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M2M innovations invigorate warehouse management
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EDITOR’S NOTE
M2M Innovations Invigorate
Warehouse Management
Machine-to-machine technology has many uses outside the
warehouse—from shipment tracking to remote diagnostics.
But M2M can also bring split-second data visibility inside it, too.
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M2M TECHNOLOGY
BRIDGES THE
REAL-TIME GAP
3
SOFTWARE OPTIONS
ARE EXPANDING FOR
MANUFACTURERS
4
HOW TO DEPLOY NEW
WMS TECHNOLOGY
2. 1
EDITOR’S
NOTE
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Editor’s Note
M2M Technology Bridges the
Real-Time Gap
Software
Options Are
Expanding for
Manufacturers
How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
Making It to Real Time
In a world where 24/7 connectivity and ubiquitous Wi-Fi are the norm, machine-to-machine technology is flourishing. Manufacturers can find many uses
for M2M outside their walls—from shipment tracking to remote diagnostics—but
the technology can also bring split-second data visibility inside the warehouse.
At its core, M2M is all about machines talking to each other in real time. When
used in conjunction with sensor technologies such as radio-frequency identification, M2M can instantly locate parts and products as they make their way from the
shop floor, through the warehouse and onto shipping containers. Knowing exactly
where an item is at any given moment is a boon to manufacturing efficiency.
In this three-part guide, we’ll examine how M2M is bridging real-time information gaps for manufacturers. Next, we’ll explore the expanding universe of
M2M software options. And finally, we’ll get an industry watcher’s tips for deploying new technology in the warehouse. n
Brenda Cole
Site Editor, SearchManufacturingERP.com
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TRENDS
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M2M Technology Bridges the
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Software
Options Are
Expanding for
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How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
M2M Technology Bridges the Real-Time Gap
Access to real-time supply chain information has become a must-have for
manufacturers. With the explosion of wireless networks and cloud computing,
manufacturers are looking for instant communication across the shop floor or
across the ocean. Machine-to-machine, or M2M, technology puts these real-time
intelligence capabilities into the devices that manufacturing operations depend on.
Machine-to-machine technology is a somewhat misleading phrase, according
to Joe Barkai, an analyst at Framingham, Mass., research firm IDC Manufacturing
Insights. “It really means ‘machine to back office’ or ‘machine to humans,’ where
these machines are communicating from a remote location to a centralized location,” he said. Originally, M2M was focused mostly on remote diagnostics and
maintenance, Barkai said. Machines with M2M applications built in can send an
alert to their operators when something is wrong. A repairperson can then arrive
quickly with the right parts, reducing the need for multiple service visits.
Product restocking is another basic use case for M2M technology, Barkai said.
“If an ATM or vending machine is running out of products, you don’t have to find
this out by making regular maintenance rounds—now the machine can tell you
instantly,” he said.
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M2M Technology Bridges the
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Software
Options Are
Expanding for
Manufacturers
How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
Utility companies are starting to use M2M applications for their own routine
maintenance, according to Michele Pelino, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc.
in Cambridge, Mass. Sensor-enabled “smart meters”
can instantly transfer data on gas or electricity use
In-car intelligent
back to a central office, cutting down on monthly insensors send alerts
person meter checks, she said.
about engine trou“M2M technologies have been around a long time,
ble or even save
but now we’re seeing more use cases being driven
lives with real-time
by the fact that the price points by device are going
accident diagnosdown, and there is much more wireless connectivity
tic programs like
for transporting information,” Pelino explained.
OnStar.
Some manufacturers have transferred some of
these new, more affordable applications of M2M
to the consumer side. Barkai sees this happening
particularly in the automotive industry, where M2M is generally referred to as
“telematics.”
In-car intelligent sensors send alerts about engine trouble or even save lives
with real-time accident diagnostic programs like OnStar. Pelino points to medical
device manufacturers, many of which are giving patients the power to measure
critical functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and glucose levels and send
that information directly to their doctors.
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TRENDS
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Editor’s Note
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Software
Options Are
Expanding for
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New WMS
Technology
MACHINE-TO-MACHINE SOFTWARE
M2M’s uses aren’t limited to product maintenance; intelligent machines also increase efficiency throughout the manufacturing process.
