{"id":8150,"date":"2023-09-25T14:19:47","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T14:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/?p=8150"},"modified":"2024-07-04T19:47:59","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T19:47:59","slug":"part-traceability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/blog\/part-traceability\/","title":{"rendered":"Enhancing Quality Control with Part Traceability Systems"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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When it comes to\u00a0quality management\u00a0in manufacturing, the ability to track parts and products back to an original design\u00a0is key. But with so many parts and products to keep track of,\u00a0end-to-end traceability\u00a0is only possible with the right\u00a0traceability\u00a0systems\u00a0in place.<\/p>

To help you find the right\u00a0solutions\u00a0for your\u00a0manufacturing process, let\u2019s take a look at what\u00a0part traceability\u00a0is, why it matters, and how to choose the right\u00a0product traceability system.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How does part traceability work?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part traceability\u00a0(also known as\u00a0manufacturing traceability) is the ability to track the location of both components and finished products throughout every phase of the\u00a0hardware development and production process. It tells you which parts go into a product\u2019s design and gives you the ability to find the initial designs.

By using\u00a0traceability software\u00a0and serial numbers, manufacturers can create a unique digital identity for each part and product so they can track their locations in\u00a0real time.<\/p>

This ability to easily\u00a0track products\u00a0and parts can provide\u00a0many benefits<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0manufacturing industry, including a more streamlined and transparent\u00a0supply chain, better\u00a0quality control, and a more efficient\u00a0product recall and evolution\u00a0process.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Challenges to solve<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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One challenge\u00a0part traceability\u00a0helps manufacturers to solve is that engineering teams often lack visibility into what happens to a product after its built.\u00a0<\/p>

Part traceability\u00a0gives engineering and manufacturing teams information about what happens to a product\u00a0throughout its lifecycle.\u00a0Being able to track a product enables engineers to identify the relevant design and quickly find the\u00a0root cause\u00a0of\u00a0defective products. This information is needed to\u00a0inform future product designs.<\/p>

Without easily accessible information regarding what happens downstream, including testing, assembly,\u00a0quality control, and maintenance, engineering teams can struggle to adapt and improve products over time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How Duro assists with the part traceability process<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Duro streamlines and simplifies\u00a0part traceability. Engineers,\u00a0supply chain\u00a0managers, and manufacturers can track every component in a design and\u00a0see what\u2019s changed within a BOM<\/a>\u00a0as designs evolve.\u00a0<\/p>

Additionally, Duro highlights the differences between revisions in terms of BOM structure, documentation, and sourcing with easily visible color coding so engineers can understand changes at a glance and make informed decisions about adapting designs.<\/p>

Duro automatically captures all\u00a0engineering changes<\/a>\u00a0into revisions and nested sub-revisions, providing a full report of all changes. This history log includes a timestamp and the author of the edits and captures this information for every part and product.<\/p>

By enabling end-to-end\u00a0part traceability, Duro empowers companies to take control of their\u00a0manufacturing process\u00a0and enjoy all of the valuable insights\u00a0real-time\u00a0traceability\u00a0and visibility provide.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The two types of traceability\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part traceability includes both\u00a0external and\u00a0internal traceability. Which type you require depends on the location of the part or the product in the\u00a0supply chain.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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External traceability<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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External traceability is the ability to track products, components, and raw materials after production. It helps identify quality issues that arise during transportation, storage, or handling. What\u2019s more, it factors in product usage and customer feedback. Insight into a product\u2019s lifecycle once it gets into the hands of customers is essential to enhance the product.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Internal traceability<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Internal traceability\u00a0involves tracking parts and products within the hardware development process, including both design and manufacturing. This type of\u00a0part traceability\u00a0is key for both process optimization and\u00a0quality control. By having the ability to trace parts back to their source, companies can quickly identify and resolve problems and improve efficiencies in\u00a0production.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Key benefits of part traceability in manufacturing<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Traceability solutions\u00a0like Duro help companies ensure\u00a0product quality, speed up production times, and achieve\u00a0supply chain\u00a0transparency<\/a>.<\/p>

Here are some more benefits that companies can look forward to when implementing end-to-end\u00a0part traceability:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. Better control over the manufacturing process<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part traceability\u00a0provides a comprehensive view of each component\u2019s movement and utilization throughout the\u00a0hardware development process.\u00a0<\/p>

By tracking the origin and progress of individual parts, engineers can identify\u00a0bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and potential\u00a0quality issues. Using the\u00a0real-time\u00a0data provided by\u00a0part traceability, companies can optimize their development and\u00a0manufacturing processes\u00a0to reduce waste and enhance overall productivity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2. Reduced risk of legal penalties, recalls, and damage to the company\u2019s reputation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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2022 marked the second consecutive year that the United States recalled more than\u00a01 billion units<\/a>\u00a0of food, drugs, medical devices, automobiles, and consumer products.\u00a0<\/p>

Quality issues\u00a0are never ideal; they present the risk of reputational damage. When a lack of\u00a0quality assurance\u00a0leads to recalls and legal penalties, the financial and reputational damage a brand incurs is especially costly.<\/p>

