Global Auto Logistics

Supply chain management relies on the ability to track parts, components, finished goods, and various other things and be able to locate those items at any time. The workhorse of this task has long been the bar code. Using an optical bar code scanner, goods coming into a warehouse are scanned by the bar code reader, transferred by radio frequency to the main computer, which then automatically updates the inventory without having to resort to paper documentation of every increase and decrease of the inventory. Now a new technology has been rolling onto the scene that can be used to replace or enhance the bar code, that of radio frequency identification (RFID).1

The features of radio frequency identification that make it attractive to applications in the supply chain are found in its inherent ruggedness, omnidirectional reading, data read/write capability and the fact that RF can pass through obstacles such as packaging, tote boxes, and pallets. RFID is an automatic identification and data capture technology that is truly coming of age. Technological advances and wider acceptance are bringing prices down and standards are being developed that will aid manufacturers in producing interchangeable systems and components.2

Some recent advances in technology have opened the door for RFID to many new applications, specifically with the arrival of passive RFID tags that are disposable. These are thin, flexible tags that can be laminated into standard baggage tags or package labels, and are rugged enough to endure the heat of being printed over by thermal printing. This allows tags to be incorporated directly into packaging or to be used as a label that is adhered to a package. Although called disposable, these tags are rugged, reprogrammable and do not require batteries. RFID tags can store much more information than a typical 1-D bar code. Passive tags may hold around 600 bits of user programmable memory and some battery-powered tags can hold up to 1MB of data.3 Some of the specific advantages that RFID systems have to offer are:

1) RFID systems transfer their data via radio waves and therefore are not affected by obstacles such as dust, dirt, containers, etc. Bar code technology transfers data optically and therefore requires direct line of sight.

2) Reading of the tags is not dependent on alignment. The tags just need to be in range, which can be from a few inches to 100 feet or more. Bar codes must be aligned properly or they may read incorrectly or not read at all.

3) RFID tags can hold much more information than 1-D bar codes and on many styles of tags, the information is rewritable. To rewrite information with bar codes, new labels must be made.

4) RFID is completely a non-contact technology – information is transmitted via radio waves.

5) Initial cost of RFID systems is more than that for bar code systems, but they pay for themselves over time. Minimum lifetime of tags is usually around 300,000 write cycles with unlimited read.

6) A wide variety of tag sizes, memory configurations, low and high frequency options and interface options make RFID flexible and easily customized to each application.

7) RFID systems are fast, communicating data from tags to readers in milliseconds.

They are virtually impossible to copy.

Technology Description

Basic radio frequency identification systems are made of up three components – an antenna or coil, a transceiver with a decoder and a transponder or tag. The antenna gives off radio signals that activate the tag and they are also used for reading and writing data to the tag. Antennas can be placed in a variety of places, such as a doorframe or a tollbooth, depending on the application. Often times the antenna, transceiver and decoder are packaged together as a single unit referred to as the reader or interrogator. The reader can emit radio signals a few inches to 100 feet or more based upon its power output and radio frequency. When the tag enters this electromagnetic field it becomes activated and transmits it data to the reader where it is decoded and forwarded to the host computer to be processed.

Transponders/Tags

Transponders come in a wide spectrum of sizes and shapes. The hard plastic tags that are attached to goods in stores and used as anti-theft devices are RFID tags. Small animal identification RFID tags are injected into the skin and are no bigger than the eraser in a 5 mm mechanical pencil. They can be credit card shaped for access control applications and even screw shaped for insertion into trees or wood objects.

The word transponder comes from TRANSmitter/resPONDER. The tag responds to an activation signal from the reader requesting its data and then transmits its data to the reader. Tags are basically low power integrated circuits (ICs) made to interface to external coils or made using “coil-on-chip” technology. Transponders can hold as little as a single bit of data for presence/absence applications such as electronic article surveillance (EAS), or as much as 128kB or even 1 MB. They are classified as either active or passive and can be read-only, read/write or write-once read-many.

