WIP from 65% to 99%+. OEE on the dashboard the CFO already reads.
TRACIO delivers production-grade RTLS and Passive RFID programmes that close the gap between the ERP record and the shop-floor reality. Passive RFID, UWB, ISA-95-aligned, integrated with the MES you already run.
Manufacturing: the use case, and the numbers it moves.
The right radio for each job — chosen, never sold — mapped to your use case. That is what makes the ROI fast.
1 · Identify
Every part and tote is Passive RFID-tagged, so identity travels down the line.
2 · Locate
UWB tracks WIP, tools and torque events to the exact station, live.
3 · Act
Real OEE flows to your MES and andon triggers location-correct escalations.
Passive RFID → WIP · UWB → tools & torque · BLE → floor safety
What we keep seeing in Manufacturing programmes.
WIP accuracy at 60–70%
ERP says one thing, the line says another. Stock-outs at cells happen because the system doesn't believe what's in front of it.
Tool & torque untraceable
FOD events, missing critical-fasten records, audit failures. The torque tool was on the line — but no one logged which part.
OEE built on guesses
Availability and performance measured monthly, hand-aggregated. By the time the dip is visible, the quarter is over.
The use cases that consistently pay back.
WIP visibility
Passive RFID at cells, dock doors, tool cribs. Item-level traceability with read accuracy verified to your environment.
Torque & tool control
UWB-tagged torque tools logging which part on which line. IATF 16949 audit-grade build genealogy.
OEE telemetry
Location events feeding into MES (SAP MII, Rockwell FactoryTalk, Siemens Opcenter) for real-time availability, performance, and quality.
Andon integration
RTLS-driven andon. Cell stops trigger location-correlated escalations to the right team in seconds.
Just-In-Sequence
JIS readiness with verified-sequence telemetry. Auto-alerts on sequence breaks before the line stops.
ISA-95 / Purdue alignment
Network architecture designed to the Purdue Model with proper OT/IT segmentation aligned to IEC 62443.
Hardware & software ecosystem
Passive RFID: Impinj · Zebra · Honeywell · Alien · NXP · Smartrac · Avery Dennison · UWB: Ubisense · Sewio · Pozyx · Eliko
Where we plug in
SAP MII / S/4HANA · Rockwell FactoryTalk · Siemens Opcenter · GE Proficy · AVEVA · Aveva PI · ServiceNow
We’d tried WIP tracking twice and it never held. This time WIP accuracy settled at 99.2% and cycle time fell 17%, with payback in 14 months. The difference was insisting the pilot mirror full production load and wiring it into Siemens Opcenter from day one — so the MES did the work, not a spreadsheet.Operations Director · Tier-1 OEM supplier · DACHAnonymised at the client’s request. Reference available on request.
What we design and document to
IATF 16949 · ISA-95 · Purdue Model · IEC 62443 · ISO 9001 · OPC UA · GS1 EPC Gen2v2
Manufacturing — where the payback shows up.
Work-in-progress traceability
Passive RFID at cells plus UWB tool control track WIP from station to station — inventory accuracy from ~65% to 99%+ with full ISO/IATF genealogy.
Tool & torque-tool control
UWB-tagged tools and torque verification prevent build errors and foreign-object debris; first-pass yield rises measurably.
Bottleneck & andon analytics
Zone-dwell analytics expose the real constraint on the line; rebalancing typically lifts OEE by 6 to 9 points.
Further reading: RTLS for manufacturing — use cases, ROI & how to choose · UWB vs BLE · RTLS cost guide
Solutions for this industry
Common use cases — what we keep seeing.
WIP visibility on the production line
Problem: Manufacturing throughput depends on visibility of every WIP item at every station — manual tracking creates variance.
Tech mix: UWB or RTLS-grade RFID on every WIP, MES integration, real-time line-balancing dashboard.
Outcome: Line throughput up 5-15%, WIP variance reduced 30-50%, bottleneck identification real-time.
