Material Tracking Methods

This license plate tracking technique gets its name from the license plates that are attached to automobiles. The license plate is a random, but unique, combination of letters and numbers that identify a specific entity. All the data that relates to that entity resides in a computer database and can be sent electronically when needed.

When a container is first entered into the system, such as when it is received from a vendor, its barcode is scanned and all the data about the item is entered into the computer. Then, when it is moved to a location, the barcode on the container and the barcode on the bin, shelf, or other location is scanned to record where the container is placed. Note that the barcode is not changed but simply the computer record for the container.

When materials are used to make a product or mixed in a batch then the tracking barcodes on each container from which materials are taken are scanned to associate these materials to the batch. This is typically done using a barcoded batch traveler sheet. With this, the system is able to verify that the materials are correct for the batch and that they have passed QC inspection.

When materials are produced from a batch then they are given a tracking barcode and this is associated with the batch from which they were made. This then creates a chain of traceability from raw materials to finished goods.

The QC Status of each container is tracked and can only be changed to “approved” by an appropriate person from the quality control department. Materials handlers are warned if they try to move non–approved materials to a non–quarantine location, try to use them in making a product, or attempt to ship them to a customer.

Test data is tied directly to the container or item tracking barcode. Also process data is linked through the batch to the containers or items made.

When materials are shipped to a customer the container barcodes are scanned to record to whom the materials were sent and when. This forms the final link in one–step–forward, one–step–backward traceability from products shipped to customers back to vendor supplied materials. It enables rapid tracing of problems with products followed by an effective and limited recall of defective products.

Material tracking is different from inventory tracking but can be an essential component in maintaining an accurate inventory count. In inventory tracking we are concerned with how much material in aggregate we have in a warehouse or stock room and are not, typically, concerned with tracking individual containers. This, however, makes it very hard to perform cycle counting to validate the inventory. When we track individual containers, we can go to a shelf location, scan the tracking barcode on the shelf and do a real–time validation of which containers should be there. This does not require shutting down production, tagging inventory items, or working on weekends or through holidays to take inventory. It enables inventory to be tracked on a daily basis with a certain number of locations being tracked each day. It also enables audits to be quickly performed with high statistical accuracy.
 

An important characteristic of a material tracking system is the ability to handle nested container tracking. In this each item or container has a parent container. Thus several individually barcoded items may be in a box that itself has a tracking barcode. Many of these boxes are stacked on a pallet, that itself has a tracking barcode. When the pallet is moved to a bin, all that is needed is to scan the barcode on the pallet and the bin barcode to record the movement of all the tracked entities to the bin. There is no need to scan all the barcodes on all the items to record the location to which they have moved.

The BellHawk software is specifically designed to perform material tracking and has been used in a wide range of applications such as manufacturing, converting, pharmaceuticals, mineral extraction, food processing, maintenance and repair. BellHawk supports the new UCC/EAN barcode labeling standards. It is designed to support the use of RFID tags for materials tracking. It is also designed to be readily customizable for specific end–user applications.