The OEM sends a traceability request. The answer takes 3 days to assemble from 6 different sources.
IATF 16949 requires automotive component suppliers to maintain traceability from raw material to finished part to customer delivery. When an OEM raises a field quality concern — a component failure in a vehicle, a recall investigation — the supplier must be able to identify which raw material lots went into which production batches, on which lines, with which tooling, inspected by which operators, and shipped to which OEM plant and vehicle production sequence.
In most Tier 1 and Tier 2 plants, this information exists — but it is distributed across the ERP, the MES, the QMS, paper production logs, and the WMS. Assembling a complete traceability record for an OEM field query takes 2–5 days of manual investigation. In a recall situation, that delay has direct regulatory and financial consequences.
IATF traceability is a data linkage problem — every production event generates a record, and the records need to be linked in real time as production happens, not assembled retrospectively when a query arrives. HublerX links each record to the next as the part moves through the production process — raw material GRN to incoming inspection to WO issuance to in-process inspection to finished part to packing to shipping — creating a complete, queryable traceability chain that is available instantly when an OEM or auditor requests it.
Live workflow view
The step-by-step sequence
- 1
Raw material lot linked to incoming inspection
When a raw material is received, HublerX links the supplier lot number, the GRN reference, and the incoming inspection results in a single record. The material is available for production only after the inspection record is complete — preventing uninspected material from entering the production chain.
On GRN · automatic - 2
Material lot linked to work order at issue
When material is issued to a work order, HublerX records the specific lot numbers issued — linking each raw material lot to the WO reference, the production line, the machine, the tooling set, and the shift. This linkage is captured at the point of issue, not reconstructed later.
On material issue - 3
In-process inspection results linked to WO and part
In-process inspection checkpoints — dimensional checks, torque readings, visual inspections — are recorded in HublerX against the specific WO and the specific parts produced in that inspection window. The operator ID, the gauge or tool used, and the measurement values are captured and linked to the traceability record.
At each inspection checkpoint - 4
Finished part linked to packing and label
When production is complete and parts are packed, HublerX links the finished part batch or serial number to the packing record — quantity, pack configuration, label number, and storage location. For sequenced delivery applications, individual part serial numbers are linked to the production sequence.
On WO completion and packing - 5
Shipment linked to OEM delivery reference
When the shipment is dispatched, HublerX links the part batch or serial numbers to the ASN, the OEM delivery reference, the OEM plant, and the production sequence number where applicable. The complete traceability chain — raw material lot to OEM delivery — is closed at the point of dispatch.
On dispatch · automatic - 6
Traceability report generated on demand
When an OEM or auditor requests a traceability report — by part number, lot number, delivery reference, or date range — HublerX generates the complete chain instantly: raw material supplier and lot, incoming inspection, WO, line, machine, tooling, operators, in-process inspection results, finished part batch, and delivery reference. The report is exportable in the format required by the OEM.
On demand · seconds
Results are directional. Traceability completeness depends on the scope of ERP, MES, and QMS integration and the consistency of shopfloor data capture.
See how IATF traceability works in your plant
30 minutes. Your OEM requirements. Your production process.