Traditionally, traceability is more of a reporting function – a historical representation of everything that transpired during the production process. Providing verification to the end-customer that their product was built precisely to specification, and the right materials, machines, processes, people, and tools were used. Standard traceability provides verification after the fact; and unfortunately, is unable to prevent an error from happening. That’s where active traceability comes in, it adds control functionality to the traditional traceability scope.

With active traceability manufacturers not only provide evidence to show end-customers why their product deliverable aligns precisely with specifications, but also physically guarantee mistakes aren’t made during the production process. Regardless of how tightly controlled a production plan is, in this fast-paced and unpredictable manufacturing environment, variables can get missed – components can accidentally get loaded in the wrong feeder or the wrong recipe can get selected for the oven process – with margins quickly eaten away by rework, repair and scrap charges.

Active traceability is a potent force from a business perspective too – not only does it help to land new clients, but also cements lasting relationships.

Traceability is powered by factory data – it taps into available data (via machines, materials, sensors, ERP or MES systems) and then makes that data intelligence available via a reporting mechanism. Analytics too are powered by factory data – data underpins the success of both traceability and analytics. In fact, the right analytics tool will leverage the connectivity infrastructure already in place from a traceability system.

Electronics manufacturers today are eager to incorporate analytics into their operation because these tools are intentionally designed to drive continuous improvements and thus leverage a better ROI. Offering a panoramic view of assembly and manufacturing data, analytics transcend individual instances, allowing insights to be gleaned from a holistic perspective to drive both decisions and action.

Manufacturers with both systems will continue to stay markedly ahead of the competition – not only do they have the advantage of correctly and accurately assembling every product with minimal scrap and waste, but they’re also using factory-wide intelligence to drive a more efficient operation holistically. These manufacturers have manufacturing insights and nuanced intelligence about their specific operation that others don’t even know exist, truly maximizing ROI across the board.