Sectors such as the Food & Beverage, pharmaceutical or chemical sectors are required to check the traceability of the goods . Similarly, companies in other industries do so to build their commitment to consumers and instill trust in customers.
To verify all information relating to their products, companies must have a traceability system . It is a computer program that guarantees complete monitoring of the products entering, stopping and leaving the company. At the same time, a secure control of the processes to which each article has been subjected is carried out track and trace solutions.
A software for effective traceability must follow the movement of products through the stages of production, processing and distribution. In addition, it must ensure behind, inward and ahead traceability for the performance of four functions:
Show complete history . To find out which supplier delivered the commodities or, if kitting is used or the goods arrive from production, know the raw materials used for assembly and production.
Always locate any product , regardless of location (in the warehouse or in a store).
Know the logistical characteristics of the products , i.e. information relating to the origin, the serial number, the EAN code, the color, the production date or the minimum shelf life.
Freeze the stock affected by any security measures to prevent it from being distributed and marketed.
The ERP application has functionality for warehouse management, such as tracking of receipts and shipments. In this way, it is possible to verify the goods arriving in the warehouse and their distribution. However, this software does not have the specific function of coordinating logistic processes as it cannot control the inventory in an exhaustive way; therefore, the ERP application does not offer complete traceability of the goods. On the other hand, aims at careful management of products and controls the inventory in a much more rigorous way.
With this information, you can see which processes each item passed . In fact, in addition to the goods available, the WMS knows which movements have occurred in the warehouse and when.
Advantages of a traceability software
Traceability management software is essential for managing a large amount of data and product information. Here are some of the key benefits:
Provide information on product status and processes in real time. In addition to knowing the characteristics and the exact position of the items, it is possible to trace their path through the different phases of the allowance chain and therefore identify any inefficiencies.