Product identification does not end with the trade name. When a company sells several variants, uses multiple suppliers or changes packaging, the same name may describe products with a different composition, design or origin. In the event of a complaint, inspection or corrective action, it must be possible to identify the specific unit, batch or series and link it to the correct documentation.
What traceability means in practice
Traceability makes it possible to reconstruct a product's journey: from the manufacturer and supplier, through the batch and documents, to the sales channel and recipient. It is not about creating as many codes as possible. It is about ensuring that the markings used in the company actually identify the correct product and are consistent with the information on the product, packaging, invoice, in the warehouse and in the online offer.
Depending on the product, the identifier may be a type, model, batch number, serial number, EAN code, the company's own SKU or a combination of these. A SKU alone is useful internally, but it is not always enough to determine which batch a notification concerns. A serial number that is not linked to a product record does not explain who supplied the goods or which version of the instructions was used at the time.
Minimum product identification record
For each active SKU, it is worth maintaining at least:
- a name and description that make it possible to distinguish the product from similar items,
- the brand, model, type and variant designation,
- the internal SKU and identifiers used outside the company,
- photographs of the product, rating plate and packaging,
- details of the manufacturer, importer and responsible person, where applicable,
- the supplier and the range of batches supplied by that entity,
- batch or serial numbers and dates of receipt,
- the markets and channels in which the product was offered,
- documents, instructions and warnings applicable to the given version,
- the date on which the data was approved and the owner of the record.
Fields should lead to the source. If the model number comes from a photograph of the label, it is worth keeping that photograph. If the supplier provided the manufacturer's data, the message or document should be saved, and the result of the verification should then be recorded.
Product, variant and batch are different levels
A catalogue often flattens these levels into a single row. The base product describes the common design. A variant may differ in size, material, colour, equipment or intended use. A batch indicates a specific series manufactured or supplied at a particular time.
Not every difference creates a separate risk assessment, but this must not be assumed automatically. The company should record which evidence is common and which relates only to a variant or batch. A change of material, power supply, subcontractor or warning may require a further review. A controlled system should retain the previous version instead of overwriting it with new data.
Relationship with documentation and risk analysis
Every document should have a clear scope. A test report for model A should not be automatically assigned to model B merely because the products look similar. For each piece of evidence, it is worth recording the model, variant, manufacturer, date, document number and limitations on its use.
The same applies to risk analysis. Its version should indicate the product and the features that were assessed. When an element that may affect safety changes, the system should trigger a review of the related hazards, instructions and warnings. As a result, the identifier is not merely a label but a key that links the entire decision trail.
Identification in online sales
An online offer should use the same controlled source as the other processes. Manually entering data separately in the shop and on the marketplace increases the risk of discrepancies. Before publication, it is worth comparing the model, image, entity details and safety information with the approved product record.
If the company sells a set, it must establish whether it identifies the set as a separate item and how it maintains relationships with its components. Combining several products should not remove the ability to trace the batch of each component.
How to handle a change of supplier
A new supplier does not always mean the same product. Even if the name and photograph are retained, materials, production plant, markings or documents may change. A change of supplier should therefore open a controlled comparison task.
The review covers manufacturer data, identifiers, specifications, photographs, technical evidence, instructions and warnings. The result may confirm the shared use of part of the documentation or require a new variant. It is important that the decision has an author, a date and a justification.
Customer notification scenario
A customer reports that a product component cracked during use. Customer service should collect photographs, the model designation, batch or serial number, purchase date, description of the incident and consequences. The notification record must then be linked to the correct product record, supplier, documentation and the number of products from the same batch.
Without this relationship, the company sees only a single email. With correct identification, it can check whether similar incidents relate to one variant, production period or supplier, and then document the decision on further action.
Most common errors
- one record for several products with different parameters,
- failure to distinguish between variant and batch,
- a serial number stored without a relationship to documents,
- overwriting the manufacturer after a change of supplier,
- assigning a report to a SKU only on the basis of the file name,
- different data in the warehouse, offer and documentation,
- no history of the people who approved changes,
- deleting the old version of the instructions after an update.
Check before approving a record
The person approving the record should be able to answer: what product does the record describe, how can it be distinguished from others, where does the data come from, which batches does the documentation cover and which markets use the information. If any of these answers is missing, the record requires completion rather than being marked as ready.
GPSR / PPWR can organise the product, variant, supplier, evidence and revisions in one place. The tool supports traceability, but it does not determine on the company's behalf whether two variants can be covered by a common assessment. Such a decision requires data on the actual product and responsible verification.