NFC-Based Work-in-Process (WIP) Tracking for Glass Manufacturing

Background

Window and glass manufacturing involves moving large, fragile components through multiple production stages — cutting, tempering, insulating, assembly, and quality control. Each customer order is tied to a work order packet that must travel with the glass through every operation. Tracking the status and location of these work orders in real time is essential for on-time delivery, quality control, and operational efficiency.

Challenge

A major window manufacturing company needed greater visibility into the movement of glass components throughout its production process. Operators relied on manual data entry and paper-based work order packets to record production status at each workstation. This approach consumed valuable production time, increased the likelihood of data entry errors, and made it difficult to accurately determine the real-time location and status of customer orders.

Manual data entry consumed valuable production time
Paper-based work order packets were prone to errors and delays
Supervisors lacked real-time visibility into order status and location
Bottlenecks were difficult to identify and resolve quickly
Accurate order status updates were hard to provide to customers
Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) suffered from limited production analytics

Solution

Vertical Ware Solutions deployed a cloud-based Manufacturing Work-in-Process (WIP) Tracking Platform utilizing NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to automate production tracking throughout the manufacturing process.

The platform includes:

NFC tags attached to every work order packet
NFC-enabled devices at each workstation
Cloud-based WIP tracking platform
Real-time production dashboards and reporting
Integration with existing manufacturing systems

Every work order identity contains:

Work order number
Customer order reference
Current production stage
Operator and workstation history
Timestamped operation records

Implementation

The deployment was completed in focused phases:

Phase 1: Work order tagging

An NFC tag was attached to each work order packet. Tags were linked to the corresponding order, customer, and production routing in the cloud platform.

Phase 2: Operator workflow rollout

Operators were trained to tap the NFC tag with an NFC-enabled device as each operation was completed, instantly recording progress and advancing the work order to the next stage.

Phase 3: Dashboard deployment

Real-time production dashboards were configured for supervisors and managers, providing immediate visibility into product location, process status, and manufacturing progress.

Results

By digitizing production tracking with NFC technology, the manufacturer significantly improved visibility across its manufacturing operations while reducing manual administrative tasks for production personnel.

Increased visibility

Supervisors gained real-time visibility into work order status and location, enabling faster response to bottlenecks and schedule changes.

Eliminated manual entry

Operators spent less time on data entry and more time on value-added manufacturing activities.

Improved accuracy

Automated scan records reduced data entry errors and improved the accuracy of product location and process status.

Higher productivity

Faster movement of work orders between operations and simplified workflows increased operator productivity.

Better OEE

Accurate production analytics enabled the manufacturer to measure and improve overall equipment effectiveness.

Key Benefits

Benefit	Outcome
Real-time visibility into every work order	Improved shop-floor awareness and faster decisions
Elimination of manual production data entry	More time for value-added work
Increased accuracy of product location and status	Fewer errors and rework
Faster movement between operations	Higher throughput and shorter lead times
Improved operator productivity	Simplified workflows across the shop floor
Enhanced OEE with accurate production analytics	Data-driven performance improvements
Cloud-based dashboards and reporting	Accessible production monitoring anywhere

Traditional WIP Tracking vs NFC-Enabled WIP Platform

Process Area	Traditional Method	NFC-Enabled Method	Outcome
Data capture	Manual data entry and paper packets	Tap-and-go NFC scans	Faster, error-free records
Work order location	Physical search and verbal updates	Real-time digital tracking	Instant order status visibility
Bottleneck identification	Delayed or reactive reporting	Live production dashboards	Proactive issue resolution
OEE analytics	Limited or inaccurate data	Accurate production analytics	Measurable performance gains
Order status updates	Estimated or outdated information	Real-time customer order status	Greater confidence and service levels

Conclusion

The cloud-based NFC WIP tracking platform transformed production tracking for the window manufacturer. By replacing manual data entry with simple tap-and-go NFC scans, the company improved real-time visibility, increased operator productivity, and gained the production intelligence needed to make faster, more confident decisions.