Use cases · WIP visibility
When the shop floor stops hunting for its parts
Advantest produces its test equipment for the semiconductor industry across two buildings — machining on one side, assembly on the other, with flows running through both. The ERP knew what had been launched. It did not know where it was.
- Industry — Electronics / semiconductors
- Scope — 2 production buildings
- Modules — Tracking · Cockpit · Scheduling
- Geolocation — 6 to 8 weeks
The clientAdvantestTest equipment for the semiconductor industry — machining and assembly across two production buildings.
Client background
A shop floor that doesn't know where its parts are.
This manufacturer designs and assembles test equipment for the semiconductor industry. Production is split across two buildings: one dedicated to machining and manufacturing, the other to assembly — with flows running through both.
This is the classic blind spot of production WIP tracking. The ERP is the system of record for what has been launched; it has no idea of the physical position of a bag of parts in the hangar. Between the two buildings, the information did not exist.
Day-to-day before ROBIN
The diagnosis made with the teams was unambiguous.
- No real-time visibility on part positions between the two production buildings
- Time wasted searching for missing or misplaced parts
- Production delays weighing directly on OTD (On-Time Delivery)
- No end-to-end traceability of the manufacturing process
- Operational efficiency degraded by a high volume of non-value-adding activities
The Zozio solution
First make reporting reliable, then automate location tracking.
The project was deliberately built in two sequenced stages. Scanning gives progress — which operation, which machine, since when. Geolocation gives the physical position. It is the combination of the two that truly eliminates the search for parts.
Building block 1 — Tracking
Step reporting, digitalised across the whole flow
Material receipt, sawing, preparation, machining entry and exit, in-process inspection, deburring, incoming quality inspection, return from outsourced surface treatment, stock entry.
- Each work order generates barcode labels printed from the platform
- The operator scans the WO and the step — IN and OUT at every workstation
- The machine is scanned at the workstation: the step fills in automatically
- A rule prevents skipping a step: data stays consistent with no after-the-fact checks
- Completed WOs are archived automatically
Building block 2 — Geolocation
An indoor RTLS layer, with no cabling
The chosen infrastructure is cable-free, so it can be deployed without works on a shop floor in production. Standalone BLE anchors, 4G gateways: no cable pulling, no zone taken out of service.
- Automatic WIP inventory by status
- Detection of stalled parts
- Full traceability, from raw material to shipping
- Technology-agnostic catalogue: BLE, UWB, wired or wireless RTLS, outdoor GPS
Building block 3 — Label
From barcode to connected electronic label
The format, size and content of the barcode label were specified with the teams so that it can be scanned in real shop-floor conditions. It is the first step.
- Printed once and fixed → updated remotely when scheduling changes
- Reprinted at every change → zero obsolete versions in circulation
- Unknown location → geolocated in real time on the shop floor
- Doesn't carry the current priority → displays the priority and the next step
Building block 4 — Scheduling
Scheduling plugged into reality
Once progress and geolocation data were available continuously, ROBIN was extended to scheduling: import of the production plan from the ERP, Gantt display, modelling of machines and their constraints.
- Measurement of adherence between planned and actual
- Scans and geolocation serve as the source of truth for progress
The geolocation system deployed
Item | Volume | Role |
|---|---|---|
Geolocation tags | 7 000 | Carried by WOs, bags and parts |
Wireless BLE anchors | 200 | Geolocation mesh covering the zones |
4G gateways | 4 | Positions relayed to ROBIN |
Geolocation accuracy | < 15 ft (≈ 4.5 m) | Sufficient to find a part within a zone |
Shop-floor implementation
Building by building, no big bang.
Deployment followed the ROBIN.Deploy method: a pilot scope, rules co-built with the business, then extension to the second building. No line was stopped during installation.
Scan-based tracking in the first building
Step-by-step flow specification with the teams, label printing from the platform, IN/OUT scanning at workstations. Manual entry in the ERP disappears: the operator scans, the ERP is updated.
Phased deploymentReal-time geolocation layer
Installation of standalone BLE anchors and 4G gateways across both buildings, pairing of tags with work orders and kit bags. No cabling, so no zone shutdown.
6 to 8 weeks estimated implementationExtension to the second building, then scheduling
Replication of the setup in the assembly building, then import of the production plan and Gantt display. Dashboards refresh automatically every 5 minutes for the TV display on the shop floor, with no reload.
