Why most traceability matrices die — and how to keep one living

I used to think a traceability matrix was a table you updated before a certification audit and then forgot about until the next one. After five years of MDR audits, Technical File updates and more than one surprise notified-body question, I no longer believe that. A traceability matrix that "lives" is not a spreadsheet with cell comments. It is a connected, reviewable artefact of your quality system — and keeping it alive is both technical and procedural. Why traditional matrices break In practi