The short answer
Raw material batch traceability means that for any batch in your stores you can say which supplier it came from, which purchase order and delivery it arrived on, when it was received, what quality decided and where it is now. It depends on one habit — capturing a batch number at receipt — and on each later record carrying that batch number forward.
The questions traceability should answer
- Which supplier and purchase order did this batch come from?
- When was it received, and against which delivery?
- What did quality inspection decide, and how much was rejected?
- Where is it stored now, and how much is left?
- What stock movements have happened to it since receipt?
These are backward-traceability questions — from material to its source. Forward traceability, from a raw material batch into the finished goods it went into, additionally needs production records.
Building the chain, step by step
| Step | Record | Must reference |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Purchase order line | Supplier and material |
| Delivery | Delivery schedule line | Purchase order line |
| Receipt | GRN line with batch number | Delivery schedule line |
| Quality | Inspection result | GRN line and batch |
| Stock | Balance by batch and bin | Inspection result (accepted quantity) |
| Movement | Transfer, issue or adjustment | Batch and location |
If any link is missing — say, stock is recorded by material but not by batch — the chain breaks at that point and everything downstream has to be reconstructed by hand.
Put the batch number on the material
A batch number in a system is only useful if people on the floor can find it on the physical material. A printed label on each bag, coil, drum or pallet closes that gap.
| QR code | Code 128 barcode | |
|---|---|---|
| Read with | Any phone camera | Handheld barcode scanner (many phones too) |
| Best for | Opening a lot’s page from the shop floor | Fast keyed entry of the batch number |
| Holds | A web address or text | Letters and numbers, such as a batch ID |
| Label size | Square; small labels work | Wide and short; needs horizontal space |
Many factories use both: QR for anyone with a phone, Code 128 for stores staff with scanners.
A note on requirements
Traceability expectations vary widely by industry and customer — automotive, pharmaceutical, food and electrical supply chains each have their own rules. Good batch records support whatever your customers ask for, but software alone does not make a plant compliant with any specific standard. Check your customer and industry requirements directly.
How mosaicOne handles batch traceability
In mosaicOne, the batch number is captured on the GRN and carried through quality inspection into inventory. The trace view shows the supplier, purchase order, delivery batch, GRN, QA result, storage location and stock movements for a batch. Each lot can be printed as a QR code or Code 128 barcode label on A4 sticker sheets; scanning the QR opens the lot’s page with its material, batch, GRN, QA and supplier details, and signing in shows live quantity and the full trace. Traceability through production into finished goods is on the roadmap.
Key takeaways
- Capture a batch number at receipt — everything else depends on it.
- Every later record should reference the record before it.
- Label the physical material so the floor can find the batch.
- Traceability supports compliance but does not by itself certify it.