RFID-Enabled WIP Tracking & Product Genealogy
Real-time visibility from shop floor movement to finished product history.
Manufacturers often know where a job is supposed to be, but not always where the physical WIP actually is. TSRB’s RFID-enabled WIP Tracking connects physical movement on the shop floor to real-time production visibility, helping teams know where jobs are, what status they are in, and when downstream operations are ready.
Request a WIP Tracking ReviewWhat It Answers
- Where is the job right now?
- Has WIP arrived at the next operation?
- Is it waiting, active, complete, or delayed?
- Are all parallel WIP streams ready?
- Can the finished product be traced?
The Shop Floor Visibility Gap
Paper travelers move through the plant, parts wait between operations, parallel work streams become disconnected, and supervisors spend valuable time asking, “Where is the job?”
ERP may show where the job should be. RFID-based WIP Tracking shows where the WIP actually is.
The TSRB Approach
An RFID label is applied to the job traveler and associated with the work order, job, routing, or operation sequence. As the traveler moves with the WIP, fixed UHF RFID readers detect its presence at each work center.
TSRB then updates the WIP status automatically or through operator actions such as start, complete, and ready-to-move.
How RFID WIP Tracking Works
1. Print & Tag
The traveler is printed and an RFID label is scanned or encoded at the printer station.
2. Associate to Job
The RFID code is linked to the traveler, job, work order, and routing sequence in TSRB.
3. Detect Arrival
Fixed UHF RFID readers detect the traveler when WIP enters a work center zone.
4. Track Status
WIP is marked arrived, queued, in process, complete, ready to move, or in exception.
What the System Tracks
| Item | Visibility Provided |
|---|---|
| Job / Work Order | Shows which job the WIP belongs to. |
| Traveler | Identifies the physical traveler linked to the job. |
| RFID Tag | Provides the unique identity of the tracked WIP. |
| Work Center | Shows where the WIP was last detected. |
| Operation | Displays the current routing step. |
| Status | Arrived, queued, in process, complete, ready to move, or exception. |
| Time in Status | Shows how long WIP has been waiting or active. |
| Exceptions | Flags wrong location, missing WIP, delayed WIP, or out-of-sequence movement. |
Plant-Wide WIP Status Board
The WIP Status Board provides a live view of active WIP across the plant. Users can search, filter, and drill into jobs to see exactly where related WIP is located and what status it is in.
Supervisors, planners, production managers, material handlers, quality teams, and customer service can all work from the same operational truth.
Common Views
- All active WIP
- WIP by job
- WIP by work center
- WIP waiting to start
- WIP in process
- WIP ready to move
- Delayed or missing WIP
- Downstream readiness
Parallel WIP & Downstream Readiness
Many manufacturing processes require multiple WIP streams to be completed separately before they can be combined downstream. TSRB can track related WIP streams and alert the team when all required pieces are available for the next operation.
This helps prevent premature setup, missed components, idle downstream work centers, and delays caused by incomplete staging.
Optional Finished Product RFID Genealogy
In addition to tracking WIP during production, TSRB can support an optional final product RFID tag for product genealogy.
At the end of production, an RFID label can be applied to the finished product. Instead of storing the entire manufacturing history on the tag, the tag can store a secure URL or lookup reference that connects the physical product to its complete digital record.
When scanned, the RFID tag can open a secure product genealogy page containing manufacturing, quality, warranty, and service-related information.
| Record Type | Example Information |
|---|---|
| Product Identity | Serial number, part number, revision, customer asset number. |
| Manufacturing History | Work order, traveler, routing, operation history. |
| Quality Records | Inspection results, test status, pass/fail records. |
| Configuration | Options, firmware, version, customer-specific build data. |
| Warranty & Service | Warranty coverage, maintenance events, repairs, field updates. |
| Documents | Certificates, manuals, inspection reports, compliance documents. |
Key Benefits
Real-Time WIP Visibility
Know where jobs and travelers are physically located throughout the plant.
Less Searching
Reduce time spent walking the floor looking for jobs, parts, travelers, or staged WIP.
Better Flow Control
Identify waiting, delayed, missing, or misrouted WIP before it disrupts production.
Downstream Readiness
Confirm when all parallel WIP streams are ready for assembly or combined processing.
Improved Traceability
Connect WIP movement, production activity, quality records, and finished-product history.
Customer Service Visibility
Quickly answer job status questions with current location and production status.
From Shop Floor Tracking to Digital Product History
TSRB RFID WIP Tracking connects the physical movement of production to the digital systems that manage jobs, schedules, quality, and customer commitments.
The result is more than RFID tracking. It is real-time production visibility from WIP movement through finished-product genealogy.
