Sometimes we ask ourselves this question, and look in the label for an answer, here we can find where the products are produce and maybe who distributes them, but for example if we want to know where does the raw material comes from, or how many transformations process have been, it’s necesarry to have a good traceability process. Also, when we talk about logistics we usually think on how the product starts from raw materials until it reach the final consumer, but we never notice the importance of having the ability to track the products backwards. Many companies don’t think about this situation, or don’t even recognize the terminology.

What is Treaceability?

In simple word Treaceability is the ability to track and trace the source of raw materials to the final destination of the product. The supply chains of products continue to increase in scope and complexity. Companies operate more globally. Trading partners, regulators and consumers need and demand more information about the products they purchase and use. With this added complexity the ability to track the product becomes ever more important. Traceability enables products to be made visible across the supply chain, helps to building the fundamental blocks within quality control the risk management and other types of systems.

What information is need to have an efficient Traceability?

For managing a successful traceability we need three type of information:

• Master data – data which is permanent or relatively constant over time and provides descriptive attributes to the identification of products, parties and physical locations (e.g. name of company, contact details, address)
• Transaction data – data created from trade transactions triggering or confirming the execution of a function within a business process such as loading or unloading, or a business process in a business arrangement (e.g. time of production, best before date)
• Visibility event data – data detailing physical activity of products or other assets answering the “What, When, Where and Why” at real-time (e.g. temperature log)

Besides the theory, I want that you guys understand the importance of traceability. For example in the food industry, if you get sick because you eat a Big Mac, you as a customer go and complain; What should Mc Donalds do? Imagine they do not have a good traceability system, they don’t have all their products identifies with barcodes and they have no idea where does their products come from.

Without this information they don’t know where to start searching for the possible causes of the complain. With a good traceability system where all the supply chain works together and identifies each product, when it comes to looking for possible causes of a problem is very easy, to know the supplier that delivered their product, the exact batch number of the raw material used in that specific Bic Mac, and with this information they don’t have to implement radical general solutions such as closing the restaurant.

If you guys want to know more about traceability and identification, here you can interact in a very dynamic way with all supply chain, and discover all the types of identification needed.

Really cool, check it out —> http://discover.gs1.org/cpg/