Keep every build order, torque record and end-of-line test on the vehicle identification number.

A vehicle is a pile of variants. Engine, trim, colour, market and options change from one unit to the next, and the paper that follows each unit down the line has to change with them. When a recall arrives, someone has to find every unit that carries one supplier lot.

Manufacturing software for vehicle assemblers starts from the build order and ends at the dispatch note. In between, the identification number collects part lots, station results, rework and test readings. Traceability comes from the line running. It is not a separate project.

Dealers and fleet buyers place orders by variant and market. Planning turns them into build orders against a weekly slot and checks that the parts for each variant are on hand. Then it releases the order to the line. Stores issue kits to each station against the variant list, while goods inward checks supplier deliveries against the purchase order and holds critical lots for inspection.

On the line, operators at each station record torque values, fitments and part lot labels against the vehicle in front of them. Paint and body shops log their own stages. At the end of the line a tester runs brake, emission, lamp and leak checks, and anything that fails goes to a rework bay. Passed units are certified, parked in the yard and dispatched to dealers with their documents. Warranty claims come back months later.