“While from the grand technology perspective, M2M is usually a one-sizefits-all, there are some more specific applications on the manufacturing verticals
levels,” said Herb Congdon, associate vice president of the Telecommunications
Industry Association (TIA). “There are RFID [radio-frequency identification] tags
and just-in-time manufacturing [M2M uses] as well as controlling and tracking
what’s coming in and going out of the warehouse. With a lot of M2M technology, what we’re talking about is sensors; these sensors can be tracked all the way
through the manufacturing process.”
When the various machines used during the manufacturing process can talk to
each other, businesses can make mission-critical decisions in real time, according
to Congdon. “That’s the real benefit. We’ve kind of seen some of those benefits
with [program logic controllers] but M2M is more,” he said. “It helps with the
entire process, from raw materials to outgoing products as well as transportation
and storage.”
In the early days of M2M, communication between devices was limited to
point-to-point, localized interactions, Congdon said. Now, with the availability of
new sensors and chips, companies can communicate with their machines through
the cloud. “The home office can keep track of what’s going on in their facilities
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TRENDS
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all over the world as if they were across the street,” he said. “All the info that was
only available locally can now be accessed anywhere at any given time, and that
adds real confidence to the decision-making process.”
Remote monitoring of manufacturing machinery may become more necessary
as workforce demographics change, Barkai said. “With an aging workforce, all the
people with experience [maintaining machinery] are leaving,” he said. “This means
there will be fewer people on the floor with the needed expertise. Here, M2M helps
if there’s a failure online with a machine, because the expert can connect remotely
to help fix it.”
Pelino sees M2M applications being used on the transportation and logistics
side of the manufacturing process, with the aid of RFID and Global Positioning
System. “Suppliers and manufacturers can now track pallets of stock to know
what is coming in and the exact pieces and quantities to be delivered,” she said.
Real-time visibility in shipping also reduces lost containers and costly warehouse
overstocking.
Barkai noted that M2M can also be used in transportation to track the status
of temperature-sensitive shipments of food, beverages or even chemicals. Instead
of discovering that a container has not been maintained at the proper temperature
after the shipment has already been spoiled, M2M-enabled containers can give
constant temperature updates to the home office and instantly alert truck drivers
if something goes wrong.
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One of the biggest concerns about using M2M across manufacturing is security,
according to Barkai. Because most industrial networks were designed when security concerns were not high, companies with machines connected remotely today
are more exposed to breaches—some of which could be serious. Barkai cited the
Stuxnet virus that attacked Iranian nuclear facilities in 2010 as a recent example.
Editor’s Note
M2M Technology Bridges the
Real-Time Gap
Software
Options Are
Expanding for
Manufacturers
How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
TRENDS TO WATCH
As wireless networks and cloud computing’s capabilities continue to expand, so
will M2M’s possibilities, Congdon said. “Much of TIA’s efforts are around developing M2M technologies through increasing the breadth of the service that M2M
companies can use,” he said. “That will get a lot of attention in America and globally. There’s a tremendous demand for spectrum to be cut loose by the federal
government to give carriers access to more bandwidth.”
Congdon also sees some struggles for machine-to-machine providers to accommodate the wide variety of devices that customers want added to their networks. “When you start talking about the M2M space, you’ve got hundreds or
even thousands of customers with specific needs,” he said. “You can’t step from
a dozen or so channels to a thousand channels without changing your approach.
I think third-party services might start offering certification to make customer
devices work on the desired networks.”
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TRENDS
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Editor’s Note
M2M Technology Bridges the
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Software
Options Are
Expanding for
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How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
In coming years, M2M will become common throughout manufacturing, Pelino
said. “Certain industries are further along than others, particularly automotive.
You’re going to see a broader deployment of health care with 4G as well as more
uses in consumer and utilities companies,” she said. “Nobody wants to fall behind
with technology, so it won’t just be high-end manufacturers using M2M.”
Pelino cautioned that this broader M2M adoption won’t happen overnight.
“You’re changing not just how an object is traced, but how customer service, repair
and replacement are done,” she said.
Barkai predicts that with the growth of wireless networks and devices questions about M2M, usage in manufacturing will shift from “How can these devices
be connected?” to “How can these devices be connected while still remaining
private and secure?”
“We need the standards in place for these devices,” he said. “Traditionally, the
biggest hurdle was the connection between devices and carriers. Pretty soon those
questions will become moot. M2M will become easier, but the content and value
will still be a challenge.” —Brenda Cole
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PURCHASING
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Editor’s Note
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Software
Options Are
Expanding for
Manufacturers
How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
Software Options
Are Expanding for Manufacturers
The growth of machine-to-machine software options was once hindered by
limited Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity. But now with wireless communication being the norm and networks more expansive than ever, M2M vendors are offering
a wide range of services that could be a boon for many manufacturers.
