Compliance is a critical factor in manufacturing operations. In this paper we will look at compliance from a traceability perspective and illustrate several ways that total traceability also delivers benefits to the operation beyond compliance to customer requirements and regulatory standards. Demonstration of compliance to internal or external standards helps manufacturers grow their business considering that work is only placed into manufacturing centers that can demonstrate they have attained the appropriate compliance certificates or approvals. Today compliance requirements extend to all quality sensitive markets for electronics goods such as military, medical, automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, and industrial controls. Even lower-priced consumer goods like handsets, toys, games, and many others, require safety and environmental compliance. Manufacturers who are not able to demonstrate this compliance simply do not win business in these markets. For many markets, compliance includes providing total traceability information about every product that has been manufactured.