Traceability and logistics: how they interact

Traceability is of direct concern to logisticians for two main reasons.

The first is that a company or organization cannot structure a traceability system without involving its logisticians (or "supply chain managers"), insofar as they are responsible for steering the physical flows and associated information, both within their company and at the interface with upstream and downstream supply chain partners.

The second is that, if they are involved in its design, a traceability system is an invaluable tool for logisticians, helping them to manage physical flows (visibility on flow circulation) and continuously improve logistics processes (memory of problems encountered and information on their potential causes).

Finally, in the event of a problem (e.g., a batch presenting a danger to consumption or use) requiring intervention, it is the logisticians who are responsible, in cooperation with other company players (such as the quality manager, communications manager, etc.), for finalizing and executing procedures for locating, blocking, withdrawing, returning and possibly repackaging, destroying or recycling.

Although this dossier looks at traceability from the logistician's point of view, it does not concern logisticians alone. Rather, our aim is to show the value of including logisticians in project groups dealing with traceability issues, both to ensure that logistics systems enable traceability, and to ensure that the traceability system is useful to logistics.

This presentation deliberately focuses more on principles than techniques, but is intended as a decision-making and project management tool. We will therefore focus on the approach to developing logistically relevant traceability systems, and discuss the main issues that arise during such projects.

We adopt a global approach to logistics as an approach to managing intra- and inter-company flows (physical flows and associated information flows, as well as flows of value associated with logistics activities). This approach covers industrial and commercial activities, as well as service activities, both tangible and intangible.

We show that traceability is a logistical principle (essential for logistics management) and how logistics contributes to the traceability system (as an information system). After presenting a typical ideal of traceability in logistics, this dossier proposes an approach for moving from the ideal to reality in companies and organizations.

Here are a few examples from the industrial, commercial and service sectors.