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Blue Vector Deployed in Walgreens’
Next-Generation RFID-Enabled Distribution Center
Other Topics:
RFID IT Asset Tracking
BUSINESS WIRE
September 16, 2008
Blue Vector Technology Key Enabler Towards Goal of 100% Shipping
Accuracy
PALO ALTO, California - Blue Vector today announced that Walgreens,
the nation’s largest drugstore chain, has deployed Blue Vector as a
major solution component in one of the industry’s most technically
advanced and ambitious large-scale RFID supply chain system
deployments. |
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Designed to replace
all paperwork and barcode scanning during shipment loading, the
system leverages RFID technology in day-to-day production towards
the goal of achieving 100% shipment accuracy from distribution
center to retail store. With over 6,300 drugstores across the U.S.,
the nation’s fastest growing drug retailer recently launched the
first of its next-generation distribution centers in Anderson, SC.
The DC is the first facility of its kind to employ a significant
number of people with disabilities. While more than 42% of the
facility's workforce has a physical or cognitive disability, the
facility aims to boost productivity over their legacy DC with the
new system. Employing some of the most innovative logistics systems
in the distribution industry, the deployment already represents one
of the largest RFID deployments to date with over 170,000 assets
tagged—spanning 45 shipping doors, dollies, cart exit stations, and
RFID tagging hospitals. The Anderson DC, at full capacity, will ship
approximately 80,000 cases daily to over 700 Walgreens stores across
the Southeast.
“Walgreens has a long tradition of pioneering break-through
technologies in the industry,” said Randy Lewis, senior vice
president of distribution and logistics for Walgreens. “Today, we’re
leading the charge to revolutionize our distribution center systems
and processes to drive significantly higher efficiency, accuracy,
and ultimately higher margins. With the help of Blue Vector, we’re
making significant progress toward the next-generation of automated
and intelligent distribution and logistics systems.”
The logistics and distribution system scans every product loaded
onto every truck in real-time, immediately alerting workers to any
potential shipping errors. With Blue Vector’s edge intelligence
software and infrastructure products deployed on a wide range of
structures—from dock door portals and conveyor stations to asset
hospitals and tagging stations—the system verifies correct assets,
quantities, dock door, and loading sequence before automatically
updating Walgreens’ warehouse management system. Enabling automated
tag verification, diversion, and repair processes, Blue Vector edge
processing intelligence is performed locally at every shipping
door—with each trailer’s shipping manifest preloaded onto a Blue
Vector edge appliance housed within dock door portals—to ensure
accuracy and rapid error detection.
“As companies look for ways to improve their performance, their
attention turns from installing strong planning systems to bridging
those systems with the physical world and day to day activities—to
detect deviations from plan as they occur and correct them
immediately when it is fastest and easiest,” said Mike Gardner, Blue
Vector president and CEO. “Blue Vector is uniquely positioned to
help companies like Walgreens meet these challenges, and we’re
honored to help the company work towards its goal of 100% shipping
accuracy.”
About Blue Vector Systems
Blue Vector is the trusted choice of industry leaders who are
revolutionizing their operations by extending the reach of their
current business processes to the edge of their operations. An
offshoot of groundbreaking research into highly distributed military
sensor networks, Blue Vector’s technology puts RFID, barcode,
temperature, GPS and motion sensors to work for leading businesses
who need to control remote inventory, improve their shipping
accuracy, monitor the movement of assets, or track the progress of
individual items throughout their supply chain. The company is
headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information, please
visit www.bluevector.com. |
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