Traceability Solutions: A Journey Through Time and Technology

Traceability is far from a new concept. In the 1930s, it certified the origin of premium goods like French champagne. Today, it is more relevant than ever.

Technology that enables traceability has evolved a long way from these humble beginnings. Over the past three decades, regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals and tobacco have set technical standards. At the same time, food safety issues, such as Asian bird flu, have further underscored the importance of supply chain transparency.

Together, these developments have transformed traceability systems from simple verification methods to sophisticated systems that use unique identifiers (UIDs) and supply chain event data to safeguard product quality and security.

What has driven the transformation of traceability? The journey towards digital systems

Traceability technology has undergone a profound transformation over the last century. In the 1930s, certificates were used to verify the origins of luxury products before being replaced by simple labels.

Back then, a physical token was deemed sufficient to monitor the movement of goods. Gradually, labels evolved from incorporating one-dimensional codes to machine-readable formats, which seamlessly integrated with digital systems.