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In the distribution andlogistics of many types of products,track and trace ortracking and tracing, a type oftracking system, is a process of determining the current and past locations and other information of a unique item or property.Mass serialization is the process of assigning and marking each product with aunique identifier, such as anElectronic Product Code (EPC), for track and trace purposes. The marking or "tagging" of products is usually completed within the manufacturing process through various combinations of human-readable or machine-readable technologies such asDataMatrix barcodes orRFID.
The track and trace concept is part of moderntelematics and can be supported by avehicle tracking system. This often relies onautomatic vehicle location technology for vehicles and containers with the property of concern, with data stored in areal-time database. This data, a form oftelemetry, is used forfleet management to compose a coherent depiction of status reports.
Another approach is to report the arrival or departure of the object, recording its identification, location, time, and status. This method requires verifying the reports for consistency and completeness. An example of this is thepackage tracking provided by shippers, such as theUnited States Postal Service,Deutsche Post,Royal Mail,United Parcel Service,AirRoad, orFedEx.
The international standards organizationEPCglobal underGS1 has ratified the EPC network standards (esp. the EPC information servicesEPCIS standard), which codify the syntax and semantics forsupply chain events and the secure method for selectively sharing supply chain events with trading partners. These standards for tracking and tracing have been used in deployments in many industries, and many products are certified as compatible with them. In vehicular applications, tracking is often accomplished using aGPS tracking unit which communicates through atelematic control unit. More advanced systems incorporatevideo telematics, using devices like adashcam to provide visual context for tracking events.
In response to an increasing number ofrecall incidents for items like food, pharmaceuticals, and toys, vendors offer a range oftraceability solutions and tools.Radio-frequency identification andbarcodes are two common technologies used to deliver traceability.[1]
RFID is often used in track-and-trace solutions and within supply chains. As a code-carrying technology, it can be used in place of a barcode to enable non-line-of-sight reading. The deployment of RFID was earlier inhibited by cost, but its usage is now increasing.
Barcoding is a common and cost-effective method used to implement traceability at both the item and case level. Variable data in a barcode or a numeric or alphanumeric code format can be applied to the packaging or label. The data can be used as a pointer to traceability information and can also correlate with production data such as time to market and product quality.[2]
Packagingconverters have a choice of three different classes of technology to print barcodes:
Serialization supports supply chain agility, providing visibility into supply chain activities and the ability to take responsive action. Benefits include the ability to recognize and isolatecounterfeit products and to improve the efficiency of product recall management.[3]
Consumers can access websites to trace the origins of their purchased products or to find the status of shipments.[4] A user can type a code found on an item into a search box at a tracing website to view information. This can also be done via asmartphone by taking a picture of a 2D barcode, which opens a website that verifies the product (i.e., product authentication).
Serialization is used for safety in thepharmaceutical industry, where it is often legally required.[5]
The same tracking principles are also used in widerintelligent transportation systems, inpublic transport to provide real-time arrival information, and to help powerjourney planners.