By now, many of you have begun fiddling with some new electronic gadget that Santa left under the tree. How’s it going? Is it everything you expected, or are you overwhelmed?

The need to mark parts or assemblies with some sort of identification code is becoming more and more important to facilitate quality control, supply chain management, brand protection, recalls and regulatory compliance.

Manufacturers of complex products, such as engines and transmissions, have long been using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to error-proof their processes, document quality, and deal with high-mix production.

The Industrial Internet of Things will enable manufacturers to use real-time data to drive continuous improvement.

Data from a traceability system can be used for process improvement, defect resolution and regulatory compliance.

Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) customers have always demanded high-quality work and scheduling flexibility from their providers.

When Dennis Kubica founded Kubica Corp. 20 years ago, he had an electrical engineering degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn—and plenty of real world experience as an engineer, a research and development specialist, and a project manager for ABB, General Motors and Motor City Electric.

Industrial, commercial and residential builders have relied on Uponor Inc.’s cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe for more than 30 years.

The wave of automotive recalls this year underscores the importance of putting identification codes on products. Without such codes, consumers would not know if their vehicles were safe, and automakers would not know where or when problem parts were made.