Definition
Traceability is the ability to follow unambiguously the history, origin, changes or relationships of an item, process, requirement, decision or data throughout its lifecycle.
Human Explanation
It answers: where from, when, who and why?
Why it Matters
It enables reconstruction of activities, change analysis and demonstration of compliance during audits or validation.
Conceptual Boundary
It is not limited to documentation; it also covers relationships among requirements, designs, tests, decisions and results.
Practical Perspective
It may be implemented through an RTM, audit trails, document identifiers, versioning or other linking mechanisms.