Why traceability usually means double entry
Most traceability programmes ask the packhouse and cold-chain crews to record the lot again, in a separate log, on top of the work they already do. The data is right on day one and drifts by week two, because nobody has time to key it twice.
Capture it from the work, not on top of it
The rules hang on a traceability lot code and a set of key data elements captured at each critical event: harvest, cooling, packing, shipping, receiving. The FDA traceability rule requires a sortable record within 24 hours of a request.
The way to make that survivable is to record each event as a by-product of the scan and weigh that already happen, not as a second job.
Where the ERP closes the loop
On Hudace, each tracking event lands on one record as product moves, so a mock recall is a query, not a fire drill. Xenon AI adds shelf-life and spoilage-risk signals from cold-chain telemetry, so a dispatcher routes the most perishable lots first.
It flags a lot that goes missing between cooling and packing for a person to investigate. The lot-coding discipline stays human.
The numbers to watch
Tie the programme to loss and to recall readiness, set a baseline first.
Post-harvest loss %
Quantity lost between harvest and sale / total harvested. The headline number traceability and cold-chain discipline reduce.
Shrink rate
Inventory lost to spoilage and damage as a share of volume. Falls as perishable lots move first.
Mock-recall time
Time to trace a lot end to end. The rule sets 24 hours; the target is minutes.
Traceability completeness
Share of lots with a full event record. Gaps are where a recall widens.
See connected traceability on Hudace
Talk to our team about capturing lot traceability from the work your crews already do.