Operator and shift-attendance attribution
Problem: Quality-escape investigations need attribution to operator, shift and workstation — manual records create gaps.
Tech mix: BLE-AoA on operator badges, MES capture of every step, full audit trail.
Outcome: Quality-escape investigation time reduced 80%+, IATF 16949 / AS9100 compliance verified.
Tool and gage management
Problem: Manufacturing tools, gages, and fixtures must be tracked for calibration, location and availability.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every item, smart-shadow boards and cabinets, integration with calibration-management.
Outcome: Tool-search time reduced 50%+, calibration compliance 100%, capital tied up in tools reduced.
Returnable container/dunnage tracking in supplier loops
Problem: Returnable transport items (RTI) circulate between supplier-OEM-customer loops; loss rates of 5-15% are typical.
Tech mix: Passive RFID on every RTI, fixed readers at chokepoints, integration with logistics-platform.
Outcome: RTI loss reduced 50-70%, working-capital freed, supplier-OEM reconciliation automated.
Forklift-pedestrian safety
Problem: Forklift-pedestrian collisions are the highest-frequency serious-injury risk in manufacturing.
Tech mix: UWB on forklifts and pedestrian badges, proximity-alerts with automatic slowdown.
Outcome: Near-miss events reduced 60-80%, lost-time injuries from collisions eliminated.
Quality-traceability for serialised products
Problem: Serialised products (automotive, aerospace, electronics) must be traceable to every operation, operator and material lot.
Tech mix: Passive RFID + DataMatrix on every unit, MES integration, full part-genealogy.
Outcome: Recall response time reduced from days to hours, regulator-audit compliance, customer trust improved.
Predictive maintenance on critical equipment
Problem: Critical production equipment (presses, robots, conveyors) is single-point-of-failure; unplanned downtime costs thousands per minute.
Tech mix: Vibration and temperature sensors, LoRaWAN backhaul, integration with CMMS and PdM platform.
Outcome: Unplanned downtime reduced 20-40%, OEE up 5-15%, maintenance shift to predictive.
AGV and AMR fleet orchestration
Problem: Manufacturing intralogistics with mixed AGV/AMR fleets needs VDA 5050 orchestration for efficiency.
Tech mix: VDA 5050 master, fleet-management software, MES/WMS integration.
Outcome: Fleet utilisation up 15-25%, traffic conflicts eliminated, mixed-fleet efficiency.
Energy and utility monitoring for sustainability reporting
Problem: Manufacturers face CSRD and emissions-reporting requirements; sub-meter-level energy data is now required.
Tech mix: Sub-meter sensors on machines, LoRaWAN backhaul, integration with energy-management and sustainability reporting.
Outcome: Energy waste identified and reduced 10-20%, CSRD-compliant reporting, sustainability-claims defensible.
Workforce safety / lone-worker monitoring
Problem: Maintenance and security personnel work alone in plant; fall, gas exposure or incapacitation requires auto-detection.
Tech mix: UWB or BLE duress badges with motion sensor, control-room dashboard, integration with security/EMS.
Outcome: Lone-worker incident response time <60 sec, regulator compliance evidence, insurance premiums reduced.
Related reading.
Frequently asked questions
How does RTLS lift WIP accuracy and OEE?
By tracking parts, WIP and assets automatically, it exposes queues, bottlenecks and losses - taking WIP visibility from guesswork to 99%+ and feeding OEE the data leadership already watches.
Does it work in metal-rich plants?
Yes - with an RF site survey and the right tag and reader choices, RTLS and RFID are reliable even in challenging metal and interference environments.
What can we track?
WIP and material flow, tools and equipment, AGV/AMR fleets, condition for predictive maintenance, and full quality genealogy - on one platform.
How does it integrate with MES or ERP?
Location, flow and condition data feed your MES and ERP via API so improvements connect to OEE, scheduling and traceability.
What is the payback?
Shorter lead times, higher OEE and on-time delivery, less WIP and expediting, and faster problem-solving - a measurable ROI on the metrics the CFO reads.