Systech Expands Functionality of its Serialized Product Tracking Application

Systech International (Cranbury, NJ) has just released a new version of one of its family of “packaging execution systems” (PESs) that manage the process of data collection, operational effectiveness and overall packaging-line management. The application, Serialized Product Tracking (SPT), enables packagers to execute and then verify serialization processes occurring on the line, and then make those data available to the enterprise-level databases that might, for example, generate pedigree documentation or be the start of a track-and-trace process down a supply chain.

“Manufacturers are taking advantage of the configurable nature of the Systech solution,” says Joe Ringwood, COO of Systech. “Our unique approach allows customers to deploy consistent software and take advantage of new software releases throughout their global packaging operations. For example, SPT can support a blister line in China, a vial line in France and a bottling line in North America, all of which may have very different regulatory requirements.”

‘Near-line’ apps

Systech calls these applications “near-line” functionality, in that while they are not directly tied to running the packaging line, are becoming more critical elements of overall supply chain visibility, brand protection (via anti-counterfeiting measures) and regulatory compliance. The new release includes functionality that helps test integration between enterprise systems and packaging without jeopardizing line utilization, says Systech. This capability, which emulates the line environment for testing purposes, helps customers address bi-directional communications between packaging and enterprise information technology environments.

Systech has been part of the “California Express Solution,” a grouping of vendors (including label and carton converter Nosco [see p. 34], and SupplyScape, the originator of drug-pedigree software now owned by TraceLink). Last spring, it announced a collaboration with Wolke Inks & Printers GmbH (Hersbruck, Germany), a supplier of inks and services for industrial printing.

In that the Systech technology is now in use (or about to be deployed) at over 150 packaging lines worldwide, it effectively becomes a cornerstone of an evolving set of standard capabilities for serialization or drug-tracking applications globally. The company says that its software is compliant with 21 CFR Part 11 (the federal requirement for validating electronic data), cGMP and GAMP standards, and “supports” the EPC Global standards, which have been promulgated by the GS1 organization for product identification, especially for RFID-enabled tags. The Systech capability, however, includes barcode (linear or 2D) and other serialization techniques. PC