Breakthrough Wireless Technology Saves Ford Motor Company Time and Money

Ford Motor Company, which must manage tens of thousands of items, and suddenly the seemingly simple task of knowing what one have- and where it is-becomes staggeringly complex. And as companies implement lean manufacturing processes, the value of real-time information for every container of inventory flowing through the supply chain is critical. To meet these challenges, Ford Motor Co. has adopted a wireless Real-Time Locating System (RTLS), which has been implemented at several of its plants throughout North America and Europe. The system, from WhereNet Corp., the leader of wireless supply chain visibility solutions, is driven by wireless tags, fixed position antennas, and Web-enabled software. This industrial information system locates and tracks inventory using extremely low-power radio frequency tags and a communications network.