Manhattan releases enhanced RFID solution
an enhanced version of its EPC Manager solution designed to enable
customers to boost accuracy, ensure compliance with regulatory
requirements and experience greater visibility and improved
security within their supply chains through the use of RFID
functionality.
The latest enhancements to EPC Manager include enterprise serial number management, centralised track and trace capabilities, inbound/outbound order and container validation and additional support of compliance requirements using XML-based configuration.
Manhattan Associates developed this component of its RFID in a Box solution in response to companies who wanted to implement RFID capabilities without having to replace established supply chain systems. EPC Manager provides customers with the ability to quickly deploy RFID technology to capture and track unique EPC read data.
Enhancements in this updated version were based on the latest RFID technology and evolving industry needs.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, which hooks miniature antennas up to tiny computer chips smaller than a grain of sand to track items at a distance, is being driven hard by retailers such as Metro, which see RFID as the natural replacement of industry's current bar code-based tracking systems. This will allow companies to automatically track inventory throughout an entire supply chain.
Information from RFID-tagged cases on a pallet can be read automatically using fixed, mobile or handheld readers rather than requiring individual bar code scanning.
The latest version of EPC Manager increases inventory visibility and accuracy by offering effective gathering, organising and sharing of data across a company's enterprise. The solution uses a tiered approach to EPC allocation where every EPC is automatically given a unique serial number.
This eliminates the previously manual process of assigning serial numbers in batch and allows the EPC allocation process to be managed at the local facility, regional and enterprise levels. Users can configure data requirements to capture essential EPC information at the local level and can export and receive data from other local EPC managers as needed.
Enhanced enterprise track and trace functionality allows users to share the data across the enterprise.
EPC Manager also validates data from local and external information sources at both the container level and the order level using its enhanced inbound/outbound validation functionality.
"EPC Manager continues to offer a solution to companies who want to deploy RFID capabilities without having to replace their current solutions," said Eddie Capel, senior vice president, product management. "This latest offering includes serial number management at the enterprise level and other functionality that has not been widely available before.
"Customers will experience visibility and validation of products at a higher level than previously, while continuing to meet compliance requirements."
Manhattan Associates is the global leader in providing supply chain execution and optimisation solutions. It enables operational excellence through its warehouse, transportation, distributed order management, reverse logistics and trading partner management applications, as well as its RFID, performance management and event management capabilities.
