Digitalization of Material Traceability A System-Level Process Investigation

Abstract

Material traceability is an important part of industrial manufacturing, especially in
systems where quality, reliability, and documentation requirements are high. In many
companies, traceability is often assumed to already exist because there are certificates,
ERP systems, production documents, and established routines. However, during this
study, it became clear that having information available does not automatically mean
that traceability is fully controlled across the whole process.
This thesis investigates material traceability in the cooling pipe production process at Hitachi Energy in Landskrona. The work focuses on how material identity is
created, transferred, maintained, and sometimes weakened through the full process,
starting from engineering and procurement and continuing through warehouse handling, production, and final documentation.
The study was carried out using process mapping, on-site observations, and discussions with employees from different departments. By following the material physically
and comparing it with system information and documentation, several traceability gaps
became visible.
The results show that the current system is not built around one continuous identity structure. Instead, traceability is often maintained through a combination of documents, SAP data, local routines, and human experience. The study also shows that
some of the largest traceability challenges appear during transformation steps such as
cutting, welding, leftover handling, and sub-supplier operations. In addition, differences between SAP transactions and the real physical material flow create situations
where system visibility and physical reality do not fully match.
Based on the findings, this thesis proposes a structured solution framework focused
on defining a controlled material identity before introducing more digital tools. The
proposed framework includes identity rules, process responsibilities, digital support
functions, and future directions such as event-based traceability and sensor-supported
tracking.
The conclusion of the study is that the main challenge is not the lack of technology
itself, but the lack of a consistent identity structure across the process. Therefore, the
work argues that traceability should first be structurally defined, and only after that
digitally expanded.

Popular Abstract

The main finding of this thesis is that material traceability in cooling pipe production does not mainly fail because one specific tool is missing. Instead, the main
challenge is that the material identity is not always maintained as one continuous chain
across the full process. Production can still continue, material can still move through
the factory, and final documentation can still be produced, but the traceability itself
may become weaker during the process.
This is important because modern HVDC systems depend on large cooling systems
containing many pipes, components, and materials that must meet strict technical
and quality requirements. Companies therefore need to know where materials came
from, what specifications they had, and how they were handled during production.
This is commonly known as material traceability. If traceability becomes unclear, it
can affect documentation reliability, quality assurance, production transparency, and
future digitalization work.
The study showed that the physical production flow itself usually works well. Material is delivered, stored, cut, welded, finished, assembled, and documented. However,
the challenge exists in the traceability layer between departments and systems. Information is often distributed across SAP, drawings, certificates, Excel files, printed documents, and human communication. Because of this, maintaining continuous traceability often depends on manual work and local knowledge from operators and employees.
Several situations were identified where traceability becomes weaker. For example,
traceability can become unclear when pipes are cut into smaller pieces, when markings
disappear during processing, when leftover material is stored together with similar
materials, or when material is handled by sub-suppliers. In many of these situations,
production can continue even when the traceability itself is no longer fully clear.
The thesis also investigated how charge numbers and material certificates are used
in practice. A key finding was that a charge number alone is not always enough to
guarantee unique traceability, since similar numbers may exist from different suppliers.
Instead, traceability must be connected to a wider material identity including supplier
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information, certificates, material specifications, and internal production references.
To reach these findings, the study mapped the complete flow from supplier documentation and incoming goods to warehouse handling, kitting, cutting, welding, finishing, assembly, and final documentation. The work focused not only on how material
physically moves through production, but also on how material identity and traceability
information are maintained throughout the process.
Rather than proposing a large digital system directly, the thesis suggests starting
with a clearer traceability structure first. The idea is to define how material identity
should be created, transferred, split, merged, and maintained during production before
introducing more advanced digital solutions. After such a structure exists, simpler digital support such as scanning tools or event registration can be implemented gradually
in a more controlled and practical way.
The results of this thesis show that material traceability is not only a technical
challenge, but also an organizational and cross-functional one. It involves several departments at the same time, which makes responsibility easily fragmented. At the
same time, stronger traceability can improve documentation reliability, production
transparency, quality assurance, and future digitalization efforts within industrial manufacturing.

• author: Alrajabi, Ala'a
• supervisor: Christina Windmark
• organization: Production and Materials Engineering
• course: MMTM01 20261
• year: 2026
• type: H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Material Traceability, Identity Management, Manufacturing Systems, ERP, Production Flow, HVDC Cooling Systems
• other publication id: LUTMDN/(TMMV-5394)/1-105/2026
• language: English
• id: 9234181
• date added to LUP: 2026-06-11 10:32:14
• date last changed: 2026-06-11 10:32:14