Infosys Technologies today announced that it has successfully implemented SAP® solutions for RFID for CHEP’s Global Track and Trace System.  CHEP, the global leader in pallet and container pooling services, expects to use this system to provide real-time visibility to its customers for their products as well as for tracking assets on which these products are shipped.

“In utilising advanced technologies to assist supply-chain-wide visibility, CHEP will bring further value to its customers,” said Puneet Sawhney, Global Program Manager, RFID, CHEP. “With Infosys’ extensive RFID experience and global implementation capabilities and SAP’s proven solutions for RFID, CHEP is looking forward to realising the promised potential of RFID technology in real business-world environments across the globe.” 

This project is a significant step forward for global RFID adoption, combining SAP’s RFID platform and applications with Infosys’ strong thought leadership and robust implementation model for the RFID-enabled enterprise. By delivering innovative, value-added solutions with a low total cost of ownership (TCO), Infosys and SAP aim to help organizations adopt RFID technology to both enhance their existing business models and pursue new ones.

“The partnership between SAP and Infosys signifies a step change in supporting enterprise-wide adoption of Electronic Product Code (EPC) and RFID-enabled solutions,” said UB Pravin, Senior Vice President and Executive Sponsor of RFID Program, Infosys Technologies. “Infosys and SAP are committed to delivering innovative RFID solutions that strategically fit with our customers’ business initiatives. We are proud to work on the deployment of SAP solutions for RFID to manage returnable assets.”

Realising the Benefits of RFID

CHEP manages more than 280 million pallets and containers from a global network of service centers and identified a significant opportunity in using RFID technology to provide product and asset visibility. CHEP will deploy the RFID-enabled Returnable Transport Item Tracking solution from SAP built on state-of-the-art auto-identification, integration and event management technologies provided by the components of the SAP NetWeaver® platform to collect, monitor and analyse real-time RFID information on products and assets moving throughout the supply chain. The solution includes the SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure, which serves as the foundation for the EPC and RFID data and business logic; the SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure component that translates and routes the actionable information into enterprise applications; and SAP Event Management, which monitors and tracks events about assets and identity exceptions.

The CHEP Global Track and Trace System facilitates vendor managed inventory, yields greater asset control and improved inventory management. In addition, enhanced monitoring will help improve asset utilisation and damage-tracking, so improvements can be made quickly and effectively. The solution will also enable CHEP to open new avenues for business for Automotive and Work In Process inventory tracking and allow the company to provide new value-added services to its customers.

Partners Fit for Global Roll Out

With this project, CHEP is building upon an already successful relationship with SAP and expanding its SAP solution-based footprint to further increase gains across its global operations.  SAP’s strategic focus on RFID and enabling extensive capabilities in the core SAP NetWeaver platform was an important factor in CHEP’s decision to roll out this project globally. 

In looking for a provider of RFID services, CHEP required a company not only with a globally available set of resources and talent, but also for a strategic partner that realised the importance of RFID.  With Infosys’ Global Delivery Model, CHEP is leveraging extensive RFID implementation experience across multiple industry segments and global locations, as well as leadership in delivering RFID solutions.  With Infosys’ focus on innovation and access to the best global talent, CHEP is rolling out the RFID solution on a tight schedule.

Infosys, SAP and CHEP plan to share their initial experiences and results from this project at the annual EPCglobal U.S. Conference, being held Oct. 17-19 in Los Angeles.