Traceability in logistics is the ability to rebuild, from records, the full path of every product: which supplier and lot it came from, where it was stored in the warehouse, which order it shipped in and which tracking number took it to your customer. If one link in that chain is missing, traceability breaks at exactly that point.
The word means different things in metrology, healthcare or food manufacturing. Here it means one thing: tracing an e-commerce product from the moment it reaches the warehouse until it leaves with a shipping label.
The three types of traceability
An example makes them clear. You sell a supplement on your own store and on Mercado Libre, and a customer writes in: the safety seal on their bottle arrived broken.
- Backward traceability: from the order back to the source. Which lot was in that order, which supplier made it, which shipment brought it in? That tells you whether it's a one-off unit or an entire lot.
- Internal traceability: what happened inside the warehouse. How many units of that lot are left, and in which exact locations? That lets you pull them aside in minutes.
- Forward traceability: from the lot out to your customers. Which other orders shipped with that lot, and under which tracking numbers? That's who to contact before they contact you.
Forward traceability is the hardest to sustain: it requires recording which lot was picked for every order.
What gets recorded
- SKU: the internal code for each product and each variant (size, color, flavor).
- Lot (or batch): units produced in the same run and identified by a shared code.
- Serial number: a unique ID for a single unit, common in electronics and products sold with a warranty.
- Expiry date: the deadline for selling or consuming the product.
- Location: the aisle, level and position inside the warehouse.
- Order and tracking number: who bought it and which carrier tracking number it shipped under.
All of this lives in the warehouse management system, or WMS, which we break down in what a WMS is. Here's where each piece of data gets captured:
| Step | What gets recorded |
|---|---|
| Receiving | SKU, quantity against the purchase order, lot, expiry date, supplier and date |
| Storage | Location of each lot and every move between locations, confirmed by scanner |
| Picking (pulling each order's units from the rack) | Order, SKU, source location and, where relevant, lot or serial number |
| Packing | Confirmation that what's in the box matches the order |
| Shipping | Carrier, tracking number and the date it was handed to the carrier |
| Returns | Original order, lot or serial, return reason and outcome (back to stock or written off) |
A lot that isn't captured on arrival doesn't exist for the system, which is why inbound receiving at a 3PL carries so much weight. And once expiry dates are on record, the warehouse can pick by date rather than by arrival order, the distinction we explain in FIFO vs. FEFO.
When Mexican regulations require it
Several Mexican Official Standards (NOMs, mandatory technical regulations published in the DOF, the official gazette) require traceability or the data it relies on. The list isn't exhaustive; check with your regulatory advisor which ones apply to your product.
- Food, beverages and dietary supplements. NOM-251-SSA1-2009 (DOF, March 1, 2010) defines traceability as the ability to follow a product's movement through the stages of its process, a process that explicitly includes storage and distribution. It requires manufacturers to log stock in and out by product, lot, quantity and date, and to have a plan for pulling any lot that poses a health risk off the market.
- Prepackaged food and beverages. The amendment to NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 (DOF, March 27, 2020) states that the lot and the expiry or best-before date must appear on each individual unit, even when it's sold inside a multipack.
- Cosmetics. NOM-141-SSA1/SCFI-2012 (DOF, September 19, 2012) requires lot identification on every product it covers, and an expiry date on products with a shelf life of 24 months or less, with some exceptions.
- Medical devices. NOM-241-SSA1-2025 (DOF, April 4, 2025) also applies to storage and distribution warehouses. It requires distribution records by lot or serial number to support product recalls.
How to tell whether your 3PL offers real traceability
Nearly every logistics provider says it has traceability. These questions separate the sales pitch from the operation:
- Do they capture lot and expiry date at receiving, or only SKU and quantity? Data that isn't captured on the way in can't be rebuilt later.
- Is every move confirmed by scanner? A location written down by hand is the first link to break.
- The lot test: give them a lot number and ask for the orders that shipped with it, with tracking numbers. Then reverse it: give them an order and ask which lot it contained. If the answer starts with "let me check the spreadsheet," there's no forward traceability.
- Are returns matched to the original order? A return logged as a "loose unit" breaks the chain.
- Can you look it up yourself? If every answer depends on emailing for a report, the data exists, but you don't control it.
At Ecommex, inbound inspection checks SKU, lot and expiry date, and every finding is logged with a photo in our system. Every move is scanner-confirmed, so we know which aisle, level and pallet each lot is on; dated products rotate FEFO (first expired, first out) and picking is double-verified per SKU. Returns are scanned by tracking number and matched to the original order. In the client portal you see your stock by SKU and by location, the status of every order and its shipping labels.
Frequently asked questions
What does traceability mean, in simple terms?
Being able to rebuild from records where a product came from, where it passed through and where it ended up. In logistics, that means lot, location, order and tracking number.
Is traceability the same as shipment tracking?
No. Carrier tracking tells you where a package is today. Traceability ties that package to the lot each unit came from and to the supplier who sent it.
Do I need lot traceability if my product doesn't expire?
A regulation may not require it, but if a supplier reports a defect in one production run, the lot on record lets you set aside only the affected units, not your whole inventory.
If you sell products with lot numbers or expiry dates and want to know at any moment where each lot of your inventory sits, take a look at our e-commerce fulfillment in Mexico, run from our three sites in the Guadalajara metro area.