“You can accomplish a lot by adding intelligence to your machines,” said Nick
Jones, analyst at Gartner Inc. in Stamford, Conn. “If you look at the general principles of M2M, you can see many business models emerging from this technology.
Those models include how to reduce the cost of [machinery] maintenance as well
as monitoring expensive assets.”
Companies can monitor how much a machine is being used and schedule maintenance based on that, he said. Even better, M2M allows machines to broadcast a distress signal when an error occurs, so a repairperson can be sent out as soon as possible.
M2M IN USE
While M2M applications have traditionally been used to monitor machines outside a company’s facilities—vending machines and elevators are well-established
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examples—the technology is finding new uses on the shop floor and in the warehouse. Jones pointed out that some manufacturers—namely, those in the automotive
industry and other industries where products are assembled in multiple locations—
are using M2M software such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to track
the progress of individual units as they travel through the assembly process.
Jim Wert, general manager of the deviceWISE platform at ILS Technology LLC,
has seen excitement grow around shop-floor M2M during the past few years.
The Boca Raton, Fla., M2M vendor specializes in remote monitoring services for
manufacturers and machine maker original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
“Manufacturers can attach the deviceWISE gateway to a machine and allow
that machine to communicate back to them,” Wert said. “Data is sent through a
secure service using remote apps and our hubs in New York, Taipei and London.”
One manufacturing sector Wert has seen embrace M2M software is energy and
utilities. Oil and gas, wastewater and municipal utilities all have to manage a wide
array of remote assets. More companies are using M2M devices to send out status
and usage info from meters to operations centers, he explained. Demand response
signals can broadcast information from remote stations to the central hub of a utility company, cutting down on the need for in-person meter and equipment checks.
“[With M2M] there is the ability to monitor the flow of gas and oil to do maintenance tasks like shutting on and off valves. We’ve even done this with a milk
pipeline in India,” Wert said.
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Technology
WIDER CELL NETWORKS
The growth of wireless cellular networks has meant the growth of M2M capabilities; in fact, it’s not uncommon for M2M vendors to form partnerships with cell
carriers to better meet customer demands. One example is Raco Wireless, an M2M
provider in Cincinnati. The company has a long-term
commitment with T-Mobile to carry M2M applicaIt’s not uncommon
tions over a 2G network, according to John Horn,
for M2M vendors
president of Raco.
to form partnerILS has also formed partnerships with major wireships with cell carless providers, including AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and
riers to better meet
Motofone, Wert said. By accessing M2M through
customer demands.
wireless and Software as a Service, manufacturers
can avoid hefty, up-front fees and server fees, instead
paying only a monthly bill, Wert said.
By partnering with a wireless company, M2M vendors can also ensure that the
connectivity that is essential to their applications will always be available.
“It takes some effort to get M2M solutions into the enterprise, and nobody
wants to have to turn it off just because their provider decides to turn off the 2G,”
Horn said. “It used to take months to get customers onboard with M2M,” but
faster wireless networks have now made it possible to implement M2M software
in a day, he said.
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The new simplicity of setting up M2M on a wireless network has made the
technology available to manufacturers of all sizes.
“It’s just as easy for us to support a company with 1,000 M2M devices as it
is for us to support a company with a million M2M devices,” Horn said. “You see
very rapid returns on investment through greater efficiencies and product sales.”
Editor’s Note
M2M Technology Bridges the
Real-Time Gap
Software
Options Are
Expanding for
Manufacturers
How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
KEEPING IT TOGETHER
Expanded wireless networks have also expanded M2M’s uses past manufacturers
and OEMs to customers and shippers. M2M monitoring software installed in automobiles, for example, has given birth to “pay as you drive” (PAYD) insurance as
well as “buy here, pay here” (BHPH) car credit, Horn said. Car dealerships can use
M2M devices to remotely disable a vehicle if its owner fails to make payments,
he said.
Shipping and logistics companies are taking advantage of M2M to improve the
process of shipment tracking, Horn said. He points to UPS, which has long used
RFID and Global Positioning System to track packages, and remote monitoring
and freight intelligence company OnAsset Intelligence, which has been approved
by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to keep live devices in the bellies of
airplanes.
