The Australian rail industry is counting down to the implementation of Project i-TRACE in 2019.
Setting the foundation for standardising the way parts and components are identified, barcoded and/or tagged across the sector using GS1 global data standards (GDS) is what Project iTRACE is all about.
Danny Broad, Chief Executive Officer at the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), said, “Improving how the rail industry traces and tracks assets [and critical components] through their life cycles is critical to unlocking improvements in efficiency and safety.
“This is why the ARA is working closely with industry and GS1 Australia to standardise how materials are identified in the value chain through Project i-TRACE.”
Getting the industry ready for implementation, GS1 Australia’s Senior Manager – Freight, Logistics & Industrial Sectors, Bonnie Ryan, said, “This year, the ARA and GS1 have run a series of supplier workshops in capital cities around Australia, with presentations from operators, to get suppliers up to speed with the project.
“The workshops were also a great opportunity for suppliers to learn about the range of tools and technologies available for the implementation of Project iTRACE, and the GS1 global data standards that underpin the initiative.
“Engagement is strong, and key suppliers like Siemens, Vossloh, Pandrol, OneSteel and Thermit have started their implementation journeys.”
At a recent supplier workshop in Melbourne, Infrastructure Procurement and Inventory Manager from Metro Trains Melbourne, Adam Morley, said, “MTM sees these standards and the project as a great benefit for the Industry. It will allow us to have a greater control around the quality of the materials that we are using in our network, ensure safety through traceability of materials based on the barcoding and build stronger partnerships with our industry suppliers.”
At the same workshop, Ramesh Reddy, Inventory Manager at V/Line, said, “In the last two years, we started to look at the types of standards to bring across. GS1 labelling and barcoding is now used to scan and see what sort of product it is. We are looking for standardised information from our suppliers so we can trace products from inventory through the network.”
“With implementation imminent, I encourage suppliers to subscribe to the newsletter to keep up to date with the latest Project i-TRACE news,” Ms Ryan said.
This partner content is brought to you by GS1 Australia. For more information, visit ww.gs1au.org/project-itrace-news.
