Work In Progress (WIP) Inventory Tracking For Custom Manufacturers

  

WIP Inventory Tracking Using Mobile App

Using a mobile app, you can track WIP inventory and manufacturing orders progress on the shop floor in real time from start to finish. Here is what you can track:

• raw materials, WIP inventory, sub-assemblies and assemblies, and finished work orders
• inventory used in production, materials returned back to storage, defective or scrapped parts
• lot numbers and serial numbers of used parts and materials for traceability
• progress of the work orders as they move through the manufacturing process
• serial numbers of the equipment, containers or instruments used in production
• operational conditions
• tasks completed on each process step

A barcode scanning mobile app makes WIP inventory tracking simple, fast and error-free. Data recorded in the mobile app are saved as digital records, are never misplaced or lost. Authorized software users can easily search records and access them on demand from anywhere.

  

WIP Inventory Tracking With QR Codes Or Barcodes

Barcode or QR code scanning makes WIP inventory tracking faster, and reduces manual data entry errors. Shop floor employees can use their own mobile devices (smartphones or tablets), or company issued mobile devices for the barcode scanning and data recording.

Smartphone camera works well for the barcode or QR codes scanning in most cases. Letting shop floor workers to use their own mobile phones for barcode scanning will save you money, and make it easier for them to adjust to the new software. However, if you need to process large inventory batches fast, you may want to add a hand held barcode scanner, connected to a mobile phone or a computer. A QR Inventory mobile app is natively integrated with the Socket Mobile line of barcode scanners. Native integration allows you to scan inventory very fast, one item after another, without extra navigation and clicks.

  

IoT Based WIP Inventory Tracking With BLE Tags And Gateways

Bluetooth IoT technology helps you further automate WIP inventory tracking. Install Bluetooth IoT gateway at each work station, and label manufacturing work orders with the BLE tags. Bluetooth gateway will detect parts, components and work orders as they arrive and leave each station. Company employees will not need to do any extra work.
A Bluetooth gateway filters and pre-processes data locally before sending data to a back end cloud software. This edge data processing reduces load on the remote cloud server and network traffic, and makes the entire WIP inventory tracking system much more effective. More on Bluetooth WIP Tracking

  

Set Up A Workflow For Your Custom Manufacturing Process

You have a full control of your process set up. In the QR Inventory software you can define every step of the production process using a cloud software admin dashboard. Here is what you can do:

• Create custom workflows, define workflow steps.
• Create custom mobile forms for the data collection on the shop floor. You can create stand alone mobile forms for the discrete tasks, or link mobile forms to the production steps using workflow.

  

Mobile Forms For Work In Progress (WIP) Documentation

Workflow steps and mobile forms that you created via the cloud software web dashboard can be accessed by shop floor employees in the mobile app. They can fill out forms on a smartphone or tablet, and when done move a work order to the next step.

Completed mobile forms are sent to the back end cloud software in real time. Authorized software users have live access to the work orders progress, status, history and collected data. Optionally, an admin user can prefill a part of the mobile form before pushing it to the mobile devices, as well as edit a completed mobile form or fill "office only" part.

Mobile forms in the QR Inventory software are flexible and can accommodate any production process. Advanced mobile forms capabilities make them easy and fast to complete on the shop floor.

  

Parts And Components Traceability

In the QR Inventory software you can track raw materials by SKU, lot number or serial number. Track and trace each serialized part from receiving through work in progress (WIP) to the final product. Achieve end to end traceability.

Here is what you can do to make traceability process easy, accurate and efficient:

• Use barcode or QR code scanning to keep track of the lot numbers of incoming parts parts and components.
• Record all required info for each lot in the mobile app.
• Generate and print QR code labels using built-in QR code generation tool, or use existing barcode labels if applicable.
• Label inventory and indicate where in the warehouse it is stored.
• Scan parts QR codes as you build assemblies and sub-assemblies. The scan read lot number of a used part, and automatically adjusts inventory status and assemblies stock.

This tracking process allows you to:

• Get accurate real time reports on parts and components stock and locations.
• Easily access lot numbers and serial numbers of components in each serialized assembly. You can do so in the mobile app by scanning a QR code on the assembly, as well as on the office computer.
• Find which assemblies contain components with the specific lot number in case of problem or recall. React to the problems fast, and limit recall to the absolute minimum.

  

Track Work In Progress (WIP) Assemblies

Using a mobile app shop floor employees can easily track every step in the manufacturing production process, and make this info instantly available to the entire team.

Here is what they can do using a mobile app and QR code scanning:

• Track building of the generic and serialized assemblies on the shop floor.
• As you create assemblies and sub-assemblies from the parts and components, inventory stock is automatically adjusted.
• Use mobile forms to document every step of the assembly building process.
• Track installed assembly components by part number, lot number or by serial number. Trace all serialized WIP inventory from start to finish.
• Track serialized assemblies after they leave your shop: shipment to the customers, delivery, warranty service, maintenance and repairs.
• Check assembly details, what parts were installed on the assembly, production and maintenance history with one QR code scan in the mobile app.