“Companies now can track shipments live and in real time,” Horn said.
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SOFTWARE CHALLENGES
While more manufacturers are deploying M2M applications than ever, there are
still some roadblocks to adoption, Jones said.
“Part of the challenge of the M2M market is it is amazingly complicated. Someone has to integrate your wireless and hardware, manage subscriptions, send data
to cloud service providers and back to manufacturers. Most IT staff doesn’t know
how to do this all themselves,” he said. “Some M2M vendors are trying to make it
easier to put it all together.”
Wert predicts that, despite these challenges, M2M usage will continue to grow
in manufacturing. “It’s inevitable. We are seeing the integration of M2M technology at every layer in the value chain, from software makers to PLC [programmable
logic controller] makers,” he said. “Radically new M2M architectures will come into
play as more manufacturers move into the cloud.”
Jones agreed that M2M software has a bright future. “Machines are still the
minority versus people, but I think in the future the number of cellular machines
will outnumber cellular people,” he said. “The costs are falling. The opportunities
are there. The challenge [of M2M] is the imagination, in thinking of clever things
to do with it.” —Brenda Cole
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IMPLEMENTATION
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How to Deploy New WMS Technology
The warehouse management system market has changed rapidly in recent
years and has incorporated many new technologies, features and functions. So
how can the changes benefit your organization, and what’s best way to deploy the
new technology?
Warehouse operators now have many more choices of WMS applications. The
WMS software market has grown to include several new types of supply chain
execution (SCE) software. It has evolved to include functions such as operation
management, inventory tracking, resourcing, replenishment, forecasting, RFID
and automation for lift trucks, conveyors and robotics.
EVER-EXPANDING OPTIONS
Back when there were fewer WMS vendors, functionality was limited, but newer
systems have very deep functionality. New WMS technology vendors have introduced systems that cover areas that were once not supported by warehouse
management systems. More vendors has resulted in multiple players and now
the deployment of cloud models and managed services. When selecting a WMS
application, organizations must be aware of certain options that cause confusion
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during WMS deployment, including the depth of functionality as well as aligning
system and organizational priorities.
Organizations should examine the depth of standard functions they require—
for example, bin setup, replenishment and forecasting and Web enablement—narrow down vendors that meet approximately 70% of corporate requirements and
further whittle down options to create a short list.
Editor’s Note
M2M Technology Bridges the
Real-Time Gap
Software
Options Are
Expanding for
Manufacturers
How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
EXAMINE AGILITY NEEDED
Once an organization determines the depth of functionality it needs, it should
use a phased approach to decide the required agility and the right WMS application to use. Organizations should identify their most pressing business issues
and install modules that address those first in the
WMS application.
Organizations should
The amount of functionality deployed is diestimate for variances
rectly related to the amount of time the first phase
in WMS implementawill take. Once the required modules have been detion time ables.
t
ployed and stabilized and employees are comfortable with the application, then the second phase of
the implementation begins.
Organizations should estimate for variances in WMS implementation
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IMPLEMENTATION
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timetables. If an organization has chosen additional requirements, however, it is
best to overestimate the time required, as integrations and automation usually
take longer than expected to integrate with the base system.
Testing interfaces and data exchange should be checked often from end to end
to ensure data and transactional integrity. Once this is
done, test the entire workflow process, including the
Testing interfaces
systems, data, agility, automation and exceptions.
and data exchange
Organizations can identify their needs along with
should be checked
additional functionality and create a WMS deployment
often from end to
budget. Keep in mind that the additional functionality
end to ensure data
can add to the budget quickly. WMS applications have
and transac ional
t
matured and are now often offered as on-premises and
integrity.
cloud options.
WMS can also be disguised as supply chain execution software with low-level functionality. So be
prepared to closely assess the differences in inventory management software, as
there is overlapping functionality and all the features of the WMS may not needed.
Extensive testing and a phased approach will allow the organization to succeed in
its WMS deployment.
In summary, when deploying the new generation of WMS applications, remember the following:
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■■ Determine
organizational needs.
■■ Create a short list and select a system.
■■ Implement using a phased approach.
■■ Stabilize and make sure staff is comfortable with the system before going to
phase two.
■■ Implement the second phase with additional modules.
■■ Retest from end to end including interfaces, exceptions, automations and workflows to ensure all systems work together. —Dylan Persaud
Software
Options Are
Expanding for
Manufacturers
How to Deploy
New WMS
Technology
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