Five years ago traceability was “nice to have.”
Today it decides who gets contracts.
OEMs now expect:
- material origin tracking
- batch-level traceability
- digital documentation
- supplier mapping
- cybersecurity compliance
- documented process control
And here’s the shift:
In 2020, fewer than 20% of defence SMEs had full digital traceability.
By 2025 80% of OEM tenders require it.
Many SMEs can produce world-class components but if they cannot prove their process they will not enter the defence supply chain.
The future belongs to companies that can show their work.
