How many of you have an effective FIFO system? How many do not? Who even has one to begin with?

Our barcode system is working extremely well for finished product.

Our raw materials system is another matter. I haven't decided if we're trying to use FIFO or FISH (First in stay here). (It's probably not really THAT bad??????)

Good poll, Marc. Our automotive customers (including 1 of the B3) have made comments to the effect of "Shows how well our FIFO system is working doesn't it?" (in respect to them finding an issue and setting that lot aside only to find out that the next lot they put at the line has an earlier mfg./ship date or lot number). I bite my tongue.

Bill

We have an effective FIFO system using barcodeing all the way through the process from raw materials coming in to finished goods going out of the door.

Our customers are mostly Tier 1 JIT plants who supply into the OEM's and in my experience it can be "do as I say not as I do" on FIFO. We have had issues raised on parts supplied 6 months previously!

Our computerised barcode system is also very useful for controlling non-conforming product. Preventing it from gathering dust in corners forgotten!!

Marc,
We have FIFO & Barcoding with serial number traceability for our finished goods. We are presently working on barcoding for our receiving inventory.

Well....

Most of our products are unique and we keep minimal stock, so FIFO does not often apply here. When it does however, I feel that it works.

My previous job on the other hand was a spare parts depot, where FIFO played a major role. It worked most of the time. For a while there we benchmarked with a food industry. Oh boy, did they ever manage FIFO well. They had to, or they would have had a lot of rotten food on their shelves.

/Claes

If you haven't Voted, Please take a minute and Vote!

Thanks!

Marc

I can only speak for my Ford location.
Most parts and stock arriving at the plant, come in through loading bays. The loading bays have a reading system that picks up a unique transmitted identifyer that is attached to or inside the parts and stock. This information is then loaded into a database of in-stock materials.
It's quite the high tec system. I've seen it at work and it works very well. The internal delivery drivers have a hand held PC device that links to the central database, allowing them to view incoming parts and stock levels.
This is further linked to assembly operator work stations that have an alert system for notifying the internal drivers of parts and stock requirements.
It's not the perfect system by any means yet, I have seen exponential improvements in the parts and stock managment while using this high tec FIFO system. The by-product of this system has caused management and employee acountability to be more measurable.
Wallace.

Our raw materials are used on a 'as-needed' approach. Reading the schedule, we tend to know which raw materials need to be in they bay asap, but the remainder sits in our yard until required.

Additional supplies are used on FIFO approach. No bar code, but stock is rotated so that the oldest material is used first.

Finished product is shipped on a 'as-needed' approach. Our schedule is developed based upon historical data and current Customer demand. But the product sits in the warehouse until released for shipment.

OPur system is very similar to Roxanne's. Component parts labeled with the traceability tracking serial number and date code received, oldest used first.

Our biggest problem is integrating our system with our suppliers. When we get a shipment of one component in, this shipment is identified by us with only one serial number/date code, but the shipment received often was manufactured by our supplier on different dates. (e.g. shipment received is 5 boxes: 1 box manufactured 9/2/2006, 3 manufactured 8/29/2006, 1 manufactured 9/6/06.

This can cause a real headache when we find problems with material. Has anyone else experienced this and found a way around this problem???

daj

Do we still ponder over FIFO, if the systems have been well graduated to JIT (Just in Time) ?

Priyavrat Thareja

Do we still ponder over FIFO, if the systems have been well graduated to JIT (Just in Time) ?

Priyavrat Thareja

Well, no. But the sad fact is that the concepts of accumulating inventory, and especially "safety stock," are still very much alive, and showing no signs of their advanced age.

Also, the JIT concept is usually applied at the point of use (i.e., by the customer) and there are still reasonable economies inherent in job shops running more at a time than just single-release quantities.

I voted "yes" but we really have two inventory operations that are treated as separate systems...
1) Raw Material Bar Stock which is a somewhat functioning FIFO system with no barcoding.
2) Inventory of purchased parts and machined parts is FIFO with a bar code system that works pretty well. I understand that cycle counts are consistently above 95% accurate.

