Smart Tracking and Tracing with IoT Manufacturing

IoT manufacturing, value chain visibility remains a key challenge for manufacturers, causing inefficiencies and errors, and inhibiting optimal performance.  IoT driven technologies can help to create a smarter, more connected factory floor that incorporates complete visibility, enabling manufacturers to take a holistic view of what is going on across the supply and demand chain. By capturing the data available, in real time, and turning it into actionable information, processes can be streamlined as well as production optimized.

Know where your assets are – Track and Trace

Track and trace applications form the backbone of an IoT-based asset-tracking solution. This new digital capability is being used to locate and manage the many assets in the supply chain and on the shop floor. The key benefits of track and trace solutions are –

• From the moment raw materials are received to the moment finished goods are shipped, track and trace solutions safeguard quality and compliance of parts, components, and products.

• Quality and traceability solutions ensure that the customer receives the right product. These solutions assure that finished goods match customer specifications, increasing customer satisfaction, and loyalty.

• These applications can identify the defects present, what caused them, and which batches are affected. This is crucial to minimizing risk, protecting customer relationships, and driving accountability with suppliers.

• Track and trace applications including barcode printers and scanners, RFID tags, and electronic records, provide efficient visibility for parts or components at every point in the manufacturing process, or even after sales.

• Visibility ensures effective and efficient product recall management. It protects the safety of consumers and the integrity of brands by communicating recalls quickly and removing recalled product from the supply chain.

• By tracking asset usage, managers can turn it to real-time operational insights. It can be used to manage inventory, monitor equipment, understand usage, and schedule and monitor workers.
• It also involves tracking and tracing the usage of tools to ensure proper handling, to prevent accidents and unnecessary wear and tear, and to collect data on their location, status, energy consumption, and functionality.

From manufacturing to supply and delivery to after sales, traceability and visibility on goods, people, assets and events are decisive benefits to any organization. IoT has driven track and trace solutions to have the potential to revolutionize the way manufacturing companies do business. A well-executed track and trace system can help organizations to increase safety and security, trace tasks and assets, validate quality, reduce waste, protect brands, and improve customer service.