Avoid shipping units with material or process issues.

Clearly identify specific units that need to be recalled.

Comprehensive data on people, process, and materials that allow effective problem-solving.

Online, real-time alerts and reports so problems are addressed within minutes.

Allow only certified people to do specific production tasks.

Allow units to be processed only if preceding tasks were completed correctly.

Captures results from assembly and test systems without impacting production throughput.

In-depth experience in the design and improvement of production processes.

Provides a system that is the best of both worlds- custom code and package software.

Expertise in the development, implementation, and support of information technologies.

Most areas use automated in-line scanners, hand scanning is used if needed.

Master data is downloaded from ERP, some specific data such as employee certifications and lot track flags are maintained in Trace.

Maintenance of barcode scanning and printing equipment.

  Trace is fundamentally an automated data collection and tracking system, but with process know-how built in to the database logic. Products are labeled (barcoding, RFID, etc) with a unique serial number and then are tracked through the production process and shipping as needed. As the product is assembled, Trace captures lot data and serialization data for the parts being added to the core product. Trace also tracks the names of the certified personnel performing the production tasks, as well as pass/fail and other results from testing and other automated equipment.

  Along with passively tracking the detailed results, Trace is actively checking and verifying that production is proceeding as expected- that all personnel are certified for their tasks, that the product is moving through production in the right sequence and without missing any steps, that all test results are positive, that any defects or test failures are handled correctly. If Trace's validation logic finds a problem, it will not allow the unit to continue in production, and will generate email or other alerts as needed. The result? In a very efficient manner, Trace ensures that the products shipped are built and tested correctly, and all materials and people involved are recorded for every unit produced.

  The information technologies used to develop and operate Trace are state of the art but not bleeding edge. The servers are Intel-based, Windows 2000 machines with warm failover and hardware redundancy; the clients are small, locked-down units configured specifically for production environments. Trace is developed in Microsoft Visual Basic and SQL Server which provides a system that is both reliable and easily adapted to your requirements. The system is very fast for both transaction processing and data retrieval.

  Key Features and Functionality

Product serialization and labeling

Lot setup, labeling, and tracking

Part setup and tracking (track serialized parts on serialized products)

Test system integration and records capture

Process validation and alerts

Packing, palletizing, and shipping tracking

End-user reporting and ad hoc querying

Web interface for offsite/customer/supplier usage is available

  Trace is a robust and refined system that has been tested and proven over the past ten years. Some significant implementations:

NEC America's Hillsboro site from 1989 through 2002, Trace was used to track and control production for all divisions, from hi-mix low volume Telecom to hi-volume Automotive business units.

Elesys North America's (primarily Honda owned) automotive electronics production started using Trace early in 2004 as a mission-critical system for their Georgia facility.