Real-time data, unique identification and connected processes: why logistics is now a strategic quality hub
— News
In recent years, warehouses have undergone a profound transformation. Increasing supply chain complexity, faster delivery requirements, and growing attention to quality and sustainability are pushing companies toward a more digital and traceable operating model.
In this context, traceability is not just an operational issue: it is a key element of control and governance, involving processes, information systems and standards. The European regulatory framework is moving in the same direction: the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) will introduce a Digital Product Passport, a “digital passport” that accompanies products with information relevant to sustainability and compliance. More details are available on the European Commission’s website.
Digital warehouse: what it really means
Digitalizing a warehouse does not simply mean “using software”, but connecting three core elements:
- systems (WMS, ERP, integrations),
- data (inventory, logistics events, goods status),
- field technologies (barcodes, RFID, sensors, automation).
At the heart of operations is often a WMS (Warehouse Management System), defined by Gartner as software that helps intelligently manage and execute warehouse or distribution center operations.
Automated data capture: barcodes, RFID and unique identification
To achieve reliable traceability, information must first be collected in a consistent and repeatable way. The most widely adopted technologies include:
- barcodes/QR codes (fast identification and reading),
- RFID (remote identification and reading, particularly useful for flows and gateways),
- serialization and batch tracking (traceability by lot or individual unit).
These tools become truly effective when they are based on shared standards. The international organization GS1 explains how barcodes and RFID, together with data-sharing standards, enable automated and interoperable processes across supply chain partners.
Event-based traceability: EPCIS and product history reconstruction
A key trend is the shift from “static” traceability (limited to master data and movements) to “event-based” traceability, where each relevant step is recorded and shared in a structured way.
The most widely referenced standard in this area is EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information Services), which enables the sharing of information about a product’s lifecycle and its journey along the supply chain.
Integration and visibility: from the warehouse to the supply chain
When systems are integrated, digitalization delivers tangible benefits at multiple levels:
- improved visibility of inventory and goods status,
- reduction of picking and shipping errors,
- more structured management of returns and non-conformities,
- support for planning and operational continuity.
These benefits are particularly relevant when the warehouse is a critical node between production and the customer: the more precise the traceability, the easier it is to reconstruct the chain of events and take targeted action.
Traceability and quality: also a matter of compliance
In many contexts, traceability is also a quality management system requirement. ISO 9001:2015, for example, includes a specific clause on Identification and traceability (8.5.2), requiring that products and their status be identifiable throughout the process stages and that traceability be ensured when applicable.
In the automotive sector, IATF 16949 further strengthens these requirements, demanding that traceability support effective non-conformity management and enable rapid containment of potentially defective products. In particular, the standard requires organizations to define clear methods for identifying and tracing raw materials, batches and relevant components, in line with customer and regulatory requirements.
The adoption of structured, preferably digitalized systems helps improve data reliability, logistics flow transparency and compliance with quality requirements, while also supporting continuous improvement of the management system.
Iglom’s approach
In a market where logistics efficiency, quality and transparency are increasingly interconnected, warehouse digitalization is an evolution that requires method: appropriate technologies, reliable data and shared standards across the supply chain.
In line with quality principles and IATF 16949 requirements, Iglom adopts a structured approach focused on process control, material traceability and information integrity—key elements for ensuring compliance with customer and automotive sector requirements. Through the digitalization of warehouse activities, Iglom aims to prevent non-conformities, manage exceptions effectively and support operational continuity and process stability, contributing to the continuous improvement of quality performance.
