The Tracking module can track individual work pieces or a lot quantity of material through the entire manufacturing process from receiving through shipping. The Tracking module uses bar code scanning technology and unique tracking codes to track individual work pieces and groups (work orders, customers orders, or lots, for example) of individual work pieces. Work pieces can be tracked by group and individually, simultaneously, to provide a manufacturer with direct control of the individual component parts, subassemblies, and assemblies with visibility of the aggregate of the individual work pieces. In addition to work-in-process, tracking is useful in receiving and incoming inspection areas for support of "dock to stock" material control. Incoming material can be assigned a bar code identifier for tracking and can be tracked through acceptance and subsequent placement in the stockroom. Tracking can be applied to material consigned to vendors. Parts or subassemblies sent to vendors or to other facilities can be tracked with equal accuracy to support the same control as provided for parts processed within in-house facilities.

Routing control is the basis of control by the Tracking module. The knowledge base contains all data required for total control and reporting of resources used in the process, for receiving through shipping. Based on flexible and contingency-based routings maintained in the data base, work is directed and moved through the facility. Individual work items may move along multiple and alternate paths, backward and forward in the process. The rules in the knowledge base model the flow of material and associated data through the process for those entities the manufacturer wishes to track.

With user-specified parameters, the knowledge base indicates not only the direction of work through the factory, but also the processes to be performed at any given routing position (a receiving location or an inspection point, for example) including operator interaction with the system and the data to be collected at the routing position. The knowledge base facilitates the automatic initiation of processes without operator intervention. The system interfaces to automated equipment to provide up-load/down-load capabilities to and from the host computer for process control, data acquisition, testing, robotics, etc. The tracking code and the routing location determine the exact function(s) to be performed. Examples of activity which can be initiated automatically by the Tracking module or through operator intervention at any given routing position are:

• Display of work instructions to inform operators of the processes to be performed on a specific part at a given routing position.
• Process monitoring and control of equipment.
• Display of test procedures and CRT-screen display of test results.
• Execution of robotics assembly and testing procedures specific to the work piece being processed.
• Initiation of data collection routines necessary for tracking and status purposes.
• Initiation of pre-processing and post-processing procedures such as label printing and quality control testing.

The knowledge base is structured to enable the manufacture to alter routings in real-time processing mode, thereby providing the capability to balance flows and implement engineering changes to work-in-process on a timely basis. The knowledge base supports on-line modification of the positioning of work pieces for processing based on results of an individual operation, and on-line alteration of routings to enable parts to by-pass bottlenecks. The system supports the splitting of lot quantities for tracking sublots, and the subsequent merging of sublots at any point in the manufacturing process. An important feature is the ability to add control data to the data base as use of the system increases to span additional areas of functionality.

Because the Tracking module directs and controls the flow of work through the entire process, the system has access to all data used or generated by any process. Effectively the Tracking module incorporates and automates the data collection function and integrates quality and all resource data collection with the tracking of work entities through the process. The concept of tracking within the system includes automated and integrated collection of all data, that is, quality, location, status and resource utilization, specific to each process for a tracked entity. At the user's option, the system can record material utilization, labor (both direct and indirect), machine utilization and other equipment utilization for effective capacity planning and cost management.

Most process data, quality as well as resource utilization and status data, can be collected by the system with no human intervention. The Tracking module automatically collects data relative to the number of work items queued for processing at each routing position, the individual tracking code of each work item at each routing position, the amount of time a work item has been queued at a routing position, when and where each work item has been, where a work item is currently, and where the work item should be routed next. Data are also accumulated on the process flow rates and process yields to produce daily, weekly, and quarterly on-line totals, for example, of operation activity and yields. These statistics are useful in cost analysis, exception reporting, quality control, and time and attendance and labor reporting.

