The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) recall data confirms yearly increases in the number of recalls issued and the number of vehicles recalled, culminating with 927 recalls issued affecting 53,194.177 vehicles in 2016.
Product traceability is critical in allowing manufacturers to pinpoint at risk products and initiating quick, focused containment either through the corrective action or recall processes. The ability to pinpoint vehicles affected by a non-conformance accelerates the containment process by reducing the number of vehicles inspected, which benefits vehicle owners through fewer dealership visits and disruptions. How does an organization standardize and implement product traceability without an industry guideline?