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By Mel Duvall
The radio frequency identification (RFID) industry received a major boost this week when aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced it would proceed with a multi-million dollar, multi-year project to use the technology across its supply chain operations.
While an exact cost was not released, the project represents the manufacturing industry's single largest RFID transaction to date, according to a statement announcing the deal.
Using a combination of software from IBM and OATSystems, the company says its objective is to "error-proof and automate its supply chain and manufacturing operations, while also reducing costs." Airbus selected IBM and OATSystems, based in Waltham, Mass., after conducting a one-year pilot.
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"Airbus's decision to use RFID across its operations sends a clear signal to manufacturers—that RFID isn't a technology for 'someday,' it can bring manufacturers a competitive edge right now," said Martin Wildberger, vice president of RFID for IBM.
RFID is a technology that uses tags with an integrated circuit for storing information such as product details and built-in antennas to transmit information to RFID readers. That information can then be integrated into associated applications to automate supply chain functions, such as identifying when products arrive or leave through a loading bay.
The IBM/OATSystems offering will run on IBM's RFID infrastructure, which is powered by service oriented architecture (SOA) technology that includes the IBM WebSphere process server and business monitor. IBM's Tivoli products will be used for infrastructure monitoring, and OATSystems' business applications will be used for such functions as asset and work-in-process tracking.
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Using the technologies, Airbus aims to integrate RFID into its existing applications, to gain real-time visibility into daily operations and streamline its supply chain.
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