Measured results
Adoption is the real starting KPI.
A WIP tracking tool that isn't used provides no visibility. These indicators ensure the data stays reliable over time.
- +300 %usage growth on the first building deployed, since launch
- 100 +registered users after extension to the 2nd building — 67 at the end of the first phase, of which 45 in visual management and 22 in production
- 1 d / 2all users log in at least every other day
- 80 +active dashboards on the platform, refreshed every 5 min
Qualitative gains reported by the site: no more manual ERP entry for routing declaration, data reliability through real-time validation and automatic checks at entry, real-time visibility of production status and WIP levels, drift alerts by email with the details of the deviation.
What this use case teaches
Three lessons that apply to any shop floor.
Scanning and geolocation aren't opposed, they complement each other
Scanning gives the progress status: which operation, which machine, since when. Geolocation gives the physical position. A work order can be declared “awaiting inspection” and have been sitting for three days in a forgotten buffer zone.
A wireless infrastructure can be deployed without stopping production
Standalone BLE anchors, 4G gateways: no cable pulling, no zone shutdown. Geolocation is rolled out at the pace of the shop floor, not against it.
Adoption is worth more than a list of features
+300% usage and a login every other day: that's what keeps the WIP data reliable over time, and therefore keeps visibility from degrading after six months.
Before you get started
What this project required, in practice.
The four questions every industrial management team asks before signing, and the answers as they were verified on this project.
No production downtime
Standalone anchors and 4G gateways: no cabling, no zone shutdown. Scan-based tracking was deployed building by building.
Your ERP stays in place
Work orders, routings and bills of materials are synchronised via connector. Routing declaration is no longer entered by hand: the operator scans, the ERP is updated.
Integration of business rules
The step flow, the label format and the rules blocking step skipping were specified with the teams, under real shop floor conditions.
Your data stays yours
Hosting in France, Europe or the United States, per-customer segregation and GDPR compliance. An on-premises installation remains possible.
Go further
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Frequently asked questions
WIP visibility and shop floor geolocation.
What is real-time WIP visibility?
It is the ability to know, at any moment and without going to the shop floor, which parts are in production, at which stage, on which machine, for how long, and where they are physically located. It relies on two building blocks: progress tracking and real-time geolocation of WIP.
Tracking, track & trace, geolocation: what's the difference?
Tracking follows a state and a progression: at which step, in which status, since when. Track & trace adds traceability, meaning the complete, auditable history of the item. Geolocation gives its physical position in real time.
A work order can be declared "awaiting inspection" (tracking) and have been sitting for three days in a forgotten buffer zone (geolocation): that is why a shop-floor project often needs all three.
What indoor geolocation technology for a shop floor?
The choice depends on the required accuracy and available infrastructure. ROBIN is technology-agnostic and integrates a catalogue of technologies: BLE, UWB, wired or wireless RTLS, GPS for outdoors. On this project, a cable-free BLE infrastructure with autonomous anchors and 4G gateways achieved accuracy of under 15 ft (≈ 4,5 m) across two buildings.
Should we replace our ERP?
No. Your ERP remains the system of record for work orders, routings and bills of materials: it was designed for management, not for detailed scheduling. ROBIN connects to it through standard connectors (SAP, Sage and others) and takes over what it cannot do: dynamic finite-capacity scheduling and real-time shop-floor data (tracking, geolocation, actual progress).
The same goes for an existing MRO system: ROBIN pulls its work orders, routings and standard hours, and adds the layer it lacks. Your ERP investment is preserved.
What is a connected electronic label, and when should you prefer it to a barcode?
It is an electronic label attached to WIP, a container or a pallet, which displays up-to-date information (reference, batch, work order, priority, next step) without being reprinted, and which is geolocated in real time. It replaces the paper label and the job traveller.
A barcode is preferred when the information is stable and WIP volumes are very high; a connected electronic label makes sense when priorities change often, when searching for WIP costs time, or when the goal is a paperless shop floor.
How long does it take to equip a pilot scope?
Less than 3 months from signature to go-live, sensor installation included. Deployment happens in phases, building by building for example, then extends at your teams' pace. A ROBIN.Deploy project manager is on site during commissioning.
Take action
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