On many Indian shop floors, work-in-progress is still tracked with paper job cards, whiteboards and end-of-shift data entry. Supervisors know roughly where things are, but not exactly. When a customer calls to ask about an order, someone walks the floor to find out. RFID offers a way to capture movement automatically, giving real-time visibility without asking operators to do more paperwork.

What WIP tracking means in practice

The goal is simple: know which job, batch or item is at which stage, since when, and how long each stage took. With that data you can answer questions like:

• Where is order number X right now?
• Which station is the bottleneck this week?
• How much WIP is waiting between processes?
• Which jobs have been stuck for more than a day?

What gets tagged

There are several approaches depending on your process:

Tag the carrier

Bins, trolleys, trays, pallets or fixtures that carry the work get a durable RFID tag. At the start of a job, the carrier tag is linked to the job number. This is efficient because tags are reused for years.

Tag the job card

An RFID label is added to the existing paper traveller. It is low-cost and familiar to staff, though cards can be damaged in harsh areas.

Tag the item

For high-value or serialised products, a tag is attached to the item itself and may remain for its service life, supporting traceability and warranty.

In garment manufacturing, bundle tickets with RFID can track bundles from cutting through stitching lines. In engineering industries, tags on fixtures or bins are more common. On-metal tags are essential where tags are mounted on steel.

How reads are captured

• Station readers - a small antenna at each workstation reads the bin or job card when placed in a defined spot.
• Doorway or zone portals - readers at entrances to departments record movement between areas.
• Handheld readers - supervisors confirm location or do quick WIP counts.
• Conveyor readers - on automated lines, a reader on the conveyor records each item passing.

HF readers at stations give deliberate, close-range reads that prevent confusion between neighbouring workstations. UHF is better for zone-level tracking and bulk counts. Many factories use both.

Designing around the operator

The best WIP systems need almost no extra effort from operators. Placing a bin on a marked spot, or passing through a door, should be enough. If operators have to press buttons or scan multiple codes, data quality will drop over time. Indicator lights or a simple screen at each station confirm the read and build trust.

Data you can expect

• Live dashboard of WIP by stage and by order.
• Cycle and waiting time by station.
• Alerts for jobs exceeding a target time.
• Historical data for planning and capacity decisions.
• Traceability: which batch passed which station, when.

Integration with ERP

RFID WIP data is most useful when it updates your ERP or production planning system - closing operations, updating stock of semi-finished goods, and triggering next steps. Middleware converts raw reads into meaningful events and sends them to the ERP.

Barcode first, RFID where it pays

Not every station needs RFID. For low-volume areas, a 2D barcode on the job card and a rugged scanner may be enough. Industrial scanners like the Datalogic PowerScan range handle oily, dusty environments well; see our Datalogic page. Use RFID where hands-free, bulk or automatic capture adds clear value.

Implementation tips

1. Map your process and decide which events you want to capture.
2. Choose what to tag - carrier, card or item - based on reuse and environment.
3. Test tags in real conditions: heat, oil, metal and washing.
4. Pilot on one line, measure, then scale.

Indian RFID designs and implements RFID automation for manufacturing, including tags, readers and software. To discuss your shop floor, WhatsApp +91-9717122688 or email gm@indianbarcode.com.

Contact Indian RFID

Indian RFID is the RFID arm of Mindware, which also delivers complete barcode solutions, barcode labels and the full range of Mynds brand barcode ribbons.

Phone / WhatsApp: +91-9717122688
Email: gm@indianbarcode.com
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