Track and Trace Technology and Solutions

As Industry 4.0 becomes more prevalent, organizations can be further equipped to make informed production decisions quicker than ever. Tracking of inventory, assets or WIP has been around for many decades but identifying cheap and effective solutions is difficult. For many manufacturers, particularly SMMs, the cost of implementing a sophisticated tracking system does not provide the ROI needed to justify the investment. In addition, with so many solutions available, there needs to be more guidance to help manufacturers identify what they need based on the specific problems they need to solve.

About the Project

MxD is releasing a Request for Proposal to fund the development of a tool that allows manufacturers to choose certain Track and Trace solutions based on their specific use case, technological maturity, and potential return on investment (ROI). Tracking and tracing assets or components within a supply chain has become common practice in a lot of industries but in manufacturing, the number of options can be overwhelming and overkill for smaller operations and budgets.

Track and Trace capabilities can have a direct effect on both Availability and Quality. Tools and fixtures required to run certain parts or production lines can get lost or misplaced, causing delays for production and potentially other groups. If components aren’t located in a timely manner, production may be forced to alter their schedule or lose time if forced to be idle. When organizations have more visibility to the things critical to their success, they become more informed and more efficient.

Decision makers need to be informed and empowered to make educated decisions on behalf of their organizations and applications. The current state does not ensure manufacturers are able to locate and implement tools and resources that will allow them to increase adoption of Industry 4.0 practices. This project seeks to develop a tool that will allow manufacturers to explore Track and Trace solutions to identify those best suited for their unique situation.

RFP responses are due on or before
Thursday, March 2, 2023, 5:00 p.m. CT.

Proposals must be submitted by teams; MxD membership is not required for submission but will be required prior to project award. To facilitate team formation, MxD will compile and disseminate contact information from parties interested in Team Formation during the first month of the proposal period. If you are interested in submitting your contact info to this distribution list, please email projects@mxdusa.org.

Note: All project work must be performed in the United States.
This project is a TIA Enterprise Project that requires a minimum of 1:1 cost share.

Download the RFP

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