4. Conclusions and trends

4.1 Traceability: a management field at the crossroads of quality, production, logistics and IT

Managing the traceability of manufacturing production is an area of management undergoing profound change. Previously a poor relation or neglected function, it is now being discovered for its potential for progress. Naturally, and as is often the case in management, industrial traceability is not the preserve of a single function, which is probably why it has not developed to the same extent to date.

The quality function probably has the most to gain from good traceability management. It is particularly interested in defect indicators and return rates. Sometimes, customer satisfaction is also one of its prerogatives, and the overall costs of non-quality (warranty...