ASI Standards Blog

5 Reasons Traceability of Your Certified Reference Material Matters - Number 4 Especially!

Written by B.R. Aburizeck | Nov 21, 2017 9:42:17 PM

It may seem daunting, but understanding traceability should not be hard.  

No matter what industry you are in - beverage, food, apparel, oil & gas, etc. - traceability matters. Knowing where a product comes from and how it is developed matters.

We often do not think very much about where our food, clothes, apparel, and sometimes even standards come from ... so why would our customers? Because deep down you care if your food came from a clean kitchen, and your customers care if the standards were made and verified with the right materials.

1. Reason #1: Safety

By improving your tracking of your Certified Reference Material from start to finish, you ensure user safety which allows them to focus on the performance of your product. 

2. Reason #2: Savings

By implementing a traceable solution you are improving your inventory and enhancing product management.  Every time you do this you are saving money, now and in the future. Better traceability means lower liability, more reliability, less mistakes, and, therefore, lower costs. Every little bit helps push for that end-of-year budget bonus.

3. Reason #3: Value

With traceability, you are able to make a commitment of value to your customer.  Without a proven traceable solution, you cannot confidently tell your customer that the product is what you say it is.  You can only know this with accurate tracking of the product from beginning to end.

4. Reason #4: Sustainability

Process Sustainability

Traceability is a way of tracking the process and inevitably creates a step-by-step process for the manufactured product. The more detailed your processes, the more consistent the process will be, the more successful your product will be, and, therefore, the more sustainable your product and in the long-run, your brand.

Company Sustainability Claims

The importance of sustainability has been growing and there is no end in sight. Through traceability is the only way that you and your company can prove its own sustainability. 

More than ever customers want to know where their products come from, who handles them, how are those employees treated, what is the effect on the environment, and accuracy of the claims you have on your product.

5. Reason #5: Accuracy

In the end, traceability "allows the accuracy of measurement results to be established."  Measurement accuracy is vital to a well-oiled quality control system.  

Traceability is especially important for products that require a greater level of accuracy than normal products, such as Certified Reference Materials that must follow industry standards like ASTM methods.

Traceability allows you to accurately measure your products and your instruments.  The better your traceability system, the better the quality control, and the more accurate your process and product.

Here are some other posts you might find interesting:


Traceability means increasing safety, savings, value, sustainability, and accuracy. Traceability means a better product for your client, better and more reliable processes for your employees, and a better brand for your company.

Don't waste another minute! Get on the traceability train.