the information necessary to improve control processes and guarantee product quality.
In this post, we will explore in depth the concept of traceability and its importance in the supply chain. From its definition to its practical application, we will discover how companies are using technology and efficient processes to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency in the distribution of goods worldwide.
What is traceability?
The sector in which it is considered most critical to have a good traceability system in place, both internal and external, is the food sector, as it directly affects the health of consumers.
“Traceability is understood as the set of pre established and self sufficient procedures that allow knowing the history, location, and trajectory of a product or batch of products throughout the supply chain at a given time, through certain tools.”
However, like the food sector, other sectors need to control the trace of the products they produce very well because they manage products that may affect the health or safety of the consumer. Significant examples include the cosmetic sector, the automotive sector, and even the construction sector, among others.
For a Product Traceability Software to be effective and useful for supply chain tracking purposes, it fundamentally needs two things:
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A reliable information recording system at all necessary points in the supply chain.
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Tools and technology that allow you to consult the information provided quickly and unequivocally.
“Basically it is about establishing quick and reliable processes for the registration and consultation of information.”
To see how it is managed, we will look at the types of traceability that we can find and the different procedures that we can apply.
Types of traceability.
To better understand the scope of the concept of traceability, it is good to analyze the different types , which can be classified according to different criteria:
1.Depending on the supply chain stage.
External backward traceability (downward or downstream):
It refers to identifying and recording information related to raw materials or products that arrive at the company, along with supplier information.
It should allow us to know product information such as the following:
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Product received.
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From whom we receive the product.
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When it has been received.
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What have we done with the product received?
Internal traceability (both backward and forward):
It focuses on tracking a product within our company, both from its destination or internal consumption point backward (to its internal point of origin) or vice versa.
It should allow us to know product information such as the following:
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From which products a new product has been created.
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What is the new product?
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When a product has been divided, changed, or mixed with others.
Forward external traceability (upstream or upstream):
It refers to identifying and recording the information of all the merchandise that leaves the company, and that is going to be delivered to its recipient (customer or consumer).
It should allow us to know product information such as the following:
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Who is the recipient to whom a product has been delivered.
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To which customer the product has been sold.
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When the product has been sold.
2.According to the product control unit.
Batch Traceability:
Used to track products that are manufactured in batches. It is the most common in industries such as automotive, food, or pharmaceutical industries. It is extremely useful to ensure consumer safety as it allows defective or dangerous products to be identified and removed efficiently. The batch traceability system allows the manufacturer to select and locate only the affected owners in the event of a defective part appearing in the manufacturing of a car, summon them, and have them go to the workshop. It also makes it possible to remove unsuitable food or medicine from its distribution centers and notify the population before it causes a problem or when it is still small.
Traceability of the unitary product:
It is not incompatible with batch traceability but adds an extra level of security and control as this type of traceability allows the tracking of individual products, instead of or in addition to the batch. A very clear example of this type of tracking is the serial or frame number that identifies certain products. In the pharmaceutical industry, for example, it allows a product to be traced back to its unit to guarantee its authenticity or safety.
Geospatial traceability:
It is the traceability system that takes advantage of current geolocation to know the location of a product in real time, as it travels along the supply chain. It is the current big star in industries such as logistics and transportation. Perhaps the best known is the ability to respond to the consumer's need to know, "Where is my order?" It seems trivial, but it is a contribution of added value that directly influences the level of satisfaction with the purchasing experience, which is why it is offered by the best known Marketplaces with increasing precision.
Traceability software.
We have seen the many reasons why traceability is a critical element for companies seeking to operate effectively in today's globalized market.
In this sense, the choice of appropriate traceability software will have a significant impact on our ability as a company to meet the traceability demands of this highly dynamic environment.
Some tips that software that allows traceability control must comply with are:
Ability to integrate multiple systems:
At an international level it will be inevitable to deal with various traceability systems and standards that vary from one country to another. Therefore, our software must be able to integrate with all of them, facilitating communication with our business partners around the world.
Process automation:
Automation in data collection streamlines management and reduces the likelihood of human error, ensuring critical information is accurately recorded and shared.
Document management:
In the 21st century of artificial intelligence, there are still pockets of printed documentation in logistics. Therefore, effective management software must take this into account and be able to efficiently manage some paper documents that resist being versioned in digital format.
Real-time visibility:
Good software allows us to monitor the movement of our products in real time, thus allowing us to make informed decisions.
Conclusions.
Traceability is an essential component of supply chain management. We could define it simply as the set of procedures that a company has to track the history and location of a product throughout its supply chain. Thanks to traceability, we can guarantee the quality, safety, and efficiency of the global distribution of our products.
Traceability solutions work effectively if they address two key elements: it must be reliable in data collection, and it must use technological tools that allow instant access to information.
Therefore, choosing appropriate software is capable of integrating with multiple systems and standards, automating processes, managing paper documentation, providing real time visibility, and ensuring regulatory compliance streamlines processes, reduces human errors, and ensures accurate data exchange.
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