Integrates automatic identification technologies for real-time visibility of items and assets
Chicago September 16, 2003 Savi Technology, a provider of real-time solutions for asset management and supply chain security, today announced newly upgraded versions of its Asset Management System (AMS) and Transportation Security System (TSS) software applications for managing and securing supply chain assets, equipment and inventory.
Savi said the applications could be plugged into the Savi SmartChain platform, which integrates such automatic identification technologies as bar codes, electronic sensors, passive and active radio frequency identification (RFID), and satellite tracking systems.
Additionally, the software applications provide real-time visibility of assets and their contents, along with operational features for the management, monitoring and security of assets as they move through the supply chain.
The provider explained that its AMS software is designed to improve the utilization, maintenance and planning of such supply chain assets as railcars, trucks and trailers; unit load devices for air cargo, ocean cargo containers, pallets, plastic reusable totes; and high-value, mobile equipment used in multiple industries, such as aerospace, construction, oil and gas, healthcare and construction.
While AMS is designed for specific vertical industries, Savi said it's also configurable and incorporates localized business rules and processes defined by the customer.
The AMS can receive automated event- and exception-driven alerts on the location of assets, enabling users to find, reallocate or re-route their assets whether in-transit or at rest, according to Savi.
Savi's TSS is offers real-time and continuous monitoring of the security and integrity of "smart" cargo containers equipped with automatic identification technologies, which provide real-time information on the location and status of the container and its contents. Automated alerts sent to TSS provide updates on the security status and integrity of the container, as well as the location and any deviations from plan, such as delays or re-routes.
When authorized personnel electronically seal containers and authenticate the contents at the point of origin, the software tracks the status of the container and its contents as it moves through key checkpoints in the supply chain.
Savi added that TSS has been refined over the past year in its deployment with Smart and Secure Tradelanes, an industry-driven initiative where over 800 "smart" containers have been monitored end-to-end by a Savi-deployed global information network as they move through 12 of the largest ports in the world.
Vic Verma, Savi's CEO, said, "So much supply chain focus today is on the RFID tag itself, which is critical, but it's one component of a technology stack that must include readers, middleware and software applications that work seamlessly together to achieve true transparency of assets and inventory in the supply chain. The integration of these systems whether from a single source or multiple partners and linkages with network infrastructure is what's making a difference in today's smart supply chains."