Along with helping prevent recalls through better\u00a0quality control,\u00a0part traceability\u00a0also enables companies to quickly identify and isolate affected products in the event of a recall so they minimize the impact on consumers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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3. Enhanced supply chain management<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part traceability\u00a0enables companies to monitor the movement of parts from suppliers to the\u00a0production line\u00a0and, ultimately, to end-users.\u00a0<\/p>

This end-to-end visibility empowers better inventory management, optimized logistics, and improved coordination with suppliers. As a result,\u00a0part traceability\u00a0allows companies to identify and eliminate\u00a0supply chain\u00a0inefficiencies, shorten lead times, and create a more agile and adaptable\u00a0supply chain.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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4. A streamlined recall management process<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In the event of a\u00a0product recall, it\u2019s important to be able to\u00a0quickly trace the origin of issues.\u00a0<\/p>

Having the data to understand which parts are at fault, reduces costs and minimizes disruption to the entire\u00a0production line. It also enables companies to be accurate and transparent when communicating with customers and regulatory authorities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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5. Valuable insights for continuous improvements efforts<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part traceability\u00a0gives you a wealth of data which can help guide\u00a0continuous improvement\u00a0efforts.\u00a0<\/p>

By analyzing\u00a0traceability\u00a0data, manufacturers can identify patterns, trends, and areas for optimization within their hardware development and\u00a0manufacturing processes. This information can be used to improve\u00a0product quality, reduce waste, and increase operational efficiency.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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6. Faster product iterations<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part traceability\u00a0speeds up the\u00a0hardware product development lifecycle<\/a>\u00a0by enabling rapid iterations and prototyping. With\u00a0part traceability, hardware organizations can precisely track the performance of individual parts and components during the testing and evaluation stages of product development.\u00a0<\/p>

This allows for an efficient and data-driven approach to adjustments and refinements that can lead to accelerated product development timelines. As a result, companies can bring products to market faster and respond more quickly to evolving market trends.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Strategies for improving part traceability<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part traceability\u00a0can offer plenty of benefits, but only when companies do it right. If you would like to improve your company\u2019s ability to track parts and products throughout the\u00a0supply chain, here are some strategies for improving\u00a0part traceability:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Use the right tools and technology<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Implementing tools such as\u00a0RFID tags, serialization,\u00a0barcode\u00a0systems, and managing these details with\u00a0traceability software\u00a0all help with gaining full\u00a0part traceability. These technologies enable manufacturers to monitor the movement of components throughout the entire\u00a0production process.<\/p>

Duro\u2019s Product Lifecycle Management platform\u00a0allows engineers and\u00a0manufacturers to track parts back to original designs and clearly view historical information about the BOM. To see if Duro\u2019s\u00a0part traceability\u00a0tools are right for your organization,\u00a0book a demo<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Set up processes to help improve information flow from design engineers to manufacturers<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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You\u2019ll need to establish effective processes that facilitate communication and data exchange between design engineers and manufacturers.<\/p>

Setting up processes that enable collaboration between departments makes it easier to track part origins, production details, and any modifications. This may include centralizing product and part data as well as alerting team members to BOM changes via Slack.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Implement a standardized identification system\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Assigning unique\u00a0identifiers\u00a0such as\u00a0serial numbers\u00a0allows for easy tracking from design to production, distribution and beyond. It makes it easier to link each part to its respective\u00a0manufacturing processes\u00a0and\u00a0quality control\u00a0checkpoints.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Collaborate closely with suppliers to ensure accurate information about parts<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Working closely with suppliers is an important factor in achieving\u00a0part traceability.\u00a0You\u2019ll be reliant on your suppliers for up to date information about the parts that you procure.\u00a0<\/p>

Establishing communication channels with your suppliers will enable a reliable flow of information regarding part specifications, origins, and any changes to a part\u2019s pricing or availability that might occur.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Training and educating employees<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Provide workshops for your employees. These training sessions should focus on the importance of\u00a0part traceability, how to use software to track parts, and employees\u2019 roles in maintaining accurate data.<\/p>

You can ensure everyone within your company is committed to making\u00a0part traceability\u00a0a part of the company\u2019s daily operations.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Find out how Duro can help improve traceability<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part traceability\u00a0provides the clarity and transparency engineers and manufacturers need to make swift, informed decisions. If you would like to achieve end-to-end\u00a0part traceability\u00a0that is simple, automated, and reliable, Duro can help.<\/p>

Duro makes tracking every component in a product effortless, giving you the information your engineering team needs to adapt and build products.\u00a0<\/p>

To see how Duro empowers\u00a0<\/b>part traceability<\/b>,\u00a0<\/b>sign up for a demo<\/b><\/a>\u00a0today.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to\u00a0quality management\u00a0in manufacturing, the ability to track parts and products back to an original design\u00a0is key. But with so many parts and products to keep track of,\u00a0end-to-end traceability\u00a0is only possible with the right\u00a0traceability\u00a0systems\u00a0in place. To help you find the right\u00a0solutions\u00a0for your\u00a0manufacturing process, let\u2019s take a look at what\u00a0part traceability\u00a0is, why it matters, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Discover how part traceability improves quality control and streamlines development. Learn how to implement an effective traceability system.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[],"resource-tag":[82],"class_list":["post-8150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","resource-tag-manufacturing"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8150"}],"version-history":[{"count":126,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13892,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8150\/revisions\/13892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8150"},{"taxonomy":"resource-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-tag?post=8150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}