Traceability, Serialization & Lot Genealogy worked example

Trace Record Retention Cost at 61% records actively retained: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop records actively retained to 61%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimates the annual cost of retaining trace records over their required retention window including archive storage and compliance access.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Records under retention: 500,000 records (held at the documented default)
  • Storage cost per record: 0.03 $/record (held at the documented default)
  • Records actively retained: 61 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 85)
  • Archive and compliance fee: 4,000 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total retention cost = records under retention x storage per record x active retention% + archive fee.
  • Total trace record retention cost works out to 13,150 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Trace record retention cost per unit works out to 0.03 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable trace record retention cost works out to 9,150 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed trace record retention cost adder works out to 4,000 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where records actively retained sits at 85% and the headline result is 16,750 $, this scenario comes in 21.49% below the baseline at 13,150 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to records actively retained, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes flat per-record storage; tiered cloud pricing, retrieval fees, and format-migration costs over a long retention window are not captured.

Results at a glance

  • Total trace record retention cost: 13,150 $ (headline result)
  • Trace record retention cost per unit: 0.03 $ / piece
  • Variable trace record retention cost: 9,150 $
  • Fixed trace record retention cost adder: 4,000 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Trace Record Retention Cost calculator, set records actively retained to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.