In addition to the data collected automatically by the Tracking module and other modules of the system, the user can collect any site-specific data either through an automatic interface between the system and a micro-processor based device or through CRT-based data collection transactions can be initiated automatically at any point in the process. The Tracking module will display user-defined data collection screens at routing positions and will control data entry through these screens. All data collected are recorded in the history file for a tracked item.

Real-time status reporting is a key function of the Tracking module as well as of other modules of the system. System-generated or operator-entered data specific to a work item and work location are collected and stored on-line throughout the entire process. The Tracking module enables managers, supervisors and foremen to view the status of any aspect of the facility at any time. Information can be displayed at multiple levels of detail.

Parts traceability is provided by the Tracking module as it automatically creates and tracks higher level parts as lower level parts are consumed and integrated either in an assembly area in a factory or in a warehouse. Parts are tracked through all processes. Subassemblies of tracked parts are tracked as they are built. These tracked subassemblies can be consumed into other assemblies that are also tracked. In turn, these assemblies can be consumed by larger assemblies. The system maps each assembly to the other to maintain a complete cross reference that shows the detailed composition of the larger assembly by serial numbers. The system also tracks, for a subassembly, the parent assembly in which the subassembly is inserted. Therefore, for every top level assembly, the identity and assembly history for each tracked subassembly and each tracked part are recorded for traceability by serial number and by parent/component relationships. A complete consumption history is available, including the number of times a critical component has been replaced. The method used in the mapping allows failed subassemblies and their component parts to be replaced with out jeopardizing the integrity of the tracking history.

Configuration control through automated tracking within the Tracking module facilitates more cost effective engineering change (ECN) procedures through direct support of functions such as the following: analysis of the impact of a change through pre-release review of the status of all affected work-in-process, location of the items to be changed with the plant or in the warehouse, the automated routing of affected work to a central rework area, and control of the application of ECN's to revision level, serial number, or effectivity date.

Configuration control and traceability of component parts supports component failure visibility and tracking. Failed parts can be routed back to subassembly repair areas automatically. This facility provides a good example of the additional value of the integration of location and status ("tracking") and quality data collection.

Quality control is intrinsic to the tracking of individual work items and to the integration of data collection and tracking functions within the system. Data are collected and can be processed for viewing in a real-time mode of operation.

Increased quality control through the integration of quality data collection and tracking functions is not limited to work-in-process. For example, use of the Tracking module in incoming receiving and receiving inspection, as well as in work-in-process, supports an automated vendor performance analysis program. Through feedback to vendors based on timely, accurate data, collected and displayed real-time by the Tracking module, suppliers could improve the quality of goods delivered. Subcontractors and component suppliers can be evaluated based on their performance to specification. Corrective actions can be initiated in a timely manner based on fact.

Existing customer quality analysis procedures and processes can remain intact. The investment made in the analysis portion of existing systems is enhanced because the data being analyzed is more accurate, consistent, complete, and timely. Data collected by the Tracking module can be downloaded, automatically and real-time, for local execution on other computers. Resources can be focused at the analysis of the data and away from the collection aspects of these systems. The objectives of these systems can be realized with reduced rework, earlier failure detection, quicker determination of process faults, and trend analysis for long term impacts.

For any functional test equipment that is micro-processor controlled, data relative to the functional test process (failure rate, mean time to failure, occupancy and so forth) can be collected automatically. Failure rate and mean time to failure data can be collected by part type. Furthermore, the optimum functional test time per part type can be determined and used to reduce unnecessary delays due to excessive functional test.

In addition to the real-time visibility that the Tracking module provides for each tracked item, the complete history of activity associated with the work piece is available. Activity data associated with any process (such as employee, location, test results, chronology of processing steps, next step, elapsed time at a routing position, subassemblies or components contained, and failure status) are maintained for each tracked item. At the last user-defined routing position of the process, the system can archive the tracking records for the work item and all of its components. This product history latter is accessible by a variety of means, for example, by individual tracking codes or serial numbers, lots, batches, etc.

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