RFID Next at DHL Innovation Center

Deutsche Post World Net uses technology to enable efficiency and sustainability. ...

... "Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is the next technology for products needed special monitoring of temperature changes during the delivery cycle, especially pharmaceutical and high-quality electronics goods, as well as flowers and fruits, Mr Ulrich said. " ...

Via Bangkok Post: Business news

DHL RFID Pharma Temperature Controlled Logistics Innovation Recognized

DHL is recognized for innovative application of RFID technology in the pharma supply chain. ...

... "Today's pharmaceutical products generally consist of temperature-sensitive ingredients that can lose their effectiveness when they are placed in an environment that is too cold or too hot. The DHL Innovation Initiative developed an inventive solution to monitor temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products during transport. RFID sensor tags made by the development partner Infratab monitor the temperature of pharmaceutical shipments. The stored measurement data can be read by a RFID reader without physical contact using radio waves. In the process, the shipment does not have to be opened. The link to the database is handled by solutions created by IBM, one of the global innovation partners of the DHL Innovation Initiative. Thanks to the new service, pharmaceutical companies can react to temperatures that exceed or fall below limits even while the shipment is still being transported.

The battery-powered memory chip is equipped with an integrated alarm function that records each time that the temperature rises above or falls below predetermined limits. In the future, unusable medications can be removed more quickly from the supply chain. Based on the temperatures to which the shipment was subjected, the sensor chip also determines the individual expiration date for medications. As a result, physicians and pharmacists can distribute the medication whose expiration date comes first, preventing medications from going bad after they have left the transport chain. " ...

Via DHL: TEMPERATURE-MONITORED PHARMACEUTICAL LOGISTICS WITH RFID

RFID Sensor Tag: Medical Product Logistics

DHL develops RFID sensor tag with IBM and partners in the pharmaceutical industry. The RFID sensor tag is used successfully in the overseas transport of diagnostic material and vaccines. ...

... "A special RFID sensor tag controls and documents the temperature of items throughout transport. The measuring data are available at every read point so that senders, recipients and inspectors alike can check the condition of the products at any time. After all, fluctuations in temperature outside of the recommended range can have a negative effect on the lifespan of medical products such as vaccines. The new sensor tag is a combination of temperature sensor and RFID radio chip. It permits continuous monitoring and recording of a pre-defined temperature range as well as read-out of the data at any time, without having to open the shipment. Thanks to the sensor's special design, it can be attached especially close to the product, not just on the inside of the packaging as before. In addition, the current lifespan of the product can be calculated and read out at any time. This was previously possible only at the end of a transport. " ...

Via DHL: DHL and partners develop RFID sensor solution for the pharmaceutical industry ...

RFID GPS Convergence: DHL Chiefs2

Future Networks, Future Power: DHL has always been at the forefront of technology - One of the latest technologies promising to provide our customers with a competitive advantage is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ...

DHL is in-trial with their Chiefs2 project which is a convergence of RFID and GPS technology ...

... "Nokia and DHL delivered a successful pilot in May 2002, proving the potential of an RFID tag system coupled with GPS. It moved DHL closer to providing a complete view of the end-to-end piece process in the supply chain and proof of ownership. However, cost and form factors limited wider deployment. Meanwhile, DHL has been sponsoring its own successful RFID development, including an aircraft container RFID system linked to GPS. " ...

RFID Provisioning and Tracking System ...

RFID Provisioning and Tracking System: Telekom and Deutsche Post World Net Broaden their Cooperation: DHL takes over complete distribution logistics ...

... "The core of the agreement is a DHL distribution center in Euskirchen (North-Rhine Westphalia) that will be equipped with state-of-the-art warehousing and picking technology in the coming months, and will use the latest RFID technology in all areas. Products such as cellular and fixed-network equipment, personal computers and telephone cards will be supplied to specialist retailers, 500 T-Punkt Telekom stores and end customers from this central warehouse. It will also enable technicians across Germany to obtain urgently needed spare parts overnight. " ...

RFID Deployment and ROI: Oracle Introduces Sensor-Based Services

Oracle Introduces Sensor-Based Services to Help Companies Quickly Deploy RFID Initiatives and Maximize Return on Investment: New RFID Pilot Kit and Compliance Assistance Package Designed to Minimize Implementation Risks and Costs

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Mar. 30, 2004 - (http://www.oracle.com/tellmemore/?3011272) Today at the RFID Journal Live! Conference, Oracle introduced Oracle(r) Sensor-Based Services, a comprehensive set of capabilities to capture, manage, analyze, and respond to data from sensors, such as RFID. Oracle Sensor-Based Services allow companies to quickly and easily integrate sensor-based information into their enterprise systems, automate and optimize business processes, reduce risk and improve return on investment.

