Traceability is cross-functional by design. The challenge is not finding a department that touches it. The challenge is deciding who owns the outcome.
Product Identification and Traceability can involve coding, labelling, vision, inspection, serialisation, MES, product data, packaging automation and external regulatory or customer requirements. In a multi-site manufacturer, those responsibilities rarely sit naturally with one function.
The right operating model depends on the work that must be owned. The sections below show the most common homes for traceability capability, their strengths and the gaps that appear when responsibility is divided.