From a cuple of years up to now it is more and more frequent to hear about product traceability. Even though it is not new, the boom of know everything about what are we buying and the technology made this concept to spread among many sectors.
At Bionix Technologies we want to tell you what is traceability and how you can use it at your company and what are the main advantages, without forgetting about the many benefits it has to customers in industries like retail.
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What is traceability?
Traceability is a concept used in the industry to refer to the monitoring of the entire supply chain, from the raw materials with which a product is made until its arrival at the final company or a store.
It is the process that identifies the composition of a product, its origin, batch, the different processes to which it has been subjected and the place where it will be marketed. To carry out the total traceability of a product we need certain automatic tools such as RFID solutions and cloud platforms.
Types of traceability
There are three different types of traceability: ascending, internal or descending. It is important to analyze each moment of the supply chain to avoid problems and obtain the most reliable data, since it is a cumulative process.
For example, a complete traceability of the product cannot be carried out if it is not started from the beginning. Without ascending traceability, it is not possible to have descending traceability.
Ascending traceability
The ascending traceability allows us to know in detail the origin of a raw material. It is not just a matter of knowing the origin of a product, but which have been the processes that the supplier has carried out, the date of manufacture, the registration or the batch.
Process or internal traceability
Process traceability encompasses the data we obtain during the raw material transformation process in the industry. For example, how we turn cotton into a sweater. Know what components have been necessary, in what quantities, what processes they have been subjected to and the final result.
At the end of the product, we must place an RFID tag so that the data collected during the supply chain is accessible in a fast and automated way.
Descending traceability
In this case, descending traceability encompasses the logistics process, the distribution of the product to the end customer, which is usually a distribution company or a store, being essential to monitor the transport process. For this, it is convenient to know the date of departure from the industry, the quantities, the address of the clients and the state in which the merchandise is delivered.
At Bionix Technologies we have multiple RFID solutions to implement in your factory, store or logistics center. In addition, we customize our RFID solutions to our clients needs so they can have the industrial automation solution they are looking for.
Why is traceability so important?
Traceability has been especially relevant for some time. Every time the catalog of products and services is broader and consumption is faster, traceability become increasingly relevant.
Today, more and more consumers seek to obtain as much information as possible about the items they are buying. For companies, it is a challenge to collect and manage all the information accumulated throughout the supply chain, from the origin of the product to its sale, and in turn have an updated and reliable inventory to avoid stock breakage .
Implementing a full supply chain traceability system may seem complicated, but impossible is nothing. With the right devices and tools for each client, it is very simple. It must be borne in mind that traceability will be necessary in the near future, being already mandatory in sectors such as food or pharmaceuticals.
Sectors where traceability triumphs
Traceability has a lot of weight in the retail and pharmaceutical sector. Either for safety and comfort due to the advantages it offers or to comply with regulations.
Retail
The retail sector has taken advantage of all the technology with which we can obtain product traceability. From large fashion giants, such as Inditex, to smaller companies, they all already have RFID systems installed that allow product traceability.
RFID technology offers many advantages for the retail sector. Stock visibility and reliability leads to increased sales, lower operating costs, and greater control of the supply chain. But what about traceability?
RFID allows total visibility of the product, from its origin to its sale, thus guaranteeing customer safety at all times. Companies obtain reliable, real-time information on the entire history of the product. With this data they can perform a more efficient management of their distribution chain and correct incidents in a shorter period of time.
In addition, in a society that is more respectful with the environment and concerned about the products it acquires, RFID is the perfect solution to offer the necessary transparency between company and customer. You can discover more information in our post on transparency and sustainability in the retail sector.
Health
The main benefits of RFID technology in the healthcare sector are three: Control of medical supplies, control and monitoring of patients and access control of healthcare personnel.
If we talk about traceability, where it gains more force is in the control of sanitary material, especially in that of high value.
It is one of the sectors in which knowing the dates of packaging, batches and expiration is vital, that is why traceability is so important.
RFID tags and devices from Bionix Technologies allow for complete product tracking and traceability. In addition to controlling the expiration of drugs, we can obtain a total monitoring of other assets such as devices, prostheses or operating room material, among others.
Using RFID also makes inventory easier. Thanks to automatic identification, times are reduced and information is obtained in real time that will improve stock management and guarantee patient safety.
Benefits of RFID traceability
Product traceability has become a fundamental point for companies, whether by obligation, to comply with current regulations, or by necessity, for better management and offering better service to customers. Therefore, we summarize what are the main benefits of having a traceability system in your business:
• Ensure the quality of the products
• Guarantee the safety of customers
• Access to information in real time, which will allow optimizing the production process and logistics
• Improve the efficiency of the supply chain
• Full product visibility
• Reduce the response time to possible incidents
• Total control of the merchandise, by consignment, batches and expiration dates
• Improve stock management and avoid stock breakages
• Quick identification of products with a problem
• Facilitates decision-making by having real and reliable information
• Reduction of operating costs
• Sales increase
Is the traceability of products important to you? If so, at Bionix Technologies we have the best solutions to implement RFID technology in your company.
Do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for trusting Bionix!
