- A marriage made in SCM heaven. ESYNC, a Toledo, Ohio-based supply chain consulting firm, is merging with TransSystems, a Kansas City-based company that provides architecture, engineering, supply chain consulting, real estate, and security services to the transportation industry. Under the agreement, all ESYNC management and staff will be retained, and ESYNC principals and co-founders John Sidell and Jim McNerney will continue in leadership positions with TransSystems. The combined company will have over 1,000 employees at more than 38 sites.
- Miles to go. Avery Dennison will be providing Gen 2 RFID inlays to Miles Technologies, a systems integrator. Miles Technologies will use the Gen 2 inlays at its RFID training center in Chicago.
- Eaton good in that neighborhood. Eaton Corp. has awarded CEVA Logistics a contract to act as lead logistics provider for all of Eaton's businesses in the Asia-Pacific region. CEVA will manage warehousing, domestic road transportation networks, and Pan Asia Pacific distribution solutions for Eaton.
- A big blue apple. IBM and Manhattan Associates are expanding their business relationship. As part of the deal, IBM has increased its commitment to selling and implementing Manhattan's supply chain solutions built on IBM's open technologies for business. The two companies plan to expand sales efforts across Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, while continuing their collaboration in North America.
- Bringing lots of baggage. Jervis B. Webb Co. has been awarded a $15 million subcontract with Austin Commercial to install baggage handling and inline explosive-detection systems in Terminals 2 and 4 at the Ontario, Calif., airport. The inline detection system will eliminate the need to screen passenger baggage in the airport lobby. Both projects will be installed simultaneously, with completion expected by October 2009.
- Up to standard. Tom Zosel Associates has finished implementing a comprehensive program at Value City Department Stores to improve performance and reduce the costs of the retailer's transportation operations. Following an eight-week evaluation period, the consulting firm developed labor standards based on engineering techniques using automated time study. It then developed a component pay structure based on the labor standards.
- More bang for your fuel buck. Integrated Decision Support Corp. (IDSC) has partnered with ALK Technologies to provide an over-the-road fuel-purchase optimization capability directly within ALK's PC-MILER routing and mileage software. The collaboration will enable PC-MILER users to incorporate suggestions for cost-effective fuel purchases (such as where to stop for fuel and how much to buy) into driving directions without the need to exit the application.
- Fair to Midlands. Midlands Co-op, a growing regional retailer in the United Kingdom, has licensed the Aldata G.O.L.D. Retail Supply Chain Suite to support its retail operations. The solution includes Aldata's Management and In- Store software modules for central data management, store inventory management, automated replenishment, and payment systems. Midlands Co-op consists of 160 stores, including supermarkets, department stores, and convenience stores.
- Coming to their defense. FN Manufacturing, a small arms supplier to the U.S. Department of Defense, has implemented an RFID solution from IDentiTrak Technologies and UPM Raflatac. The application uses IDentiTrak's MASTERlink EDGE RFID middleware and UPM Raflatac's UHF tags to meet the Defense Department's RFID tagging requirements. Every month, hundreds of crates and pallets of finished weaponry and spare parts are tagged and then shipped from FN's manufacturing plant in South Carolina to DOD facilities.
- Hear ye, hear ye. RedPrairie and Voxware have announced that they will integrate Voxware's voice solution into RedPrairie's Warehouse Management System. Under the agreement, RedPrairie will resell Voxware's open voice software, which is designed to operate on mobile devices from a number of manufacturers.
- K-carts. Chrysler has contracted with Jervis B. Webb Co. to provide new material handling systems at its St. Louis Missouri South assembly plant. Included in the deal are 50 SmartCart Automatic Guided Carts as well as the renovation of existing systems at the facility.
- Das ist gut. Hermes Logistics Group, Germany's largest independent logistics service provider, is replacing its datacapture systems with 23,000 MC3090 mobile computers from Motorola. Motorola is also providing special services and maintenance as part of the deal.
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