Traceability helps companies meet industry standards, regardless of the sector in which they operate – from the food industry to the automotive industry. Before I explain the conundrum in the title of this article, it’s worth asking yourself first: have you ever wondered where the milk you just bought at the store comes from, or how exactly the product you put in your shopping bag every day is made? In the age of conscious consumers, the ability to trace every stage of production is becoming not so much a luxury as a standard. And that, we call traceability. You’ll learn more later in this article.
Traceability, or traceability, is the ability to track every stage of a product’s manufacture – from the moment the raw material arrives at the production facility, through its processing, to the moment the final product lands on the store shelf. Imagine that every product you buy has a story that you can trace from start to finish.From aconsumer ‘sperspective, traceability can certainly build trust in a manufacturer. You know that the product you are choosing is fully transparent – from the origin of the raw materials, to the production process, to delivery to the store.
What does traceability mean for an entrepreneur? If you manage a manufacturing company, product traceability is a tool that can dramatically improve efficiency and confidence in your brand. Traceability not only allows you to track every stage of production, but also supports the optimization of your company’s processes. Automatic and semi-automatic systems collect data in real time, allowing you to react quickly in case of any problems.Imagine you are producing baking mixes. You have various raw materials that you mix in certain proportions, and then you package the finished product. Traditionally, information about the raw materials, mixing and packaging process is written down on paper, which takes a lot of time and generates the risk of errors. With traceability, you can automate this process – the data is collected directly from the machines or entered into the system by operators.This saves: time, costs and increases precision.
Traceability is more than just tracking the production process. Traceability is a tool that brings real benefits to both manufacturers and consumers. Here are some of them:
1. saving time and money
Automating traceability reduces the time needed to manually record data and eliminates errors associated with human fallibility. On an annual basis, implementing an automated traceability system can help save your company hundreds of hours that can be spent on other, more valuable tasks.
2 Enhanced security
Data is collected in real time, which allows for a quick response in case of anomalies, such as in the production process. When a problem is detected, such as an abnormal pasteurization temperature, the system immediately informs the relevant people. And this allows corrective action to be taken quickly.
3. better optimization of production
With detailed data, you can track exactly how long each production step takes, what the costs are and how they can be optimized. Traceability systems allow you to precisely monitor the consumption of raw materials. This certainly affects, among other things, efficient resource management.
4. improving quality and compliance
Traceability automation helps you maintain product quality and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. With accurate records and the ability to respond quickly to challenges, you can ensure that your products meet the highest quality standards.
5. stand out from the competition
The manufacturing transparency that traceability offers builds consumer confidence. Customers increasingly expect to be able to know the origin of the products they buy. With traceability, you can meet these expectations and, in turn, stand out from the competition.
Before we get into the details, you need to understand that traceability is not just a technology, but more importantly a mindset. Implementing such a system requires proper preparation of both infrastructure and team. Here are some steps to consider:
1. gather key data
Start by identifying what data is critical to your manufacturing process. Depending on your industry, this may include information on temperature, operating time, raw materials, packaging, tools, etc. It is critical to understand which of these data are most critical to the traceability of your product.
2. choose the right technologies
You can choose between automated systems, which collect data directly from machines, and semi-automated systems, where data is entered into the system by operators. It’s important to choose the solution that best fits the specifics of your production and available resources.
3. prepare the team and infrastructure
Before implementing traceability, it is important that your team is properly trained and prepared. Even the smallest change can cause anxiety among employees. It is worthwhile to manage the change and provide training accordingly. When implementing a system, consult your resources with relevant experts.
4. start with a pilot project
Ideas and needs often emerge while using the system. That’s why I always recommend implementing a pilot project. This makes it much quicker to see the results, and the team is better able to learn the solution on a smaller scale, and it is more efficient to perform analysis and introduce additional needed features.
Let’s see what this looks like in reality. One of explitia’s clients , managing a manufacturing plant with a complex production process, decided to implement a semi-automated traceability system. Previously, he relied on manual reporting, which generated a lot of errors and took many hours a day.
Preparatory stage
The company’s manager found that with rapid growth and high employee turnover, manual reporting was becoming increasingly cumbersome. It was decided to analyze all the company’s processes to estimate how much time people were spending on documenting. It turned out that manual reporting takes several hours a day. After quick calculations showing potential returns on investment, it was decided to implement a semi-automated system that reduced documentation time by 70%.
Implementation proper
The implementation itself took several weeks. The client already had the right infrastructure, so the revolution was limited to implementing scanners and installing software. After a few weeks, all employees were working well with the new system, and the pilot process was successful. The next step was to conduct lesson learned workshops to identify further optimization opportunities.
Traceability is not only a tool, but also an approach that can revolutionize the way you manage production. With traceability, you can not only gain invaluable trust from your customers, but most importantly optimize your processes and increase your competitiveness in the market.
If you want to learn more about traceability and its practical implementation, I invite you to watch the video podcast on my YouTube channel Digitalize.co.uk and on Spotify.
In it, I discuss every aspect of product traceability in detail, sharing additional knowledge backed by experiences from various companies I have worked with so far.
I also encourage you to subscribe to keep up to date with the materials shared.
