Research Brief #21

LAM - Labor and Material Tracking
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA

Research Objectives

• The objective of this study is to develop a bar code-based labor and material tracking database program for the secondary wood products industry.

Synopsis of Results

• The LAM program is based on a dBASE database platform and is Windows 95 and LAN network compatible
• LAM uses bar code technology as well as desktop and portable radio frequency barcode scanners for entering and transmitting inventory and labor information
• Program inputs: Job numbers, invoice numbers, employee names, manufacturing operations, raw material inputs and finished products are assigned bar codes and tracked. Computer records exact time of each input
• Program outputs: Available management reports include labor and materials used per invoice, job or time unit, employee attendance for payroll accounting, etc.
• LAM is also an excellent tool for estimating finished product prices in a custom production environment
• The LAM has user-friendly interface and short learning curve

Implications

Bar code based inventory tracking and control systems are a source of cost reduction, better business practices and competitive advantage. There are two main uses of bar codes for internal inventory management. The first is in work-in-process inventories which can assist wood products producers with recovery rate calculations and the second is to establish finished and rough inventory tracking and control.

This program was developed specifically for small to medium sized secondary wood manufacturers to offer inventory and labor information systems that only large companies can generally afford. It has been tested in a mill working company with about 30 employees.

Researchers

Rado Gazo, Post-Doctoral Researcher
Wood Products Processing
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center,
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Richard Vlosky, Assistant Professor
Forest Products Marketing
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The source code for this program was written by Donald Russell, Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Systems student and student worker at the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center

Target Group

Secondary wood manufacturers