D365SCM 2025 Wave 1 Update: Enhancing Traceability with Tracking Attributes

Microsoft’s 2025 Wave 1 update for Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management (D365SCM) introduces a powerful new feature: Tracking Attributes. This tool boosts traceability in manufacturing, especially for operations like rod mill production. By linking key process data to specific batches or serial numbers, manufacturers can improve quality control and manage recalls more efficiently. Let’s explore how this feature can transform rod manufacturing with real-world examples and practical tips.

Impact of Tracking Attributes on Rod Mill Operations

Tracking Attributes allows rod mill manufacturers to monitor production variables across key stages like billet heating, rolling, and final coating. It provides enhanced visibility at every stage. By configuring specific activity types (heat treatment, rolling, coating) and assigning attributes such as temperature, tolerances, and coating thickness, manufacturers gain unparalleled visibility into the production process.

New data collection features allow us to do this.

Example Workflow for Rod Manufacturing

Step 1: Data Collection Setup

To enable effective tracking, manufacturers can configure relevant attributes for critical production activities:

• Heat Treatment
  • Furnace temperature (°C)
  • Duration of soak time (minutes)
• Rolling Mill
  • Tolerance for rod diameter (mm)
  • Surface finish (rating)
• Anti-Corrosion Coating
  • Coating thickness (µm)
  • Drying time (hours)

These attributes are recorded in real time and associated with specific batch numbers. This ensures that the data is accessible for future analysis or traceability.

Step 2: Real-Time Monitoring

Tracking Attributes enhances the ability to address anomalies during production. For instance, if the heat treatment furnace temperature falls below the required 1,100°C during processing, the system automatically flags the batch. Quality managers are alerted to isolate the affected rods before they progress to the next stage, reducing the risk of defective products entering the supply chain.

Step 3: Where-Used Analysis for Targeted Tracing

Suppose a steel billet supplier detects excessive sulfur in their raw materials. With Tracking Attributes, rod mills can perform a backward trace to identify all batches manufactured using those billets. A forward trace further isolates the downstream products, such as finished rods already shipped to customers, enabling targeted recalls to prevent widespread disruption.

As a user, finding items is much easier.

Practical Application: Addressing Quality Defects in Coating

Here’s an example scenario: A rod mill produces 10,000 steel rods (Batch #RT-2025-09) for use in bridge cables. After shipment, reports of premature corrosion surface.

Root Cause Analysis with Tracking Attributes:

Reviewing the logged tracking attributes for Batch #RT-2025-09 reveals deviations in production parameters:

• Coating thickness was recorded as 85 µm, falling below the 100 µm standard.
• Drying time was logged at 2 hours versus the required 3 hours.

By executing a where-used search, batches with similar coating issues produced between September 1^st and 15^th, 2025 are identified. This leads to isolating 1,200 rods that require immediate recall.

This target response minimizes reputational damage and ensures compliance with safety regulations.

Seamless Integration with Existing Dynamics 365 Features

Tracking Attributes does not operate in isolation; it enhances and complements several existing features within D365SCM.

• Tracked Components: These link raw material batches (e.g., steel billets) to the finished product, enabling comprehensive genealogy tracking and strengthening quality assurance protocols.
• Traceability Add-In: Visualize multi-level Bill of Materials (BOM) relationships and export traceability reports for audits or compliance checks.
• Quality Management Module: Automatically schedule inspections when specific attributes deviate from defined thresholds, such as diameter variations exceeding ±0.5 mm.

Strategic Benefits for Manufacturers

By adopting Tracking Attributes, manufacturers can achieve significant operational benefits, including:

• Faster Recall Execution: Attribute-based searches reduce recall scope by up to 60%, allowing manufacturers to act quickly and precisely when defects are identified.
• Proactive Quality Control: Real-time deviation monitoring enables early intervention, potentially cutting scrap rates by as much as 25%.
• Seamless Regulatory Compliance: Automate compliance trails for certifications like ISO 9001 and ASTM, reducing administrative burdens and ensuring audit readiness.

Availability and Adoption

Tracking Attributes will be available as part of the public preview in June 2025, with general availability slated for later this year. The feature promises to give us traceability standards in industries like construction and aerospace by tying production data directly to process outcomes.

For rod mills and other manufacturers, this capability represents an opportunity not only to meet escalating traceability requirements but also to leverage production data as a strategic asset. By preemptively identifying defects, optimizing resources, and enhancing customer trust, Tracking Attributes positions manufacturers to gain a competitive edge in high-stakes industries.

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