Chances are that you keep some form of detailed records about the products that leave your manufacturing floor—whether you're using sophisticated manufacturing software or manual processes such as spreadsheets. If you're using the latter, it can be difficult enough if only tracking serial numbers, but as you throw in more information, the number of spreadsheets you're now managing multiplies. It's then easy to run into problems when it comes time to find the information you're looking for.

Tracking materials and products is important in every manufacturing industry, but for electronics, medical devices and food and beverage manufacturing companies, it's even more important if a recall comes into play. When recalls occur, having quick access to lot and serial numbers and other information about the products you shipped out can make or break your company. So what's the solution?

Food Processing

An article in the IT Toolbox relates how important an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution is for food processing companies. Only a short while ago, refrigerated cookie dough, peanuts and pistachios were all pulled from shelves in grocery stores throughout the U.S. because of the threat of salmonella contamination. The United States Food and Drug Administration initiated an immediate investigation and closed down several food-processing plants, as they could not report which of their products contained the contaminated ingredient and which of their customers received that contaminated product.

This failure to keep excellent records could turn a small manufacturing company into a non-existent one. Food processors who need to initiate a recall, but who are unable to isolate ingredients from each supplier, have to recall all of a product instead of just the batches that have contaminants. If your ERP system provides lot and serial traceability, you can avoid this situation.

Medical Devices

Similar to food and beverage manufacturing, the medical device industry also sees many benefits from Enterprise Resource Planning software, including:

• Lot and Serial Control: ERP makes it easy to access data when you need it, for example with audits and in maintaining compliance with the FDA and other regulatory agencies.
• Better Recall Managment: Automate and fully document  the recall process. With ERP in place, you can initiate recalls from any data on hand and conduct recall drills.
• Engineering Change Orders Tracking: Easily track ECR and ECO changes, approvals and notifications as well as project time tracking.
• Improved Customer Service: Track all your customer information in a centralized database, which helps you improve your customer service and marketing processes.
• Quality Assurance Programs: Move your manufacturing quality assurance program online.
• Better Control of Your Shop Floor: See and control work-in-progress, routing, and the status of your order queue.
• Automated Shop Scheduling: ERP ends manual production schedules while balancing limits on production with customer demand. Manage everything from a computer interface and end inefficient spreadsheets and whiteboards.
• Warranty Tracking: ERP allows for tight control of all aspects of warranty service.

Electronics

Competition today in the electronics industry is fierce. Smaller margins, a more complicated global supply chain, regulatory compliance, meeting expedited timetables and tough quality assurance requirements call for small and medium-sized manufacturers of electronic products to invest in ERP. The benefits are very similiar for electronic manufacturers as they are for food processing companies and medical devices manufacturers.

Investing in the right ERP solution now can mean big savings for your company in the long run. ERP can help you reduce the cost of manufacturing and improve profitability—putting you in the right position to compete alongside the big players in the industry.