Is Traceability the New Transparency?

Can you determine what machine produced a failing part? You can with Serial.io.

Devon Copeland has developed what he considers, if not the first-of-its-kind manufacturing software, at least a big improvement over the state of the art. The software he has developed, along with his co-founder, is all about product data — but it’s not PLM. It's more like an MES (manufacturing execution system) but does one thing to an extreme: molecular-level traceability.

That’s the traceability of every single part throughout its manufacturing and service life. An iPhone could have an issue with dropped calls, for example. This really happened, though Copeland must stay close-lipped on his time at Apple. The rest of the example is hypothetical.

The returned iPhones are all determined to have issues with the antenna, but not all iPhones are suffering from this issue. The investigating engineers surmise that one machine bonding the antenna to a substrate went wonky. But which one? The MES application doesn’t have that level of detail.

The investigators have hit a dead end.

If Only…

If only there were a system that had collected data on each of the antenna subassemblies as they were being assembled and on which bonding machines were doing the bonding. And if the subassemblies had serial numbers?

In this fictional scenario, a thought appears over Copeland’s head: “I can do this. I’ll start my own software company. I’ll call it Serial.io.”

“How’s that working out?” asks Aaron Moncur in his The Wave podcast.

“It works most of the time — except when I'm talking, and people think I'm talking about breakfast cereal,” says Copeland.

How is traceability done now?

Badly or not at all, according to Copeland. The manufacturing engineers have their Excel sheets of data. The quality engineers have theirs. Then it becomes a tedious, time-consuming, error-prone VLOOK up exercise to try to find where the problem occurred, according to Copeland. And if the parts and subassemblies are not serialized, good luck with that.

“We have a Grid Builder to help with putting data together. Think of it as Excel on steroids,” says Copeland.

Serial’s system recognizes that mass-manufactured parts and mass-produced assemblies are not all the same, even though they may all look the same. But like a mother with twins, the serial system can tell them apart.

Serial works by making a digital twin for each component, sub-assembly and assembly. Each part of the product is part of the digital twin.

Worst Case

In nightmare situations, such as a massive recall, widespread failures in the field or a high-profile catastrophe, engineers shouldn’t have to look for a needle in an Excel haystack. Instead, how about one database with data on every part with every bit of how (how it was manufactured), where (which machine, which assembly line) and when?

The Current State of the Art in Traceability

Traceability, as it existed before Serial.io, refers to the ability to track and verify the history, location or use of an item by means of documented identification. It is crucial in various industries, such as manufacturing, supply chain management, healthcare, and software development, to ensure quality, compliance, and accountability. Traceability can apply to products, raw materials, components, or even actions, like changes in code or project development.

There are generally two types of traceability:

1. Forward traceability: Tracking a product or component from its source to its current state or final destination.
2. Backward traceability: Tracing a product or component back to its origins to find the source of a problem or ensure compliance.

Software Applications for Traceability

Several software applications exist to enable traceability across industries, including:

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems – Platforms like SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics offer traceability features by managing data on inventory, production, and supply chains.
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software – such as ENOVIA by Dassault Systèmes, Siemens Teamcenter and PTC Windchill, allows for tracking the entire lifecycle of a product, from design through production and distribution.
• Supply Chain Management (SCM) Software – Tools like IBM Sterling, Infor Nexus, and SAP SCM help manage and trace the flow of goods and materials through the supply chain.
• Quality Management Systems (QMS) – Software like MasterControl and Arena QMS supports traceability for regulatory compliance and quality assurance in industries like healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

More about Copeland

Devon Copeland is a co-founder and the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Serial, a company specializing in advanced manufacturing traceability solutions.

His educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics Engineering from Canada’s University of Waterloo. This academic foundation equipped him with the multidisciplinary knowledge that he used in product design. Copeland also holds a Master of Science degree in Robotics from ETH Zurich. Prior to founding Serial, Copeland worked at Apple, Tesla, and Aeryon Labs. During his time at Apple, the Apple Ultra Watch was developed. His time at Tesla coincides with the development of the company’s Model 3.

At Serial, Copeland applies his background and expertise to create a platform for traceability of complex manufacturing processes, such as companies producing highly intricate products like drones and sensors. His work revolves around the development of tools that allow for precise tracking and analysis of every step in a product's lifecycle, offering engineers and manufacturers better data-driven insights. Copeland's vision is to empower teams by providing an end-to-end, one-stop system for managing manufacturing data and improving product quality.