Indisputable Key - Glossary

Synonyms

Trackability

Related expressions

Tracing, RFID, bar code, luminescent nano pigments

Explanation

Traceability is the ability to trace the history, use, or localization of an entity by means of recorded identifications (ISO 8402). The word traceability can refer to:

the origin of materials or components.
the history of the processes applied to the product.
the distribution and installation of a product after delivery.

There are a number of different purposes for tracing materials and products in a supply chain:

Traceability documents the history of a product, including data about eg. origin, production processes, transportation.
Traceability makes it possible to recall defective products from stores, factories and consumers.
Traceability increases the knowledge about a company’s capabilities and enables improvements in logistics and production. It can also be used as a starting point to statistical methods of process control.
Traceability may increase the knowledge about the spending habits of consumers.

In Logistics, traceability refers to the capability for tracing goods along a supply chain using different types of identity numbers, such as batch numbers or Individual Associated Data (IAD). Traceability enables locating an item that has been forwarded from an origin and is on its way to a destination, passing hubs and spokes, and being transported on different vessels. Products, or even parts of products, can be located even after it has been delivered to the final consumer. This is an important issue in industries where production failures may lead to recalls. Recalls are commonly regarded as the ultimate test of a traceability system. In the food industry tracing of temperature ensures that high quality food are delivered in stores, and that the quality can be documented. If food are damaged, or contaminated with bacteria complete batches can be withdrawn from stores, and messages can be distributed via eg. radio broadcasting to get consumers to return the damaged goods. In the forest industries, traceability systems are used to improve logistics, but also to provide guarantees that wood products originates from sustainably managed forests (forest certification systems).

Application/usage in Indisputable KEY

Traceability is the heart of Indisputable KEY. To enable tracking back to the raw material is one of four overall objectives of the project. Being able to improve utilisation of wood raw materials from the forest is of high priority. The advantages of real time traceability will improve production yield and increase capacity utilisation in the factory. In addition to this, traceability systems will be used to reduce the impact on the environment from the forest and wood industries.

In the present situation large quantities of data are measured and collected in the wood supply chain. These could be used to improve production processes leading to increased yield and improved allocation of raw material to products. The problem is that the data are not automatically captured, and are therefore not available for later planning of production, warehousing and distribution processes.
To enhance traceability systems the Indisputable KEY project has to develop the technical solutions, including marking and reading systems. The technical solution thereafter must be integrated with the information systems (ERP-systems) used in the forest and wood industry. To achieve this, a communication system including electronic messages must be developed and adopted by the wood industry.

In the project, several different solutions for traceability will be installed and tested.

Institutions with teaching capabilities

Pôle traçabilité de Valence (France) organizes different short training about traceability in general and technologies of traceability. See

United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) proposes training courses about “traceability and uncertainty for managers” to provide a basic understanding of the concepts of measurement traceability and uncertainty

Available text books and training material

Helsinki University of Technology is concerned by the subject of traceability.
Ilkka Töyrylä did a PhD intitled “ Realising the Potential of Traceability - A case study research on usage and impacts of product traceability " (1999).
“ Traçabilité - réglementation, normes, technologies, mise en œuvre “, Benjamin Faraggi, 2006 : this book is a synthesis (in French) of the current best practices in traceability.