ERP software purveyor IQMS today announced the release of an enhanced version of its Assembly manufacturing software, intended to provide more robust tracking and traceability functionality for companies tasked with managing complex product routing structures.

The new Assembly module, a component of IQMS’ EnterpriseIQ suite, enables manufacturers to closely track products that are subject to stringent quality control standards, using such functionality as detailed lot traceability, tool and equipment tracking, and operator certification, company officials said. Users can also track product costs and availability during the assembly process and choose between dispatch lists and finite scheduling.

IQMS updated the assembly module with medical device manufacturers in mind, Vice President Glenn Nowak told Managing Automation, but any industry that uses multi-level bills of material, including aerospace and automotive manufacturing, can benefit from the functionality within the enhanced assembly module.

The module also provides detailed tracing, by serial number, of actual tooling and equipment used in a process, and ensures that equipment operators have the necessary certification credentials required for certain processes that require a high degree of traceability.

“When you assemble these [medical] devices, you have to be trained on how to do it properly,” Nowak said. “If the device fails, the liability comes back to the manufacturer.”

The updated assembly module is available at no additional charge to all current IQMS users with maintenance and upgrade agreements, officials said.