Product traceability
The Traceability tab on a product page shows the supply chain tree for this specific battery product. Traceability records document who supplied what to produce this battery, and where this battery has been delivered downstream — providing the multi-tier supply chain transparency required by EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542, Article 77 and Annex XIII.
What the Traceability tab shows
The Traceability tab presents:
- A tree diagram visualising the upstream and downstream supply chain (shown when two or more levels of records exist)
- A record list showing each traceability entry with its direction, entity, relationship type, and component or material
- A summary count of upstream and downstream records
If no records have been added yet, the tab displays an empty state with an Add record prompt.
Traceability record structure
Each traceability record captures one supply chain relationship. Records are directional:
Upstream — entities that supplied materials, components, or subassemblies used to manufacture this product (your suppliers and their suppliers).
Downstream — entities to which this product has been delivered (your customers, distributors, or end-of-life processors).
A record contains the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Direction | Upstream or Downstream |
| Entity name | Name of the supplier, customer, or supply chain party |
| Relationship type | Supplier, Sub-supplier, Customer, Distributor, Recycler |
| Component or material | What was supplied or received (e.g. "Lithium iron phosphate cells", "Battery management system") |
| Country | Country of origin or destination |
| Batch reference | Optional batch or lot number for traceability to shipment level |
| Date | Date of transaction, delivery, or relationship establishment |
Adding a traceability record
- Navigate to the product and select the Traceability tab.
- Click Add record.
- Select the direction: Upstream or Downstream.
- Enter the entity name — the company or organisation name.
- Select the relationship type from the dropdown.
- Enter the component or material supplied or received.
- Select the country.
- Optionally enter a batch reference.
- Set the date.
- Click Save.
Repeat for each supply chain relationship relevant to this product.
Traceability depth
Traceable supports multi-level supply chain documentation. You are not limited to recording your direct (tier-1) suppliers — you can document your suppliers' suppliers (tier-2) and beyond.
Example for a lithium-ion EV battery pack:
- Tier 1 upstream: Battery cell manufacturer (South Korea) — "NMC battery cells, batch B-2024-09"
- Tier 2 upstream: Cathode material supplier (Japan) — "Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide precursor"
- Tier 3 upstream: Lithium mining operation (Chile) — "Lithium carbonate"
Each of these would be a separate traceability record linked to this product. The tree diagram renders these as a connected hierarchy when multiple levels are present.
Multi-level traceability is particularly important for demonstrating compliance with the EU Battery Regulation's due diligence requirements for high-risk raw materials (cobalt, lithium, natural graphite, nickel).
How traceability data flows to the DPP
The Supply Chain Due Diligence section of this product's DPP is populated from the traceability records entered here. Specifically:
- Upstream records populate the raw material sourcing and supply chain actor fields
- Downstream records populate the end-of-life and distribution fields
- Country data feeds the country of origin declarations
- Entity names and relationship types feed the supply chain transparency disclosures
You do not need to re-enter this information in the DPP form manually — it is referenced automatically. However, you should ensure records are complete before publishing the DPP, as incomplete traceability data will reduce your Compliance Completeness Score.
Visualising the supply chain
When two or more traceability records exist for a product, the Traceability tab renders a tree diagram showing the full supply chain hierarchy. The current product is positioned at the centre. Upstream relationships branch to the left; downstream relationships branch to the right.
Each node in the tree displays:
- Entity name
- Relationship type (shown as a label on the connecting line)
- Country flag
- Component or material name
Hover over a node to see the full record details including batch reference and date. Click a node to open the full record for editing.
The tree diagram is read-only and cannot be exported directly — use the CSV export (below) to obtain the underlying data.
Exporting traceability data
Click Export CSV in the top-right of the Traceability tab to download all traceability records for this product as a comma-separated file.
The CSV export includes all record fields (direction, entity name, relationship type, component or material, country, batch reference, date) and is suitable for:
- Internal audit documentation
- Submission to market surveillance authorities
- Supply chain due diligence reports
- Third-party verification support
The export filename format is traceability-[product-id]-[date].csv.