Wireless Technology Migration: Mitigating Risk and Increasing Supply Chain Efficiency

Wireless Technology Migration: Mitigating Risk And Increasing Supply Chain Efficiency By Keith Boyle, Sr. Director, Wireless Services PEAK Technologies: Wireless Technology Migration: Mitigating Risk and Increasing Supply Chain Efficiency
Wireless Technology Migration: significant downtime, security Why and When? vulnerabilities and non-compliance issues. Any one of these issues alone can not only Today's competitive, agile business have a huge impact on a company's bottom demands anytime/anywhere connectivity line but can seriously jeopardize the and access to real time data. Many supply organization's success. chain management solutions rely on wireless technology for Automatic Outdated Technology Identification/Data Capture (AIDC) to Since the late 1980's, AIDC technology has ensure supply chain efficiency. With the been experiencing a product life cycle rapid evolution of wireless networks along decline. Through a series of standardizations with compliance issues and ever-changing and technology updates, the lifetime for logistics, migration to advanced wireless AIDC devices has gone from an 8 to 10-year systems is inevitable. It's also necessary: cycle to a 2 to 3-year cycle. Legacy failure to adapt has negative implications infrastructure components adopted in the with both suppliers and customers and past 4-5 years, such as switches, access technology missteps could potentially lead points, ports, and components, as well as to significant downtime and costly wireless devices such as hand held terminals workarounds. This paper helps identify are currently or will soon be at the end of businesses that should migrate to newer life. wireless technologies, and offers a road map that will help you discover the best possible technology management partner. The lifetime for AIDC devices has gone from an 8 to 10-year cycle to a Driving Factors Behind Wireless 2 to 3-year cycle. Migration Many organizations have experienced the benefits of wireless technologies for Because newer technology is becoming Automatic Identification/Data Capture more prevalent, service offered for these including improved speed and accuracy of older products is also shrinking and the inventory counts and lower costs. Moving window of availability for replacement parts from a paper-based or manual process to an is closing. Users of older technology can't automated system results in tangible ROI. easily get the parts required to repair or However, when migrating to newer replace products to ensure their data technology after having experienced the collection systems are up and running at initial results of automated processes, ROI is optimum efficiency. Not only is it hard to not always the driving factor. Instead, get the product, but it is also increasingly outdated technology, security concerns and difficult and more expensive to get it compliance requirements are forcing serviced. companies throughout industries to consider migrating to advanced wireless systems for In addition, older wireless technology supply chain operations. Failure to upgrade doesn't support new features and functions to newer, more advanced technologies could that are proving to be so valuable to supply potentially impact productivity and lead to chain operations. While the general features
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such as higher speed, and brighter displays support problems. Cost of ownership may be subjective points that don't require increases because companies can't support wireless technology migration, there are all of the combined technologies and can't plenty of new features and functions that do. share technical resources (such as a common For example, features that have the ability to spares pool), which increases costs and support newer applications like voice complicates maintenance and management. recognition, and RFID technology are being utilized to automate and increase Take, for example, a global manufacturer productivity. Old text-based, green screen operating over 100 facilities worldwide with interfaces are being replaced by GUI (point an extensive, global distribution network. a... [download for more]