Active transponders are powered by a miniature, on-board battery and are usually read/write devices. They use battery power to detect and send much stronger electromagnetic signals than passive transponders, giving them much greater range of up to 100 feet or more. Because they use batteries they have limited lifetimes, but when set-up correctly for a given application they can last ten years or longer. The basic trade-off for the added performance of larger memory capacity and transmission range is greater size, greater cost, and limited life.

Passive transponders do not have batteries so they derive their power from the electromagnetic field produced by the interrogator. When the transponder comes into the electromagnetic field of the interrogator, the antenna in the transponder gathers the energy from the field and converts it into electrical energy for the IC in the transponder. This energy is then used to transmit the memory of the transponder back to the interrogator. The interrogator then demodulates and verifies the signal from the transponder. It is then decoded and sent to the host computer. Because passive transducers do not use batteries, they have indefinite lifetimes and are much less expensive than active transponders. Again there is a tradeoff – passive transponders have limited range and data storage capacity, require high-powered readers, and are more easily affected by electromagnetically noisy environments.

Depending on the application, transponders bought in large quantities (tens of thousands) can range in price from tenths of a penny to tens of dollars. Things that directly affect the cost of transponders are complexity of circuit function, packaging, and memory.

Interrogators

Readers/interrogators are available in a wide range of complexity depending upon the tags they are used with and the functions they are to perform. Regardless, the main function of the interrogator is to communicate and exchange data with the tags. The signal transmitted by the tags is picked up by the antenna of the interrogator and converted to electrical signals. Sensitive receiving systems are incorporated into interrogators that communicate with passive transponders whose signals are very weak. From there interrogators can perform some very sophisticated functions such as signal conditioning and parity error checking and correction. Once the signal has been validated, the information is decoded, restructured, and forwarded to the host computer for processing. Although all these steps happen in an extremely short period of time, it is important to realize that it does take time. If a tag moves too quickly through a readers’ zone, a successful read will not be obtained. The reader may have a long range, but due to the given configuration, the tag may not be in the read zone long enough. By changing the configuration, the tag can be made to travel towards the reader, keeping it in the read zone longer. Therefore, in designing an RFID system travel speed, read area and read range must all be considered.

Some of the most notable applications of RFID include:4

1) Electronic article surveillance – retail clothing outlets

2) Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) and Electronic Toll & Traffic Management (ETTM)

3) Automobile anti-theft systems – transponders mounted on ignition keys where engine will not start without receiving signal from transponder

4) Automated purchasing of gasoline where key ring transponders communicate with pumps to debit preapproved credit cars (loyalty cards)

5) Fleet maintenance – fuel dispensing, security, tire and equipment tracking

6) Livestock management

7) Manufacturing, processing and distribution – tracking of materials, inventory and final products from production through shipping

Security and access control

9) Time recording of sporting events

10) Waste collection and recycling – tags are used to track waste for automated customer billing

11) Time and attendance

12) Automatic identification of tools in CNC machines – condition monitoring of tools, managing tool usage and minimizing excessive tool wear

13) House arrest – electronic monitoring of offenders at their residence

Passive RFID Tags

Passive tags have been getting a lot of attention lately due to new developments that have created inexpensive, essentially disposable tags. Several manufacturers are promoting prices of under $1 and this price is expected to go as low as $0.25 for high volume orders. This pricing has generated new interest in RFID in applications where it has traditionally been cost prohibitive to use. Some of the new applications using disposable RFID tags include baggage handling, parcel tracking, pallet tracking and warehouse management.5

In some applications the tags are laminated into labels and have bar codes printed on them, essentially creating “smart” labels. This allows the tag to work in both bar code and RFID systems, which may help generate wider acceptance of the technology by allowing it to be used at various locations in a supply chain. These tags capitalize on RFIDs advantages, such as greater memory capacity, without alienating others in the supply chain that are not RFID enabled by allowing them to access necessary information from the bar code printed on the exterior.

