Product traceability in a manufacturing facility, especially a food facility, is often a standard associated with meeting guidelines and regulatory requirements. However, it can be ensured in at least two ways. Manually, through manual enumeration and documentation, or automatically. The latter form seems crucial in this day and age – an era of global efforts to promote sustainability, increase efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs. We discuss the advantages and opportunities of traceability in the sector in today’s article.
Product traceability in dairy plants, for example, is not only a regulatory commitment, but also an essential tool for increasing the transparency of production processes. In industries where processes are continuous and the product is rarely visible – for example, milk flowing through pipes – manual monitoring of each step is almost impossible. Of course, solutions such as SCADA systems or machine printouts come to the rescue, but putting this together and calculating it is time-consuming and requires specialized knowledge. Besides, if necessary – going back to the data and finding the relevant information is extremely difficult.
Not to mention, of course, that manual record-keeping, while common, is subject to the risk of errors. By implementing an automated product traceability system, the time required for documentation can be significantly reduced.
One of the most important aspects of running a modern manufacturing plant is effective carbon footprint management. Nowadays, where more and more attention is being paid to sustainability, traditional monitoring and documentation methods, such as the use of Excel sheets, are not only inadequate, but hardly effective. That’s why, in my role as an advisor and educator, I’m trying to introduce automatic traceability systems in manufacturing plants that transform these processes, making them more efficient and less of a burden on the environment.
This is because automatic traceability allows us to track exactly what level of carbon footprint a batch or even a single product is emitting. In addition, thanks to automatic traceability, we can monitor the consumption of energy and other resources, enabling accurate reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. So not only does this increase regulatory compliance, but it also allows us to build a brand that is perceived as responsible and modern.
In summary, the automation of product traceability not only streamlines operations at manufacturing plants, influences better sales and human resource management, but also contributes to better environmental management. The introduction of modern traceability systems is crucial for companies seeking to improve product safety and optimize operating costs.Are you interested in digitizing your manufacturing facility? Would you like to talk about carbon footprinting? Feel free to contact us.
