Exel, a global leader in supply chain management, announced plans to open its first radio frequency identification (RFID) Center of Excellence in Harrisburg, Pa. The Center of Excellence will be a real-world test laboratory, allowing Exel and its customers to collaboratively develop solutions for deploying RFID throughout the supply chain and extracting business benefits. It is expected to be fully operational later this year.
Additional Centers of Excellence will be opened in Europe and Asia to provide customers around the world with practical solutions to real-world supply chain issues.
The 110,000-square-foot distribution center in Harrisburg will provide an environment where Exel and leading retail, consumer and technology organizations may test multiple aspects of RFID implementation, including chip positioning, pallet configuration, material handling and distribution center layout. Moreover, the laboratory setting will aid in determining the accuracy, reliability and security of RFID in affordably delivering necessary supply chain visibility levels.
“While the scope and scale of RFID projects can differ greatly, our initial focus is to be able to assist consumer packaged goods organizations in meeting mass retailer mandates,” said Tony Hollis, solutions development manager, Exel. ”We are positioning ourselves to deliver RFID solutions based on these mandates; however, as part of our long-term strategy we are steadily working toward determining where RFID does or does not make sense within supply chain applications.”
Ken Novacich, Exel’s senior director of operations, added, “The Center of Excellence will provide a relatively low-risk environment for organizations to test compliance methods while identifying strategies to leverage data and drive additional costs out of their supply chains. This is another extension of Exel’s RFID research that enables further learning alongside our customers.”
Exel has been actively researching and testing RFID in conjunction with foremost supply chain software and technology providers. Currently, the company has pilot programs in place throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. The pilot programs are being conducted on-site at individual customer locations.
“We realize the potential impact RFID has on supply chain management and have committed significant resources to provide appropriate assistance to our customers,” Novacich said. “Exel is particularly committed to helping customers obtain maximum value from their RFID investment along each of their supply chains.”
Collectively, results from the Center of Excellence and pilot programs will produce a best-practices portfolio for Exel to be used in further deployment of RFID solutions throughout the consumer, retail, automotive, technology, industrial and chemical sectors.
For more information, visit www.exel.com.
