RedPrairie Seeks Supply Chain Unification

RedPrairie is integrating RFID (radio-frequency identification) and AIDC (automatic identification and data capture) technologies into its E2e Supply Chain Execution suite.

The company intends for the upgraded suite, which was released July 31, to unify the supply chain process.

"Integrated visibility and control over the movement of inventory and assets across today's complex global supply networks can be slow, costly and very challenging," said Tom Kozenski, vice president of product strategy for RedPrairie.

In an effort to increase supply chain visibility and control for retailers and their trading partners, RedPrairie has integrated the asset management capabilities of its stand-alone mobile resource management application into its E2e warehouse management module.

The system can now support the use of RFID, two-dimensional barcodes and other AIDC technologies to track inventory and assets within the DC (distribution center), as well as in trailer yards, in transit, at customer sites, or within a retailer's store network.

"In the past, inventory and the assets used to ship them were tracked in two separate systems, which made closed-loop tracking of assets very difficult," Kozenski said. "With the new release, customers can manage this combined movement through a single process, driving greater efficiency, improved visibility and stronger control over supply chain operations."

Both serialized and nonserialized assets can be tracked at each location.

The enhanced system also provides users with the ability to maintain the condition and status of each asset, as well as movement to and from suppliers and repair depots.

According to Steve Banker, research director of supply chain research firm ARC Advisory Group, managing inventory and assets within a single system provides inherent inefficiencies that can be mitigated with complete supply chain visibility.

"There are significant costs tied up in reusable assets used in distribution operations," Banker said. "It makes sense to track these along with the inventory they transport for a complete view of the supply chain in motion."

Other modules in the newly enhanced E2e Supply Chain Execution suite include transportation management, work force management, and supply chain visibility. The platform is built on an SOA (service-oriented architecture) framework that allows it to be operated as a remotely hosted solution, as well as run on a user's own network.

Dan Berthiaume covers the retail space for eWEEK. For more industry news, check out eWEEK.com's Retail Site.