Land Rover, Savi launch RFID pilot to track auto parts

Land Rover division and Savi today announced they have launched a pilot program that deploys an active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions that better synchronizes the delivery of auto parts from multiple suppliers to Land Rover's key assembly plant in the West Midlands (U.K.). The pilot is made possible through a U.K. central government grant administered by the University of Warwick.
Savi, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT) and provider of RFID-based total asset management solutions, is supplying RFID hardware and software to enhance visibility, inventory management, and asset utilization, and to reduce losses, assembly plant disruptions, and time spent locating assembly parts.
Phase 2 of this pilot enables 18 suppliers and Land Rover to better locate, track, and deliver stillages (specialized steel conveyances) that carry bumpers, front grills, suspension parts, moon roofs, and vehicle bodies, among other parts. Real-time information on RFID-tagged assets is shared among the partners and is automatically transmitted to cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and web-based tracking software.
"On-time, precision delivery of components is integral to our plant's efficiency because ...