Quarantine gate
ProblemNobody could tell what was in quarantine; the screen only offered a “release” button.
SolutionThe quarantine queue shows product, shade, lot, quantity, the work order it came from, how many days it has waited and the issue. Goods that have not been released never enter saleable stock.
Lot chain
ProblemA complaint comes in about a batch. Which raw material lot, from which supplier, went into it?
SolutionOne screen leads from the finished lot to the work order, the formula version and the consumed raw material lots. Lots are recorded when a task is accepted, so the view shows recorded links, not assumptions.
FEFO: first expiry, first out
ProblemLots close to expiry stayed on the shelf while newer deliveries were used first.
SolutionConsumption uses the lot that expires first. Expired lots do not count as free stock, and lots nearing expiry trigger a notification every morning.
Four-eyes principle
ProblemPeople were closing requests they had opened themselves and approving their own purchase orders.
SolutionThe person who opens cannot be the one who approves: lab analysis and approval, R&D requests, purchase orders above a threshold, a second chemist’s approval for large batches. Thresholds live in settings; once a threshold is exceeded, the rule applies even if the general switch is off.
Settings audit trail (ALCOA)
ProblemIf someone quietly changes the setting behind a gate, who notices, and when?
SolutionEvery settings change lands in the audit trail with who, when, old value and new value; passwords and keys are masked. Changes to product and price fields are tracked in the same trail.
Vessel, line and cancellation reason on record
ProblemWhich mixing vessel ran for how long? Why are work orders cancelled? Without records, capacity is guesswork.
SolutionWhen starting to mix or fill, the operator selects the vessel or filling line, and start and end times are recorded. Cancellation reasons are chosen from a list, together with who was responsible. The production and capacity report shows utilisation, idle days and cancellation reasons.