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Execution Technology
Analysts Call for Application of Best Practices, Automation to Transportation Programs
Current transportation-management practices in many companies aren't up to the challenges of modern-day supply chains, according to a recent paper from AMR Research, Inc. Higher rates and shrinking capacity are among the problems faced by business on the transportation side. "This phenomenon has been driving supply-chain costs up to the point that investment in logistics can no longer be ignored," write AMR analysts Greg Aimi and Debra Hofman. In many cases, good execution technology has been lacking. A recent study by AMR on supply-chain management spending finds that only 36 percent of process manufacturers are relying on modern transportation-management system (TMS) technologies. Meanwhile, leading companies have embraced TMS systems and accompanying best practices, with striking results. "Best-cost" performers do a better job of managing transportation costs, "to the tune of 3 percent of revenue," AMR says. "For a $1bn company, that translates to a $30m advantage." Specific benefits include a better match among rates, capacity and freight demographics; lower freight costs through route, mode and carrier optimization; stronger adherence to negotiated carrier-usage agreements; greater productivity from streamlined operations, and, most of all, improved customer service through consistent and predictable delivery. Leading third-party logistics (3PL) providers are also deploying TMS packages to improve their performance, AMR said. Aimi and Hofman urged companies to choose carefully from among the roster of reliable TMS software providers, matching their requirements with vendors' capabilities through a careful selection process.
http://ww.amrrresearch.com
ARC Automotive Takes on Inventory Management for Improved Control Over Suppliers
ARC Automotive, Inc., a maker of airbag inflators, has overhauled its inventory-management program, to get a better grip on its own production as well as that of suppliers. The company needed to address changes in customer requirements, then pass on the information to suppliers as quickly as possible. Yet it was burdened by manual processes for inventory management. In response, it acquired the software application known as i-Supply, a collaborative inventory management tool from TradeBeam, Inc. The system is now being rolled out to ARC plants and suppliers in the U.S., Mexico and China. Kenny Edwards, ARC's vice president of supply chain management, said the company was drawn to i-Supply in part because the system can be accessed from anywhere. The result, he said, is a low-cost means of communicating electronically with the supply base. TradeBeam will help ARC to achieve real-time execution of component replenishment, while moving away from paper-based methods of supply-chain management, the vendor said. ARC is a unit of Sequa Corp., a diversified manufacturer.
http://www.tradebeam.com/
Welch's Turns to Mobile Software to Boost Accuracy of Inventory, Order Fulfillment
Welch's, the well-known producer of juices, jams and jellies, was looking to improve inventory accuracy, labor efficiency and order fulfillment at 21 warehouse locations, six of them company-owned and 15 run by third parties, around the country. The system had to integrate smoothly with the company's existing installation of Oracle Process Manufacturing (OPM) software. Welch's selected ClearOrbit as its vendor for the job. ClearOrbit's Gemini for OPM will allow Welch's and third-party locations to use mobile radio-frequency scanners to record key transactions, such as receiving, inventory movements, production batch operations, quality control and direct shipments to the shop floor. By capturing data immediately at the point of origin, Gemini for OPM can reduce errors and boost data quality, the vendor claimed. Gemini integrates directly into the Oracle data model in real time, using standard Oracle application program interfaces. At the same time, Welch's is implementing ClearOrbit's Compliance Label Manager (CLM), which will improve the company's ability to manage barcode label format requests for pallet and case marking by grocery and mass-merchandising customers. CLM allows for "distance printing" of compliance labels over the Web, both for in-house operations and third-party vendors, as well as the ability of locations to produce radio frequency identification (RFID) labels using rules-driven tagging formats.
http://www.clearorbit.com/
Fraenkel Co. Streamlines Warehouse Operations, Sees 85-Percent Rise in Inventory Accuracy
Fraenkel Co. is a manufacturer and distributor of household furniture. It sought a new automated system for the immediate locating of requested merchandise, without making customers wait for the information. The company has warehouses in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. It wanted mobile computers that were rugged enough for a warehouse environment, but easy to deploy and operate. The answer came from a partnership between Symbol Technologies, Inc. and Vormittag Associates, Inc. (VAI), its authorized reseller to manufacturers. They supplied Fraenkel with Symbol's MC9000 series of rugged mobile computers, Symbol AP-4131 wireless access points, and a warehouse management system, VAI's S2K Enterprise Edition for Manufacturing. "We were wasting too much time with manual inventory processes," recalled Donna Holten, Fraenkel's director of information technology. Symbol's mobile computers can scan Fraenkel's inventory from manufacturing through shipment. Inventory data, along with automated updates, move via the wireless network to VAI's WMS system, making possible real-time information on product availability and location. The technology has also allowed Fraenkel to streamline picking and loading processes, through "pinpoint" location of merchandise, Symbol said. The result has been an 85-percent increase in inventory accuracy.
