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WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES empower real-time supply chain management by breaking down barriers to timely, accurate, complete and relevant information. When informed decisions are captured instantly, the supply chain becomes effective and highly responsive. Mill operations, especially warehouse and transportation management, dramatically improve efficiency due to wireless technology. The ever-increasing speed and coverage of wireless networks, combined with the incredible power and availability of wireless mobile devices, creates opportunities to take supply chain management to a new level.
RF computer terminals, both handheld and lift-truck mounted, together with printed barcode labels and scanners, have become the standard for efficient loading of rolls into warehouses and transport vehicles. However, wireless technology is not used to full advantage in mill warehousing and transportation due to its lack of integration with sales order and manufacturing processes. Taking the use of wireless technology to the next level requires integrating RF systems with the sales order processing/manufacturing execution (SOP/MES) system.
Several advantages
Integrating SOP/MES systems with wireless communications technology offers several important advantages. First, manufacturing information is...