Other types of tags and related products that have recently been introduced are creating a family of inexpensive and flexible systems that should allow this technology to be leveraged by many new markets.7

Sources
1 Cooke, James A. March 1, 1999. Tool Time. Logistics Management & Distribution Report.
2 Jones, Lorne. August 1, 1999. Working Without Wires Industrial Distribution. V88. I8. PM6.
3 Staff. July 24, 1998. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID; A Basic Primer. AIM White Paper. Automatic Identification Manufacturers International Inc.
4 Ibid.
5 Werb, Jay. March 1999. Seven Ways to Track Your Assetts. ID Systems.
6 Andrews, David. May 1999. RFID Vendors Get Smart(er). ID Systems.
7 Staff. May 1999. Wireless Smart Label Technology. Material Handling Engineering. V54. I5. P13.
8 Staff. May 1999. Report: Steady Growth Predicted for RFID. ID Systems.

Brian Reuter
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/product-focus-passive-radio-frequency-identification-50557.html

The usefulness of Project management software in construction sector

as the population and rate of urbanization is rising all over the world, the growth of the construction sector is also crossing the limits. Various types of construction works are being taken up by the real estate firms that are exploring options outside house and apartment development. The growth of construction sector in a way indicates the prosperity rate of a nation. Using the Project management software helps a construction firm in achieving high levels of logistics in a project execution. It also helps the firms in maintaining a balance in various aspects of a project like dispatching, Finance, payroll, billing, purchasing etc. Whether a project deals with residential or commercial establishments, the software come as handy.

In a nutshell, project management software for real estate developers is basically a computer application that streamlines the various parts of a construction project from its beginning to the end. Such software also helps the construction agency to make the best use of various resources like space, energy, and people and time etc.

As a matter of fact, the construction sector has also become dependant on computer technologies and software’s. Earlier the construction projects were planned and drafted manually. But with the tremendous development of computer based designing for more details visit to www.software-index-website.com and modeling several Project management software’s have been developed for aiding the construction firms. Using computer based applications not only increases the speed of project execution but also results in having lesser amount of risks.

However, for getting the best output from project management software, a firm needs to employ effective time utilization. Every construction project is done under the guidance and supervision of a veteran project manager. The manager supervises various aspects of the projects without requiring manual intervention by means of the software.

A number of construction projects are taking place in the cities and semi urban regions these days. For managing various projects like automobile manufacture and designing, electronic device making etc powerful project management software is required. Its use is imperative for obtaining project risk management. Before the execution of the project begins, for more details visit to www.scripts-to-sell.com the planning is done by means of the software. One can also opt for the web based software’s that offer a high level of precision and facilitation.

However, a construction agency needs to select the software that caters to their project requirements the best. The companies can search the Internet for finding information on effective project management software’s. The real estate developers looking for a comprehensive construction project management solution can rely on the services provided by a company named Project Management Software PSS.

This company has been providing top notch project management solutions to the real estate sector for more than a decade. It is useful for developing a versatile project monitoring application. It is ideal for the developers who are moving from land acquisition to construction. The developers who want to keep the project costs within the limits and achieve the best possible results can seek the service of this company.

IF SERVE
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/project-management-software-can-help-in-construction-sector-690831.html

Who’s Firing is a weekly survey of organizations announcing (or rumoring) layoffs. Not only is this valuable for job seekers, but for business analysts, corporate strategists, marketers, salespeople, investment analysts, financial advisers, and others who are interested in companies that are contracting.

Inclusion on this listing doesn’t mean the entire industry is down, as many from the same sector appeared on the “Who’s Hiring” article published 9/25/09. It is interesting to note that while Federal hiring is on the rise, a number of State and Local governments face additional cutbacks. Also, IBM, Deloitte, and Accenture were some of the top hiring companies last week, while KPMG and PWC are on the layoff list.

Job seekers: You might want to look in greener pastures than these companies.

Layoffs announced and rumored this week were in the Government, Manufacturing, Automotive, Technology, Publishing and Business Services sectors.

