Manufacturing

OPERATIONS

For over a decade, TrackStar continues to serve more demanding applications in manufacturing and operations. Manufacturers are challenged by globalization, increased competition and margin compression. They must continuously work to drive costs down, increase asset utilization and reduce material expenses, while at the same time address market demands for faster delivery, better customer service, higher quality and the ever increasing mix of customized configurations for their products. ARS offers TrackStar for manufacturers looking to use RFID to address these challenges.

WIP (Work in Process)

TrackStar monitors your WIP throughout your premises using fixed reader portals, fork lift readers and hand held readers to deliver real time WIP tracking. The TrackStar Work in Process system monitors WIP by serialized unit number without any extra labor. Additionally, workers can be tagged so that their presence in a work cell can be allocated to the WIP, thereby improving cost accounting techniques for allocating production labor.

The interaction between tagged items and their environment creates an uninterrupted flow of information. This is particularly helpful when you are making items comprised of many parts which are difficult to keep track of, such as airplanes, automobiles, high tech consumer electronic devices, machinery, or medical equipment.  Since many components and sub systems are assembled into individual products, discrete manufacturers need to ensure that the right parts make their way from warehouses to bins to assembly lines when they are needed. It is also critical that the correct parts are diverted at the optimum time to the proper locations for painting, sub assembly or other work before they can be assembled together and formed into the final product.

Typically manufacturers track WIP manually using either paper based logs or by entering data into computers or handheld devices. These methods are prone to error thanks to human fallibility. ARS’ TrackStar platform is well suited to solving these problems and gives manufacturers dashboards and ports to better manage assembly automation, track plant floor assets, and track inventory. ARS offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable companies to take full advantage of the on demand era.

FGI (Finished Goods Inventory)

It is valuable to use RFID in production since costs will drop and the quality will improve for the finished goods inventory. ARS’ finished goods inventory module offers manufacturers the following advantages:

Automates data tracking for real time improvements and better inventory management and faster delivery cycles.

Fixed readers on fork lifts and dock doors eliminate manual data and operator error, increasing loading efficiency by 50% and pick-ticket accuracy by 100%.

Smart bin loading determines optimum inventory location, directs material handling personnel on where to place finished goods; fast moving inventory may be loaded closer to the dock to cut fork lift time.

Automates data tracking for real time improvements and better inventory management and faster delivery cycles.

Fixed readers on fork lifts and dock doors eliminate manual data and operator error, increasing loading efficiency by 50% and pick-ticket accuracy by 100%.

Smart bin loading determines optimum inventory location, directs material handling personnel on where to place finished goods; fast moving inventory may be loaded closer to the dock to cut fork lift time.

Automatically generates pick list and bill of lading.

RFID interrogator verifies order accuracy and updates inventory as product leaves the factory.

Dramatically speeds up physical inventory.

Eliminates orphaned parts and mis-shipments which require expensive additional handling and other costs to correct.

Automatically generates pick list and bill of lading.

RFID interrogator verifies order accuracy and updates inventory as product leaves the factory.

Dramatically speeds up physical inventory.

Eliminates orphaned parts and mis-shipments which require expensive additional handling and other costs to correct.