As companies test and deploy RFID solutions, they are realizing that the cost and complexity of creating a specialized infrastructure prevents numerous RFID business benefits, such as reduced operating expenses and improved supply chain visibility. Oracle Sensor-Based Services deliver comprehensive RFID capabilities based on Oracle's mature, proven technology including Oracle(r) Database 10g, Oracle(r) Application Server 10g, Oracle(r) Enterprise Manager 10g, and Oracle(r) E-Business Suite 11i, that help minimize the cost and risk of adoption.

"As the world's leading express and logistics company, DHL is committed to investigating new and promising technologies to maximize operating performance and create optimal value for our shipping and logistics customers," said Trevor Peirce, Global RFID Program Director at DHL. "Currently, DHL is completing pilots around the world to test RFID technology with the support of companies like Oracle. Early results indicate incorporating RFID capabilities into our operations could prove very helpful in extending supply chain visibility to our customers and partners."

RFID Strategies Today: Oracle offers enterprises looking to adopt RFID and other sensor technologies flexible options depending on where they are in the adoption cycle. Deployment options include:
-- Compliance Assistance Package: To help companies comply with recent mandates from Wal-Mart, Department of Defense, Metro, Target, among others, Oracle will provide a comprehensive RFID compliance assistance package, which encompasses a pre-built application coupled with the necessary services to enable rapid deployment.

-- RFID Pilot Kit: For companies exploring RFID and sensors, Oracle will provide an RFID Pilot Kit for pilots and prototype testing. The Oracle RFID pilot kit will include drivers for leading RFID readers, reporting capabilities and advanced business intelligence tools, helping provide companies immediate visibility into business processes.

-- Enterprise Deployment: Built on proven Oracle technology and applications, companies can start small and cost effectively scale their RFID pilots to global deployments using Oracle's scalable, reliable and secure Grid computing infrastructure.

-- Sensor-Centric Applications: Oracle E-Business Suite will enable enterprises to transform and automate their business processes by taking advantage of sensor-based information. As recently announced, the next version of Oracle Warehouse Management is scheduled to include RFID capabilities to improve inventory control and extend supply chain visibility. Additional Oracle E-Business Suite modules are expected to support RFID and sensor-based services in the near future.

"Enterprises need to lay out a long-term strategy for dealing with RFID to support everything from RFID-enabling existing business processes today to transforming the business with RFID-centric processes of the future," said Jeff Woods, principal analyst, Gartner. "Even with the radical changes envisioned by RFID-centric business processes, a lot of the technology to power these processes is already inside the enterprise."

Reduce Implementation Risk: Turning the massive potential promised by sensor-based solutions like RFID into a sustainable competitive advantage depends on how effectively RFID data can be turned into valuable operational intelligence and made available to all enterprise systems, applications and users. Because the RFID market continues to define new standards, technologies and processes, companies require an RFID architecture that supports standards, as well as the increased demands on network and server infrastructure.

The next release of Oracle Application Server 10g will enable out-of-the-box integration and device management for all RFID readers, helping companies reduce deployment time and costs. Additionally, new edge services capture and filter data read from readers and sensors before being passed to a common data store to be analyzed and distributed to all business applications.

Regardless of what systems or RFID devices a company is using, or the standards they adhere to, Oracle can seamlessly integrate and communicate with them across the organization --significantly reducing the risks associated with implementing RFID technology.

Optimized Business Processes: Oracle Sensor-Based Services provide a complete solution to address the full spectrum of business intelligence requirements -- from real-time operational intelligence to management reports. Real-time intelligence features of Oracle Database 10g include embedded location, network and trend modeling and analysis tools, which provide organizations with powerful routing and predictive capabilities. Time stamping and version control capabilities enable managers to analyze operational history for more informed decision-making. Oracle Application Server 10g includes features to integrate information, applications and processes, while an event-driven architecture and extensive process modeling and monitoring capabilities help ensure that enterprises quickly respond to changing business dynamics.

Oracle Sensor-Based Services also ensure that operational intelligence is used continuously to refine business processes and ensure optimum and sustained competitive advantage.

RFID Expertise: By leveraging Oracle Consulting's strong technology and sensor-based computing expertise and teaming with leading systems integrators and consultants such as BearingPoint, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Oracle is providing companies with comprehensive RFID solutions that can yield short term ROI while mitigating risk.

"Companies are increasingly expressing interest in understanding how to deploy their RFID solutions and evolve their strategies," said John Cummings, managing director of Global RFID Solutions at BearingPoint, Inc. (NYSE:BE), one of the world's largest business consulting and systems integration firms. "Offerings such as Oracle's RFID and sensor-based computing can help companies streamline business processes and maximize their return on investment."

Oracle is a member of EPC Global, which is leading the development of industry-driven standards for the Electronic Product Code (EPC) Network to support the use of RFID. For more information about Oracle Sensor Based Services, please visit http://www.oracle.com/solutions/rfid/ or call 1-800-968-4664.

About Oracle
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