This chapter covers the following topics:
Process manufacturers need to print and track labels for ingredients, samples, and products.
Yes. Labels mark the contents of containers in organizations that produce controlled materials such as pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Oracle Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for Process Manufacturing prints and tracks labels for raw materials products, intermediates, and quality samples that are part of the production process. Track label reprinting with a reprint number that appears on the actual label or reprint a label without tracking if the original printed label is unusable.
Produce Accurate Labels for Every Part of the Production Process
Oracle Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for Process Manufacturing prints labels, and determines whether a label was previously printed for a defined set of key values such as a raw or intermediate material, batch number, product number, or sample number. If the label was previously printed, then a reprint number is created to track the label printing operation. The reprint number is printed on the label itself to indicate that more than one copy exists. However, if you know that the original label is unusable, you also have the option to reprint the label without a reprint number. A variety of data elements are available for customized label design.
The flow of raw materials, components, and finished goods must be tracked and managed throughout the supply chain. Tracking raw materials, ingredients, intermediates and finished goods throughout production requires timely information capture and transfer to improve production speed and efficiency. Production tracking to the unit or material level helps improve efficiencies at every level within the production process. Barcode printers and readers are used in the context of many business events including dispensing, in-process quality sampling, and batch output. Oracle Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for Process Manufacturing provides label support that integrates third-party label printing software packages with components from the Oracle Warehouse Management System (WMS). The application extracts data from tables, and manages it with Extensible Markup Language (XML) formats to print custom labels. Configure individual application business events to enable user-initiated or automatic label printing. Label count and reprint options are available. XML provides fully configurable label output. Embedded barcode images in the Control Batch Record assist operators on the plant floor to retrieve batch information quickly and reliably using mobile barcode readers.
Oracle Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for Process Manufacturing uses the label-printing solution available in Oracle Warehouse Management System (WMS) to print customized labels.
Refer to "Compliance Labeling Setup" and related topics in the Oracle Warehouse Management Implementation Guide for additional information.
Labels available include:
Material Label for Raw Materials
Product Label
Sample Label
Dispensed Ingredient Label
Pallet Label
Configure the application to print selected labels automatically. Copies of the labels affixed to containers are retained and archived in image or PDF formats. Print or reprint labels at various points in a business scenario. When you reprint, the labels display the print count to indicate the total number of times the label was printed, although you also have the option to reprint an unusable label without increasing the print count. You can choose to require authorized approvers to approve the label printing or reprinting. Configure the label content as described the Oracle Warehouse Management Implementation Guide.
The material label is used primarily for identifying raw materials in the manufacturing process. The label is printed for raw materials moved to an inventory organization during purchase receipt. It is also printed to label materials dispensed into containers, or to identify materials that are reverse dispensed and returned to stores.
Data presented on a material label includes:
Item Number and Description
Lot
Date Received
Expiration Date
Hazardous Material Classification
Triggering Events
Material label printing is triggered by the following business events:
Raw Material Receipt
As part of the receiving process, labels are placed on the pallets before they are sent to the warehouse. Label printing is triggered by a variety of configurable business events, including the reading of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, scanning a barcode, or manual entry of a standard receipt or a direct receipt against a purchase order.
Full Container Dispense
Label printing is triggered by dispensing the full container.
Source Container Dispense
Excess material is removed from the source container and placed in an empty target container. The source container is used in the production batch. The target container is returned to inventory and so must be labeled with this label. Label printing is triggered by saving the source container dispense record.
Target Container Dispense
Material is removed from the source container and placed in a target container. The target container is used in the production batch. The source container is returned to inventory, if it has material remaining in it. This container must be relabeled to indicate the new quantity. Label printing is triggered by saving the target container dispense record.
You can also manually print material labels from the Touch Screen Print Label page.
Print product labels manually for lots reserved to a batch. This is useful when you preallocate product lots for a batch and print the labels in advance. The product label is generated for all products produced as part of the batch. Data elements in a product label are:
Product Number
Product Description
Plant Code
Batch Number
Lot
Quantity Produced
Date of Manufacture as the Lot Creation Date
Expiration Date
Hazardous Material Class
Notes
Print sample labels automatically while performing quality tasks or print them manually using the Touchscreen Print Label navigation. The sample label is generated when the intermediates or products are yielded and marked for clearance by quality control. The data elements that are present in a product label are:
Intermediate or Product Number
Intermediate or Product Description
Sample Number
Lot
Quantity
Date Sampled
Date of Manufacture, that is, Lot Creation Date
Expiration Date
Hazardous Material Class
Notes
Triggering Event
Quality sample labels are printed automatically when a sample record is saved.
Dispensed raw materials for each individual batch are stored in individual cages. These cages are identified using the Batch Collation Label. This is generated when the first dispense of the material in a batch occurs.
All labels of ingredients, intermediates, products, and samples are stored against each batch record. In addition to storing the labels generated by the application, you can attach labels scanned from hard copies produced for a specific batch.
A security code is used for controlling raw material for drugs. When controlled drugs are dispensed, the bags are sealed with a security tag. This number is recorded against the Dispense field in the Dispensing window that prints out on the label. The same number is also recorded in batch records, enabling a three-way match of the security code for the seal code, label, and batch record. This ensures that the container seal is not tampered.
The handling code is the hazard code attached to a raw material that indicates the precautions to take when dispensing or handling it.
Navigate to Dispensing.
Select the Label Type to print and dispense the material.
Additional Information: Selecting the label type is not necessary if autoprint configuration is enabled.
Select Apply and obtain the e-signature.
Scan and attach the label to the dispense record from the Dispensed Material Activity Details window, if you want to retain the copy of the label in Oracle Applications. The Label Details window displays the history of labels printed earlier for a business flow or for a given label type.
Use the Touchscreen Print Labels page to manually print the following labels without a reprint number if, for example, a previously printed label is damaged.
Dispense label
Pallet label
Product label
Sample label
To manually print labels from the touch screen user interface
Navigate to the Print Label page.
Select the appropriate organization from the Organization list.
Select one of the following choices from the Business Flow list:
Process Dispensing: searches for completed dispense transactions.
Process Production: searches for product transactions.
Process Quality: searches for samples drawn.
Touch, tap or press Accept to open the Print Labels page.
The Print Labels page displays all transactions that meet the default criteria for the business flow selected. If you do not need to change the search criteria, go to step 8.
To change the business flow search criteria
In the Search Criteria region, touch, tap or press Change to change the default search criteria for the selected business flow transactions.
The Select Search Criteria page opens. The search criteria fields differ based on the business flow selected.
Enter your search criteria in the appropriate fields.
Touch, tap, or press Accept to return to the Print Labels page and view the search results.
To print a label for a transaction
Expand the details of a transaction.
The Label Type displays.
Conditional Action: For the Process Dispensing business flow, if there are multiple ingredients to dispense, select whether to print a Dispense (for one ingredient) or Pallet (for all ingredients) label type.
In the Printer field, select the printer to print the label.
In the Label Count field, enter the number of labels to print.
Touch, tap, or press Print Label.
If no e-signatures are required, this completes the task.
To approve label printing
In the E-signatures page, enter your User ID and Password.
Optionally, change the default values for Signature Type and Signing Reason.
Optionally, enter Comments.
Optional Action: Select the E-Record tab to view the Label Print Request details.
Touch, tap, or press Approve.
Touch, tap, or press Apply.
A Confirmation appears and provides the label print request ID.
To view the label print request
From the Warehouse Manager responsibility, select Inquiry and then View Label Requests.
Use the View Label Requests window to find your label print request ID, view the label status, and so on.