Organizations announcing or rumored layoffs week ended 10/2/09:

* Miramax (55)
* City of Rockford (7)
* District of Columbia Public Schools (388)
* Cooley Godward Kronish (58)
* Hallmark Cards Inc. (225-250)
* US Space Program (337)
* Granite Construction (150)
* Baxter Healthcare, Florida (26)
* Hillsborough County, FL (100)
* Mental Health Association in North Carolina (175)
* ABB Inc. (200)
* Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota (100)
* Inkstop (550)
* Areva (150)
* Chrysler Financial (360)
* North Carolina Department of Corrections (1,000)
* Vail-Ballou Press (270)
* Skokomish Tribe’s Lucky Dog Casino (120)
* Armstrong World Industries (171)
* The Missouri Department of Conservation (173)
* Alliant Techsystems (ATK) (450-500)
* Trompeter Electronics Inc. (135)
* Windstream Corporation (350)
* The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. (110)
* Force Protection Inc. (120)
* Washington DC School District (100′s+)
* Verizon Wireless (134??)
* Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center (100)
* West Corporation (341)
* Columbus Lumber (100)
* American Centrifuge Project (update 1,000)
* Jabil Circuit (update 4,500 from 3,000)
* General Motors (1,000)
* Peterbilt Corp. (390)
* Peabody Indiana Services LLC (133)
* California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Update (1443)
* Diebold (100)
* King County, WA (367)
* Hawker Beechcraft (240)
* City of Troy, Michigan (170?)
* City of Seattle (310)
* Beaumont Hospitals (425)
* US Customs Border Control (384)
* Waukegan, IL (48)
* Hawker Beechcraft (240)
* Dassault Falcon (72)
* Dexia (602)
* Amazon (25)
* Gnip (7)
* GE Transportation, Erie, PA (1,450)
* JELD-WEN Inc.(84)
* kgb Operator Services Co (78)
* Kalyn Siebert Trailers (35)
* Unilever Food Solutions, Milwaukee WI (38)
* Northern Engraving Corp. – Luxco Division (26)
* Wiza (132)
* JTEKT Automotive Virginia Inc (250)
* Colgan Air Inc (29)
* Riley Power (181)
* Sunshine Market Inc, Plains PA (148)
* Wiremold/Legrand (67)
* Red Bird West Mine (115)
* Schneider National Carriers Inc., Piketon OH (57)
* Neff Manufacturing (88)
* Sonoco, Orrville OH (81)
* The Andersons Inc., Lima OH (134)
* Pyramid Management Group, Inc, Security Division (40)
* Penske Logistics Inc., Albany, NY (81)
* Ramada JFK Hotel (187)
* Bombardier Transportation, Plattsburgh NY (200)
* World of Disney NYC (148)
* Philips Remote Cardiac Services (48)
* ARAMARK Management, Suffern NY (77)
* Alan Ritchey Inc. (80)
* Tana Seybert LLC (132)
* Eastman Kodak, Rochester (72)
* 11 Penn TV (16)
* Pfeiffer Foods Division (154)
* Henkel (16)
* Conde’ Nast (est 25%)
* City of Detroit (1,000)
* Saturn Automobile (unknown)
* American Apparel (1,600)
* KPMG (unknown)
* PWC (140)
* First Industrial Realty Trust (46)
* Bosch (10,000 international)

Source: Google, Twitter, AllPinkSlips.com, Telonu.com, TechCrunch.com, CoStar.com, Gawker, Screwedd.com

Readers – If you know of employers announcing significant layoff plans, or employers reducing large numbers of employees, please comment below to add to this list.

Trackback:  http://www.recareered.blogspot.com/2009/10/whos-firing-week-ended-10-2-09.html

Phil Rosenberg
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/recareered-whos-firing-layoffs-week-ended-10209-1299251.html

I am graduate & done PGDBA – working as spare parts manager (automobile industry) and would like to do a course on export & import and also logistics managerment – prefrebly offered by Indian universities – though correspondance

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