1. AGA Material Traceability Discussion
June 2012

2. Background
2010 Washington Gas (WG) engaged in the process of finding an integrated supplier
Contract included designating 100 items as traceable
April 2011 the integrated supplier solution was deployed
WG View of Material Traceability
Less about managing inventory levels
More about being able to efficiently locate material items of interest and the documentation associated with them

3. Ideal State
Ability to track a material from the manufacturer to installation and vice versa
Manufacturer
Integrated Supplier
Contractors

4. Current State
Ability to track a material from the manufacturer to issuance with certainty
Assumptions and Frustration
Manufacturer
Integrated Supplier
Contractors

5. Current Integration

6. Current Capabilities – Data Capture
The Integrated Supplier’s software has certain material items designated as traceable
If a traceable item, then at receipt the Materials Clerk:
Reads and enters the serial or lot/batch number of the item
Enters the P.O.# of the invoice if there is no serial or lot number
Adds bar codes to materials that do not have lot/batch or serial
Scans and attaches documents such as material test results
At issuance the material is scanned again and the following is captured:
Serial or Lot/Batch
Transaction Date
Issued To – Crew and Contractor
Work Order Number – corresponds with financial and work management systems

7. Current Capabilities – Data Reporting
Given a Set of Lots or Serial Numbers
Integrated Supplier can provide all the corresponding:
Work Order Numbers (accounting data field)
Issued Dates
Issued to Persons (Crew and Contractor)
Quantities
Washington Gas can match the Work Orders to a work management system number and location
Given a Work Management System Number
Washington Gas can provide the Work Order Number
Integrated Supplier can provide all materials issued to the work order number
However there is still considerable uncertainty

8. Reasons for Uncertainty
Not all material requests are issued to a work order number
There are some many-to-one relationships between the work and the work order number
Requesters may be issued materials against one work order but actually install them at other jobs

9. Visions for the Future – Two Alternatives
Mobile Work Management
Mobile Mapping
Workforce will need the application for other as-built reporting
Existing structure for the data
Ability to spatially view the location of materials

10. Visions for the Future - Process

11. Vision for the Future – Other Considerations
Role of Bar Code Scanners
Anticipate a significant role in the ease of data capture
Conducted a pilot with another application (new meter sets)
Corded simple scanner
Wireless (Bluetooth) simple scanner
Reporting
Multiple systems are involved
Ideally a single solution would allow the querying of disparate systems