The problem
Battery traceability is often evaluated as a snapshot: a passport, a supplier declaration, a spreadsheet of chain-of-custody fields. The failure mode is temporal: permits lag, shipments move, enforcement accelerates. Drift appears when claims remain static while the underlying record changes.
Scenario (redacted)
- Trigger
- OEM requires proof of compliant sourcing and processing chain for a battery input.
- Claim
- Supplier asserts compliant origin + processing capacity already commissioned.
- Risk
- Passport fields appear complete, but time-alignment may be absent during key windows.
- Output
- Chronology + divergence matrix + exportable evidence index (PDF + JSON).
Where drift shows up (T0 → T3)
Chain-of-custody fields complete. Origin and processing site declared.
No independent contradiction at submission time.
Independent confirmation that processing capacity is commissioned.
No disclosure of permitting dependency for processing scale-up.
Public registry shows expansion permit still pending.
Linkage between claimed output and required permit issuance.
Shipment manifests imply steady compliant throughput.
Observed flows suggest substitution / routing changes inconsistent with declared processing site.
Supporting records explaining routing change (contracting, subcontracting, or interim processing).
Supplier maintains unchanged declaration.
Regulatory guidance/enforcement timeline converges; documentation gaps become material.
A defensible reconciled record for audit/review.
Evidence layers used
- • Permit registries
- • Corporate filings
- • Regulatory guidance and notices
- • Passports / declarations
- • Contracts and annexes
- • Shipment manifests (where available)
- • Remote sensing where relevant
- • Press/hearings/transcripts (when material)
- • Third-party datasets (as appropriate)
Divergence matrix excerpt
| Date | Claim | Signal | Impact | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-11 | Processing capacity commissioned | Permit status pending; no issuance recorded | Traceability certainty drops during high-volume period | EV-REG-019 |
| 2024-02 | Declared processing site handles throughput | Observed routing change inconsistent with declared site throughput | Potential substitution risk; requires explanation + docs | EV-LOG-044 |
What a buyer can stand over
- • A single chronology showing what was claimed, what was observable, and what was missing at each point.
- • Stable evidence references suitable for audit, procurement governance, or diligence review.
- • Clear articulation of uncertainty bands (what is verified vs inferred vs absent).
Want this run on your supply chain?
A pilot is scoped to one category and one decision window. Output is a redacted pack with exportable references.