Track it Trace it

Report itNATURAL FOOD & BEVERAGE USE CASE

Manufacturing data requirements for supply chain origin, ingredients, and processes has in the past been applied primarily to food, beverage and pharmaceutical. Now, these requirements are being driven by regulatory agencies and the end user to ensure product safety in the automotive, life sciences and consumer packaged goods industry sectors.

Even today, many manufacturers continue to record manufacturing data by hand and later compile the information with Excel or Access. Product data reporting is typically conducted post production, leaving real-time product adjustments and quality issues out of the total production equation. This practice often leads to costly recalls and potential risk to consumer health. Automated Track and Trace is the solution.

Polytron was engaged to implement an enhanced end-to-end Track and Trace solution for a product with a time sensitive shelf life. The solution was designed to support sustainable production of a healthy, quality product that relied on fresh ingredients.

The selected solution had to address several challenges. The critical process required the automated track and trace of all ingredients, expiration dates, and suppliers; along with batch and inventory tracking, real-time visibility for production and Work in Process (WIP). TrakSYS™ was determined to be the best tool to meet these challenges, including full forward and backwards traceability to meet regulatory requirements. Prior to Track and Trace, TrakSYS was leveraged to meet the KPI Dashboards, Batch and Material Inventory challenges.

Parsec Automation Corp. in Collaboration with;

Richard Phillips, PE, PMP Sr. Project Manager, MI/MES Product Manager, Polytron.

Jim Flagg, PMP, System Architect

CREDITS

About Polytron, Inc.Polytron is a CSIA-Certified Full Manufacturing Systems and Solutions Integrator, 2015 System Integrator of the Year, and Parsec Certified Implementation Partner. Applying years of manufacturing engineering expertise, Polytron delivers Full Manufacturing Systems Solutions from process to packaging and material handling to warehousing - everything inside the four walls.

sales@polytron.com www.polytron.com

EMAIL

Local: 678-328-2929Toll Free: 855-794-7659

PHONE

1 Polytron, Inc.

USE CASE

KPI DASHBOARDS

The first challenge of the project was to provide the manufacturer with much needed plant-wide visibility into Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for real-time and historical trending.

The existing system utilized SAP for ERP, a custom Oracle database for material inventory, OSI PI as a Historian, and Rockwell software for S88 Batch Control and HMIs.

The current process involved Excel reporting which required manual entry. This was time consuming, error prone and provided no real-time updates. Reports were generated by running Batch Reports, extracting relevant data, manually transferring data into a spreadsheet, publishing the spreadsheet, which was then retrieved by users.

The Polytron solution provided an application to match the manufacturer’s existing dashboards. This provided the real-time visibility throughout the facility and automated data extraction from the existing Batch system.

BATCH & MATERIAL INVENTORY

The second challenge was to automate a manually reconciled Material Consumption between the Batch system and the Material Inventory System. This required manual entry, opening the door for human error, and provided no real-time updates.

Batch reports were generated, the Consumption Data was extracted and manually reconciled with the Material Inventory System. The reconciliation was then manually entered into the Inventory System.

The Polytron solution provided automated transfer of material usage from SQL Batch database to the Oracle inventory database. Material Consumption Exception reporting was then developed to show issues and discrepancies.

2Parsec Automation Corp.

INGREDIENT / WORK IN PROCESS / PRODUCT TRACK AND TRACE

The third challenge was extensive Track and Trace and reporting for new production and packaging systems. The tracking requirements for ingredients, Work in Process (WIP), and product were needed to meet FDA regulations and quality requirements. The manufacturer requested a solution that addressed the following:

• Detailed process tracking and monitoring to manage the product’s time-sensitive processing cycle in order to maintain its “freshness”.

• Supplier and facility tracking to manage the entire production cycle was needed to establish visibility across multiple ingredient suppliers, two processing facilities and a storage facility.

• Recipe management system with Operator work instructions in the pre-blending areas, which had no Programmable Logic Controller (PLC).

• Automated Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and/or barcoded tracking of all ingredients and WIP.

3 Polytron, Inc.

USE CASE

THE SOLUTION

Polytron implemented the following solution for ingredient, WIP, and product Track and Trace:

• TrakSYS™ was implemented to manage the recipes and track material lot information all the way from ingredient supplier to finished product in the storage warehouse.

• Multiple RFID types were utilized:• Disposable RFID tags were applied to shipping

boxes at the supplier.• Removable/reusable RFID tags were used for

barrels• Permanent RFID tags were mounted on pre-

blend bins• Permanent RFID tags with temperature readings

were mounted on semi-finished product bins.• Barcode readers and scales were installed for

material tracking.• Small hand-add ingredients and finished pallets used

Barcode printers and readers.• Customized work instruction pages for the pre-

blending Operators were provided through TrakSYS™.• Reports were developed for Track and Trace,

Scheduling, WIP, and Batching.

The new Track and Trace system now delivers:

• Realized labor savings for data entry (equivalent to one full-time position)

• Upstream and downstream ingredient usage reports

• Full Track and Trace for quality issues or recalls• Increased data accuracy• Automated data transfers• Real-time production updates• Quick identification of Material Consumption

discrepancies• Centralized recipe management• Electronic work instructions for pre-blend

operators• Facilitation of more accurate WIP expiration

management to ensure product safety and quality• Facilitation of increased productivity• Facility-wide dashboards and reporting• Adherence to FDA regulations

RESULTS & BENEFITS

4Parsec Automation Corp.

ABOUT PARSEC

Parsec in collaboration with Polytron

sales@parsec-corp.cominfo@parsec-corp.comwww.parsec-corp.com

EMAIL

P : 714 996 5302F : 714 996 1845

PHONE

180 N. Riverview DrSuite 300Anaheim, CA. 92808

ADDRESS

Parsec is the developer of TrakSYS™, a proven operations management software application and solution platform designed to significantly improve manufacturing processes. Parsec is committed to providing best-in-class products and solutions to our worldwide community of clients to assist them in optimizing their manufacturing operations. There are thousands of TrakSYS™ licenses in use around the globe in a wide variety of Industries.

TrakSYS™ helps manufacturers to maximize asset utilization and efficiency, increase capacity with no new capital equipment, reduce production costs, decrease lead time, and improve profitability. For more information about Parsec and TrakSYS™, please visit the corporate website at www.parsec-corp.com.