http://www.symbol.com/
Under Armour Acquires Pack-to-Light System to Support Big Retail Customers
Under Armour, the supplier of branded sports apparel, footwear and accessories, has adopted a pack-to-light system for serving large retail customers such as The Sports Authority, Dick's, Academy and Modell's. The company acquired technology from AL Systems, Inc., a vendor of distribution software. AL sells the DynaPro Series of paperless picking and packing systems. Its DynaPack tool is being used to increase the accuracy of Under Armour's order fulfillment, shorten fulfillment times and boost productivity within the company's distribution network. Larry Rohleder, director of distribution planning, said the company needed to add "horsepower" to its "put-to-store" operation. The new technology eliminates paperwork and error rates, according to AL Systems chief executive officer Paul Lightfoot. To meet rapid growth in its business, Under Armour is upgrading and expanding its technology infrastructure, which includes software from SAP AG. DynaPack, a hands-free system, will replace radio-frequency (RF) scanners used within the warehouse for packing products en route to stores. AL Systems also offers tools for real-time reporting and labor optimization.
http://www.alsystemsinc.com/
RedPrairie Beefs Up Workforce Management; Achieves NetWeaver Status for DigitaLogistix
RedPrairie Corp. has unveiled a new version of its Workforce Management software suite. Components of the tool include demand planning, schedule optimization, task scheduling, learning management, and measurement and compliance. The update includes intra-day workforce planning and a learning management system which helps users to optimize workforces based on real-time information about consumer demand. The product marks the transition of RedPrairie's Labor Management software to an all-encompassing Workforce Management package. It draws in part on new capabilities obtained from RedPrairie's recent acquisition of Blue Cube. An advanced scheduling application, coupled with the Workforce Management module, can help boost employee productivity, the vendor claimed. In another company development, RedPrairie announced that its DigitaLogistix software for performance metrics has achieved "Powered by SAP NetWeaver" status. The development allows for the integration of RedPrairie's software with the latest applications from SAP. Two certificates were awarded: one validating the real-time, seamless integration of RedPrairie's performance metrics into the SAP NetWeaver Portal, and the second validating business scenarios in SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure (SAP NetWeaver XI) as complete, correct and well-documented. With the certification, users can access up-to-the-minute supply-chain performance data through SAP's standard business portal.
Workforce Management: http://www.redprairie.com/
DigitaLogistix: http://www.redprairie.com/
HighJump Inks Strategic Agreement for Sales to Eastern European Market
HighJump Software, a vendor of execution software for the supply chain, has entered into a strategic agreement for the marketing of its products in Eastern Europe. The company's local partner is R-ID, a Moscow-based vendor of mobile business applications employing wireless and automatic identification technologies, including radio frequency identification (RFID). R-ID will work with 3M Supply Chain Solutions, HighJump's international operating arm. The agreement makes R-ID an associate of HighJump, responsible for marketing, distribution, implementing and supporting the vendor's Supply Chain Advantage suite throughout Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus. According to the partners, R-ID has deep experience in a range of industries, including retail, telecom, third-party logistics, consumer packaged goods and banking. Eastern Europe is emerging as an important center for manufacturing and distribution to worldwide markets, the partners said. The deal combines "localized supply-chain expertise from R-ID with the global presence and capabilities of 3M," said Michael Star, business director of 3M Supply Chain Solutions. (HighJump is a subsidiary of 3M).
http://www.highjumpsoftware.com/
LXE Introduces Rugged Arm-Wearable Computer for Greater Warehouse Productivity
LXE Inc. has introduced the HX2 wearable computer, latest in its line of rugged devices that allow for hands-free operation. The small, lightweight unit is designed to be worn on an operator's arm or waist. It can be used for such processes as piece-picking to carts, containers or conveyors; case picking; parcel moves, and broken-case activities. The arm band secures both the unit and its battery, keeping the wearable computer in the "ready" position at all times by preventing it from rotating around the operator's arm. The adaptable arm bands can be worn close to the elbow or near the wrist, whichever the operator prefers. The device features a bright color display for easy viewing in any lighting conditions and from any angle; it does not have to be positioned "front and center" in order to be read, according to LXE. Large, backlit keys have been designed for use in high-speed picking environments. The keys are fully mappable, allowing users to customize them for specific applications. The HX2 wearable computer operates in tandem with a ring scanner. It will be available in early 2007.
http://www.ems-t.com/
Voice-Driven Software From Voxware Certified for Use With Symbol Mobile Computers
The newly introduced WT4000 series of mobile computers from Symbol Technologies has been certified by Voxware to run on its VoiceXML browser. Known as VoxBrowser, the tool enables Symbol's new wearable mobile computers to utilize voice in hands-free logistics operations. VoxBrowser is part of the vendor's family of standards-based software applications for logistics; it includes the VoiceLogistics Pro toolkit for logistics service providers. The recent release of VoiceLogistics Pro 2.0 allows integrators and warehouse management system (WMS) providers to incorporate voice-logistics systems into their overall applications. Voxware software lets users create their own applications that fully utilize the features of Symbol's WT4000 series, the vendor said. The new software is available immediately.
http://www.voxware.com/
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