Learn in the textbookInformation Systems for Distribution and Retail
DefinitionTraceability (トレーサビリティ) means being able to follow, from records, the route and history of a product from production to sale.
ExplanationIt depends on each stage keeping records tied to identification numbers and on those records being linked. Tracing forward from production toward sales reveals where goods were shipped, while tracing back from sales to the source reveals which process caused a problem. It helps confirm where food came from and pin down how far a recall of defective goods must reach.
AnalogyIt works like a parcel tracking number: enter it, and you see in order which depots the package passed through and when.
Memory hookThe word joins trace and ability, so it breaks down into the ability to trace.