Traceability in the Electronics Manufacturing Industry: A state-of-the-art review and a case study

Industry 4.0 constitutes a major transformation of traditional factories. Innovative technologies are changing the way companies deal with the production process and supply chain management, and how organizations implement sustainable models. Traceability is a key component of the supply chain, hence the application of some of the drivers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has a significant impact, consequently leading to the optimization of operations and the increase of efficiency and reliability. The present thesis analyzes the current industrial context with respect to traceability, focusing, particularly, on the electronics manufacturing industry. The project introduces a general framework for traceability and a comprehensive state-of-the-art review that includes the most relevant technologies in the field. The previous theoretical background lays the foundations to perform a case study of a real company, in which, from a descriptive perspective, the traceability implementation is evaluated, discussing the potential utilization of the considered technologies. Finally, some general conclusions regarding traceability in the electronics manufacturing industry and its prospective development in the paradigm of Industry 4.0 are presented