Introduction
Advancement in technology helps in managing the manufacturing business with improved efficiency. Consumer demands, material quality issues and mass product recalls can impede normal operations.
Using technology like end-to-end product traceability will aid in dealing with these issues effectively. This makes the customer happy and helps in achieving minimal losses and optimal profits.
What Is End-To-End Product Traceability?
End-to-end product traceability is the ability to track all the information ranging from the raw materials used, availability of supplies, manufacturing of each component, assembly, and delivery, to customer feedback. Even the location of the product is tracked. Traceability system allows complete visibility at all levels across the value chain that includes phases of manufacturing, designing, engineering, supply, and delivery.
Importance Of End-To-End Product Traceability
1. Recognition Of A Defective Product
When a low quality or defective product is observed on the supply line, these products can be located internally and separated. If they are already sold, they can be identified and recalled or retrofitted. The root cause of a defect can be identified and rectified.
2. Warranty Status Identification
When a product is brought for repair, scanning the product will immediately identify if its parts have a warranty or not.
3. Product Repair History
Better customer service can be provided if product repair history is present in the database. Traceability solutions will also provide insights on which parts are more prone to repairs. This makes it easier to understand which parts need an upgrade in future releases.
Further insights are provided on supplier quality and resulting product repairs or replacements. The manufacturer can order more or less raw-materials based on this data. Or the manufacturer can even upgrade to better suppliers or vendors based on this information.
4. Improved Life Cycle Management
Life cycle management means managing the life cycle of a product from the raw material stage, usage, to its discarding phase. It also includes the marketing of the products. The traceability system facilitates understanding and improvement at each stage. Thus, helping improve the products and their associated processes.
Implementation Of End-To-End Product Traceability
The first step in the implementation of traceability is having the necessary technology and process capabilities. It is important to identify which units are marked. Serialization can include batch numbers, manufacturing date, lot numbers, unique identification number (UIN), etc. They can be marked on all the parts and products. Selection of the marking equipment is necessary for this process.
A verification process is required to check if marking is done correctly and to avoid any duplication of the serial numbers. Defective parts have to be identified and removed.
Marking equipment is connected to traceability software. All the data is then stored in a centralized database. Same data is accessible to management centrally, i.e. across different divisions, locations, and even across countries.
Traceability solutions must be implemented at an enterprise level to achieve optimal results. Changes to the platform are needed if the present IT architecture doesn’t support traceability solutions for all the operations. Initially, this might prove to be a costly affair. However, later on, it will be cost-effective since a lot of defective products will be removed, duplication will be avoided. Thus, leading to efficient end-to-end processes and even delivery.
Multiple applications might be needed for implementing end-to-end product traceability. This gives complete visibility of all the products. Hence, the selection of a traceability solutions vendor who has a track record of solving complex problems at the enterprise level is important.
Advantages
1. Quality Assurance
An end-to-end traceability system helps in the recognition of defective parts or low-quality materials. These can be removed and the final product will be of the high and desired quality.
2. Mix Up Avoidance
Parts and products have unique serial numbers. This can throw light on what the product is and which batch it is from. There will be no accidental mix-up of any two parts or products although they look alike.
3. Easy Identification Of Units
End-to-end product traceability system keeps a track of all the parts, batch of each unit, products, location of product after-sales, etc. If a batch of products turns out to be hazardous or defective, the manufacturer can recall only this defective batch of products. Hence, a massive recall of all the products can be avoided.
4. Minimal Costs For Problem-Solving
Traceability systems allow manufacturers to pinpoint the problem area from the available insights. This means that the manufacturer can solve the problem by repairs or changing suppliers wherever required.
5. Inventory Control
Traceability enables the manufacturers to know the exact number of parts and products, or items available at all their manufacturing divisions and service centers. This will enable them to avoid overstocks and shortages. Traceability can also give insights on high selling products and low selling ones. The manufacturer can manage its inventories for products accordingly.
6. Optimal Usage Of Products
Batches of raw materials and semi-finished products are properly scheduled for further processing in manufacturing. Traceability enables the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method in material usage. This will prevent the deterioration of perishable materials. This is of utmost importance for food manufacturers (FMCG).
Conclusion
Failure to maintain total transparency over all the operations in this smart age can have severe consequences. An end-to-end traceability system cannot be implemented in a single day. Proper planning and execution are important.
Good Traceability solutions offered by an experienced vendor is the need of the hour. Automation technologies make implementation easier. Also, when these solutions are implemented, the visibility helps in avoiding long downtimes, interruptions, and helps in averting the defective manufacturing of products. End-to-end product traceability management also leads to customer satisfaction and the success of the enterprise.
