Syspro unifies product traceability to tackle the audit paper chase

When a crisis hits, companies usually panic because their information is scattered all over the place. Imagine you manufacture peanut butter and suddenly learn that a batch may be contaminated. The regulator calls you and says, “Tell us every store that got those jars, and tell us exactly which farm sent you those peanuts, right now.” Such a situation would be the worst possible time to discover that the evidence you require sits in three different spreadsheets, a sticky note on a computer, and a binder hiding in someone’s filing cabinet.

This is exactly the problem Syspro is trying to solve with its Unified Product Traceability, announced on 2 November as part of its latest ERP release. The company says the framework provides a single, auditable view of product data from raw materials to finished goods, supporting audits, recalls and compliance reporting.

The proposition is straightforward: capture the evidence while work happens, rather than reconstructing it when someone asks uncomfortable questions.

From production records to compliance evidence

The new release supports FSMA 204 key data elements and EU Digital Product Passport requirements. Syspro’s documentation describes a configurable framework, rather than separate, hard-coded solutions for each regulation, with spreadsheet and API reporting.

That builds on capabilities we examined in Syspro’s ERP update and puts intelligence on the shop floor, including in-process inspections and warehouse identification. Our subsequent look at Syspro’s quality-first ERP explored how those records connect production activity to usable operational evidence.

The new emphasis is assembling that evidence for scrutiny.

For food businesses covered by the FDA’s Food Traceability Rule, relevant records must generally be available within 24 hours of a request, unless the agency agrees otherwise. FDA says Congress has directed it not to enforce the rule before 20 July 2028.

The breathing room does not make disconnected records easier to reconcile.

Traceability needs testing, not assumptions

In addition, Syspro also adds:

• Better weight tracking: If you sell products sold by weight, the label weight rarely matches reality. The software now records the exact weight at every step so your costs and inventory actually match what moved.
• Smart error-checking: Orders are now checked automatically before they ship. If there’s a big mistake, it gets blocked until it’s fixed. If there’s a minor warning, a manager has to sign off on it first.

“ERP has spent decades recording what should happen,” says Chris Lloyd, Syspro’s Chief Product & Technology Officer. “This release closes the gap between the plan and what actually happened.”

That is the promise.