GS1 TraceWay is a best-in-class process approach to initiate, assess, design and deploy traceability solutions. It includes a mapping to GS1 global standards, tips and resources for implementers, as well as business benefits. At TrackVision AI, we base our traceability project consulting and implementation services on GS1 TraceWay - but TraceWay itself is software agnostic and can be used to benefit any person involved in delivering any traceability project.
In this article, we are going to walk through GS1 TraceWay and learn about it in detail. Begin by heading to the GS1 TraceWay homepage at https://www.gs1.org/standards/traceability/traceway/tool
The tool is interactive and easy to use. By clicking on the different phases, you will reveal process steps that can be further drilled into to find descriptions, resources and guidelines. Let's start at the prerequisite step:
In this stage, the tool encourages the project team to think through and document the context and goals of their traceability project, as this will provide key information to drive subsequent processes. What are your traceability objectives? What are key constraints and established practices? What is your budget and what do you believe the project will cost at this stage? This information typically feeds into the deliverable for this step: a Project Business Case.
Next, delivery of the project itself starts. The first Phase defined by GS1 TraceWay is “Diagnosis”:
In this phase, the project team will access the current situation in detail. What products or objects do we want traceable? What parties and locations are involved - both internal and external to your organization? How are products physically moved between the parties and locations today? What information is captured and what systems are involved? The deliverable at the end of this phase is a document that describes the current state discovered and highlights gaps in capability.
Next comes “Phase 2: Design”:
In the Design phase, the project team defines the “to-be” target state for traceability that addresses the gaps discovered in Phase 1. Key outcomes include defining the traceable items, the “critical tracking events”, supporting master data, the physical process flow and the information flow, the intended IT systems to be used etc.
The last phase is “Deployment”:
This part of the process covers the actual implementation and rollout of the traceability system designed in the previous phase. It includes planning, the implementation of technical and business process changes, testing, training and monitoring. At the end of this phase, your new traceability capability will be up and running successfully in production.
In conclusion, the GS1 TraceWay methodology provides a comprehensive framework for businesses looking to implement effective traceability solutions. At TrackVision AI, we leverage the principles of GS1 TraceWay to offer tailored consulting and implementation services that ensure our clients not only meet their traceability goals, but also achieve operational excellence and B2B interoperability via the use of open, industry standards from GS1. Contact us today to learn how we can help you leverage GS1 TraceWay to deliver your next traceability project.