According to a study, only 23% of manufacturing companies currently have the tools to fully trace their products. 60% of manufacturing companies plan to adopt this technology soon. Based on this data we can gauge that many manufacturing units are yet to divulge into tracing their products for optimal usage of factory space and manufacturing units.
Almost 80% of the manufacturing industry collapse within 25 years of commencement in the US. The US is a developed country, but still, manufacturing industries failed because they didn’t trace their products and optimise their units. They didn’t use effective traceability software to analyse where they were wrong and inspect every aspect of their production.
So, what more are you doing to stay ahead of your competitors? Let’s figure out the most powerful technology to give your business a boost- Traceability!
What Is Traceability?
Traceability refers to the process of recording, analysing, and inspecting a product as it passes from the raw materials phase to a final product destination. In brief, the manufacturing process must be traced thoroughly. It is responsible for detecting issues or defects encountered in the process so that necessary steps can be taken to minimise costs and maximise the efficiency of the manufacturing processes.
The traceability process must be effective enough to point out the requirements, modifications, and changes required in the current process. It is not necessary that traceability is active only to trace and track defects. It also helps to record product journeys which are further used to study the scope of development in production.
Companies incorporate traceability techniques to maintain quality and standards in all of their products. It will surely put a powerful impression on brand reputation plus customer satisfaction. Initially, this process used to be conducted in a manual mode; now, many tools and technologies have emerged to enable traceability. Let’s understand everything in great detail.
Types of Traceability
Traceability is classified into three aspects on the basis of the approach. Although both aspects have an end goal to improve the production process, they have a different approach toward traceability. Let’s take a closer look.
Forward Traceability
Forward traceability tracks the forward movement of a product, starting from the raw material stage and ending at the final product destination. It is also known as downstream traceability as it moves from the top to bottom (The top represents the origin, and the bottom signifies the final destination.) Downstream is used to point out the direction which leads from the source to the end user.
A lot of documentation and records are prepared, which includes raw material quality standards checks, manufacturing processes, etc.
Backward Traceability
Backward traceability picks a finished product and tracks backward toward the origin to identify a defect’s genesis. Backward traceability moves in the opposite direction to that of forward traceability.
This technique is adopted when an issue has already been experienced. It is used to know the exact reason behind the mishap. It helps to find at what point you need to make modifications and adopt changes.
This process can read and inspect the traceability record maintained by forward traceability. Every aspect of the supply chain is closely inspected under backward traceability.
Internal Traceability
A finished product undergoes multiple production processes, and internal traceability can be used to track any one specific process of production. Internal traceability takes the responsibility of any single production process.
For instance, a brand manufactures a wooden frame of a chair, and another company builds the cushion for the same chair. Each of the companies covers the internal traceability process of the parts of the chair they manufacture. The company that built the frame of the chair is not responsible for tracing the manufacturing of the cushion of the chair and vice versa.
Why Is Traceability Software Important for a Manufacturing Business?
Traceability in the manufacturing industry can be effectively applied and operated through software. When you are inspecting all the products manufactured in the industry, it is hardly possible to check everything manually. It becomes tedious to maintain all the validation guidelines without traceability software.
For instance, a company has a wide range of quality check criterias. All the products should pass these criterias before it reaches the customer. To fasten the process of tracking and tracing all these guidelines and in order to increase efficiency, you will definitely need traceability software.
Manufacturing Without Traceability Software
Manufacturing units operate multiple setups in the manufacturing process. If a defect or issue occurs at any step of the production process, it would spoil all the products passed through it. If the issue is detected late then it can result in a huge monetary loss.
In case the issue is left undetected, then the end-users will receive products with defects. This will directly influence brand reputation, financial growth, etc.
Thus, the manufacturing industry should not compromise with traceability software as it can result in a long-term loss if neglected. In fact, the software will make your task easier and contribute heavily to scaling the business optimally.
Looking forward to taking traceability in your business operations to the next level? Our master traceability software OneSETU by QodeNEXT can fill in all the gaps. This comprehensive traceability solution can track and trace your inventory thus providing you real time data and updates on it. Not just this, it also has a handful of other features to execute traceability effectively. So, go checkout OneSETU by QodeNEXT now!
FAQ: Traceability Software
1. What is traceability?
Traceability refers to tracking and tracking a process thoroughly. In manufacturing, it inspects each process, from raw material to the final product and collects relevant data.
2. How does traceability work?
Traceability can be conducted manually or with the help of specialised tools and technologies. The process entails documenting and evaluating key data linked to the entire product journey from the start of production to its final destination.
3. What is forward traceability?
Forward traceability refers to tracking a product from its raw material stage to its final destination.
4. How does backward traceability help in identifying defects?
Backward traceability enables a company to trace a product back to its origin, allowing them to identify the exact point where a defect occurred. This information can then be used to make necessary modifications and changes to prevent similar issues from happening in the future.
5. What are the consequences of neglecting traceability software in manufacturing?
Neglecting traceability software can result in a long-term loss in terms of brand reputation and financial growth. It can lead to product recalls, lost sales, and ultimately damage the company’s reputation.
Conclusion
Business rivalry is hard to overcome with poor equipment and outdated technology. Growth is directly proportional to adaptability. As stated in Darwin’s theory, “survival of the fittest,” your business should accept technology with open arms.
Tracking and tracing are not just confined to sorting defects. When you can see and inspect what you are producing, you can sit and ponder over what more you can add. Traceability has much broader aspects in any industry, and it can contribute a lot to future innovations.
Also, to help you in finding the best traceability solution, we bring you OneSETU by QodeNEXT! Our traceability solution generates auto reports and provides real-time data collection and analytics related to traceability. Moreover, all the data is stored in a centralised database.
What more are you waiting for? Check out OneSETU by QodeNEXT to bring value and efficiency to your business process.
