With its functions, traceability software is an aid on the way to automated and self-organizing production. It networks production steps in order to optimize the value chain in line with Industry 4.0. If the tool is integrated into a manufacturing execution system, there are often other benefits in addition to quality assurance.
Traceability Software as a Tool for Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 approaches aim to increase the flexibility of manufacturing companies through digitalization and automation, thus giving consumers an ever-increasing influence on product design. Consistently high product quality must be seen as the benchmark for manufacturing companies, precisely because dissatisfied customers can use the internet to address a global public.
In areas where consumers can be harmed particularly quickly by defective products – such as in the automotive, pharmaceutical and food industries – seamless process traceability helps to maintain quality at the required level. After all, this is the best protection for the company and product image and is often required by law or insurance. This is facilitated by traceability software, which is usually implemented as a component of an MES. The focus here is on the following requirements:
1. complete overview of the entire value chain
2. containment of defective products in the event of damage to minimize recall costs
3. comprehensive report of the recorded and permanently logged data
One Module, Three Tasks
To support this task, the traceability software must be able to do the following:
The recording, i.e. tracking, of all relevant data. This function is the basis for material and process traceability, as the production steps and process parameters are determined and stored in real-time (automated) and usually in the background.
Creating transparency, because in order to be able to decide whether a product meets the specified quality requirements, all process steps must be monitored online and compliance with the specifications checked. To ensure that the production processes can be traced, this data is recorded and linked to other information, such as which manufacturing processes the product has undergone: Where and when was it processed, stored and tested, and by whom? What material was used? The use and report of the data is often referred to as tracing.
Provide control functions to assess whether a particular component may continue to be installed or must be blocked for further processing due to any defects.