Although - FIFO in itself is not that awful important to us as our parts have no shelf life. We're more concerned with lot traceability.

We don't use FIFO and I hate it. It makes it very hard to track down problems. We had a field recall last winter and ended up bringing back lots more product than we should have because we couldn't nail down when the suspect lot actually shipped from our warehouses.

We don't use FIFO and I hate it. It makes it very hard to track down problems. We had a field recall last winter and ended up bringing back lots more product than we should have because we couldn't nail down when the suspect lot actually shipped from our warehouses.

How does FIFO, a form of lot control, make lot control more difficult? Maybe it would be more accurate to describe it as inventory control, but still?

We are conducting FIFO manually by season label. So it is inefficient to control.
Another problem, it is very difficult to control FIFO in production process.

We are conducting FIFO manually by season label. So it is inefficient to control.
Another problem, it is very difficult to control FIFO in production process.

Congratulations on making your first post, zllee! :applause: I see that you registered back in November 2006.

I am curious as to why you state that it is difficult to control the application of FIFO methodology within a production process. My own experience shows that it is not difficult if the layout of materials (be they raw materials, constituent parts, in-process materials, or finished goods) if the layout of the production area is in a logical manner.

U must first understand how things are working in that part of the world,an environment that used to have 60%(or more) redundancy built-in.,it is improving fast, but there is still a huge gap.

Our FIFO systems with bar coding works well here.
But, I have been at places that used the FISH system.
(First In Still Here) ;-)

Congratulations on making your first post, zllee! :applause: I see that you registered back in November 2006.

I am curious as to why you state that it is difficult to control the application of FIFO methodology within a production process. My own experience shows that it is not difficult if the layout of materials (be they raw materials, constituent parts, in-process materials, or finished goods) if the layout of the production area is in a logical manner.

I have a bit trouble in low FPY & bad 5S for FIFO system operation. So all the abnormal situation will cause disordering the part moving.:thanx:

What is FPY?

I had some experiences in China, your problem is the norm. There's nothing wrong with FIFO, it's the management's ignorant that has to be addressed. When everybody is bypassing the rules & regulations including the 'lingdao'(leaders), i wonder what chances you have?

What is FPY?



I would wager that FPY = First Pass Yield.

Wayne

How does FIFO, a form of lot control, make lot control more difficult? Maybe it would be more accurate to describe it as inventory control, but still?


your statement is contradictory. With FIFO, you get better control, i believe something serious had gone wrong at your place. Is it still on Oxygen?

ur statement is contradictory. With FIFO, you get better control, i believe something serious had gone wrong at your place. Is it still on Oxygen?

What does ur mean?

Stijloor.

What does ur mean?

Stijloor.

It's text speak for 'your'.........

trying to make it happen here...:frust:

We have full FIFO based on barcodes and SAP which works well for both finished goods and raw materials.

We are now looking at both RFID and 3D barcodes to enhance the traceability of our products, as well addressing emergent anti-counterfeiting requirements.

The validation is horrible!!:frust:

Jim

Hello Mark,

FIFO is done good on paper / in system by 100% in many companies, but in actual practice if you verify ( i like your one verification is better than 100 opinions ) there are always few hangings. That's why 5S got so popular!! I personally verified about 20+ companies and are at max 98% FIFO level. :bonk:

...FIFO is only effectively workable in a company who has a better control of their inventory… that’s for sure… :notme:

Can anyone direct me to a good bar coding system? And possibly provide me with a cost of implementing it?

Some info on my company:
My business is plastic injection molding. We make approx. 3.5 million parts a month and have over 300 different parts.

We are looking to bar code just the finished boxes.

I have added a response to this poll, only to show that it is an Industry wide problem (and that I am not a Consultant). Even with some of the Major OEMs (Aviation and commercial).