Schedule a WIP Visibility ReviewRFID-Enabled WIP Tracking & Product Genealogy
Real-time visibility from shop floor movement to finished product history.
Manufacturers often know where a job is supposed to be, but not always where the physical WIP actually is. TSRB’s RFID-enabled WIP Tracking connects physical movement on the shop floor to real-time production visibility, helping teams know where jobs are, what status they are in, and when downstream operations are ready.
Request a WIP Tracking ReviewWhat It Answers
- Where is the job right now?
- Has WIP arrived at the next operation?
- Is it waiting, active, complete, or delayed?
- Are all parallel WIP streams ready?
- Can the finished product be traced?
The Shop Floor Visibility Gap
Paper travelers move through the plant, parts wait between operations, parallel work streams become disconnected, and supervisors spend valuable time asking, “Where is the job?”
ERP may show where the job should be. RFID-based WIP Tracking shows where the WIP actually is.
The TSRB Approach
An RFID label is applied to the job traveler and associated with the work order, job, routing, or operation sequence. As the traveler moves with the WIP, fixed UHF RFID readers detect its presence at each work center.
TSRB then updates the WIP status automatically or through operator actions such as start, complete, and ready-to-move.
How RFID WIP Tracking Works
1. Print & Tag
The traveler is printed and an RFID label is scanned or encoded at the printer station.
2. Associate to Job
The RFID code is linked to the traveler, job, work order, and routing sequence in TSRB.
3. Detect Arrival
Fixed UHF RFID readers detect the traveler when WIP enters a work center zone.
4. Track Status
WIP is marked arrived, queued, in process, complete, ready to move, or in exception.
What the System Tracks
| Item | Visibility Provided |
|---|---|
| Job / Work Order | Shows which job the WIP belongs to. |
| Traveler | Identifies the physical traveler linked to the job. |
| RFID Tag | Provides the unique identity of the tracked WIP. |
| Work Center | Shows where the WIP was last detected. |
| Operation | Displays the current routing step. |
| Status | Arrived, queued, in process, complete, ready to move, or exception. |
| Time in Status | Shows how long WIP has been waiting or active. |
| Exceptions | Flags wrong location, missing WIP, delayed WIP, or out-of-sequence movement. |
Plant-Wide WIP Status Board
The WIP Status Board provides a live view of active WIP across the plant. Users can search, filter, and drill into jobs to see exactly where related WIP is located and what status it is in.
Supervisors, planners, production managers, material handlers, quality teams, and customer service can all work from the same operational truth.
Common Views
- All active WIP
- WIP by job
- WIP by work center
- WIP waiting to start
- WIP in process
- WIP ready to move
- Delayed or missing WIP
- Downstream readiness
Parallel WIP & Downstream Readiness
Many manufacturing processes require multiple WIP streams to be completed separately before they can be combined downstream. TSRB can track related WIP streams and alert the team when all required pieces are available for the next operation.
This helps prevent premature setup, missed components, idle downstream work centers, and delays caused by incomplete staging.
Optional Finished Product RFID Genealogy
In addition to tracking WIP during production, TSRB can support an optional final product RFID tag for product genealogy.
At the end of production, an RFID label can be applied to the finished product. Instead of storing the entire manufacturing history on the tag, the tag can store a secure URL or lookup reference that connects the physical product to its complete digital record.
When scanned, the RFID tag can open a secure product genealogy page containing manufacturing, quality, warranty, and service-related information.
| Record Type | Example Information |
|---|---|
| Product Identity | Serial number, part number, revision, customer asset number. |
| Manufacturing History | Work order, traveler, routing, operation history. |
| Quality Records | Inspection results, test status, pass/fail records. |
| Configuration | Options, firmware, version, customer-specific build data. |
| Warranty & Service | Warranty coverage, maintenance events, repairs, field updates. |
| Documents | Certificates, manuals, inspection reports, compliance documents. |
Key Benefits
Real-Time WIP Visibility
Know where jobs and travelers are physically located throughout the plant.
Less Searching
Reduce time spent walking the floor looking for jobs, parts, travelers, or staged WIP.
Better Flow Control
Identify waiting, delayed, missing, or misrouted WIP before it disrupts production.
Downstream Readiness
Confirm when all parallel WIP streams are ready for assembly or combined processing.
Improved Traceability
Connect WIP movement, production activity, quality records, and finished-product history.
Customer Service Visibility
Quickly answer job status questions with current location and production status.
From Shop Floor Tracking to Digital Product History
TSRB RFID WIP Tracking connects the physical movement of production to the digital systems that manage jobs, schedules, quality, and customer commitments.
The result is more than RFID tracking. It is real-time production visibility from WIP movement through finished-product genealogy.
Schedule a WIP Visibility Review