What the audit trail is
The audit trail is the complete, chronological record of every event in a batch's life — extraction, receipt, each processing step, transport checkpoints, production, and delivery.
- Immutable — events cannot be edited or deleted, only appended.
- Sequential — every event references the one before it.
- Transparent — visible to all authorised parties, and publicly via the batch QR code.
What the hash chain is
When an event is saved, the database computes a SHA-256 hash over the previous event's hash plus the event data and timestamp. Because each hash contains the one before it, altering any historic record invalidates every hash that follows.
Verify a chain
- Open any shipment detail page.
- Scroll to the Immutable audit trail section.
- Click Verify chain.
- The app recomputes each hash and checks that every event links to the previous hash.
Reading the result
- Integrity verified — every hash matches; the record is trustworthy.
- Audit trail breached — a hash mismatch was found. Flag the shipment for review and contact support immediately.
- A chain needs at least two events before verification is meaningful.
Why it matters
- Security — tampering is detectable, not deniable.
- Compliance — provides auditable proof of custody.
- Regulatory — satisfies government oversight and grant reporting requirements.
- Trust — OEM buyers can verify origin without trusting any single party.