Definition

What Is Chain of Custody?

Chain of custody is the documented, unbroken record of everyone who has handled a product and every point it has passed through, from manufacture to the end customer. An intact chain proves where a product has been and that it has not been diverted or swapped.
Chain of custody: an unbroken glowing chain linking factory, trucks and retail across the supply chain

Understanding Chain of Custody

Each handover in a supply chain, from factory to distributor to retailer, is a chance for goods to be diverted, mixed with fakes, or lost. Chain of custody records each of these steps so that the product's journey can be reconstructed and verified at any point.

A trustworthy chain of custody depends on records that cannot be quietly edited. When every event is logged to a tamper-proof system, the history becomes evidence: proof of provenance for genuine goods and a fast way to spot where something went wrong.

Key Components of Chain of Custody

1
Assign a unique identity
Each product unit is given a non-clonable identity at manufacture.
2
Log every handover
Dispatch, receipt, and movement events are recorded as the product changes hands.
3
Write to a tamper-proof record
Events are stored so they cannot be altered after the fact.
4
Verify the journey
Any party can confirm the product's full, unbroken path on demand.

Why Chain of Custody Matters

Grey-market diversion and counterfeit insertion thrive where the supply chain has blind spots. An unbroken chain of custody removes those blind spots, proving provenance for genuine goods and exposing exactly where a break or substitution occurred.

  • Proves a product's full, unbroken journey
  • Exposes diversion and grey-market activity
  • Pinpoints where a break or swap occurred
  • Supports recalls with precise targeting
  • Builds trust through verifiable provenance
  • Strong evidence for disputes and audits

How Acviss Supports Chain of Custody

Acviss Origin records every movement of a product to a blockchain-backed, tamper-proof ledger, while Certify ties each event to a non-clonable unit identity. Together they give brands an unbroken, verifiable chain of custody.

This delivers a true audit trail in the supply chain and underpins end-to-end traceability, from the line to the customer's hands.

Prove every step of the journey

See how Acviss Origin records an unbroken, tamper-proof chain of custody for your products.

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Frequently Asked Questions

It is the documented record of every party that handled a product and every point it passed through, proving its journey from manufacture to the end customer.

By logging each handover, it makes any unexpected route or break obvious, so grey-market diversion and substitutions are quickly exposed.

If records can be edited, the history cannot be trusted. A tamper-proof ledger means every event is permanent and verifiable.

Track and trace follows where a product is and has been. Chain of custody adds the documented accountability of who handled it at each step.

Related Terms
Audit Trail in the Supply Chain Track and Trace System End-to-End Traceability Supply Chain Integrity