AeroScout And Global Data Services Help Boost Continental's Tire Production

Online, April 7, 2011 (Newswire.com) - AeroScout, the leading provider of Unified Asset Visibility for improved operational efficiency, today announced that Continental Tire of the Americas (a subsidiary of Continental AG) is using AeroScout's Asset Tracking Solution combined with Global Data Sciences' Inventory Management System to increase production and efficiency in its North America manufacturing plant. The project has also enabled the facility to achieve a 20 percent reduction in component tire losses. The implemented solution leverages Continental Tire's Cisco Unified Wireless Network to add a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) and automated Work-in-Process (WIP) tracking without having to install a proprietary network of readers and sensors.

Continental Tire produces a well-known line of consumer tires and also works with major brands, including BMW, Ford, GM, Nissan and Volvo. The North America plant, located in Mount Vernon, Illinois, produces more than 1,000 different tire SKU's in its 60-acre (2.6 million square-foot) facility.

With demand increasing beyond capacity at its Mount Vernon plant, Continental Tire set out to remove bottlenecks and delays in its production process to increase throughput. It found that inefficient management of its inventory of thousands of carriers was causing unnecessary idle time and setups.

Working with Global Data Sciences, Continental Tire implemented a solution designed to efficiently track and manage tire assembly and material carriers. The facility uses AeroScout's Wifi RTLS solution to help fork truck operators quickly find and deliver materials and tire components to the right station according to customer orders and optimal manufacturing schedules. As a result, Continental has reduced delays and production stoppages, minimized idle time of machines and significantly increased daily throughput.

"To meet growing customer demand, we needed to ensure current operations were running as efficiently as possible," said Greg Pemberton, MIS Director at Continental Tire of the Americas. "The combined AeroScout and Global Data Sciences solution provides real-time visibility into the inventory on the plant floor and allows us to drive lean manufacturing without the risk of running out of material."

The implementation consists of AeroScout Wifi Tags attached to 1,100 carriers. The location of each carrier is transmitted via the facility's Cisco Unified Wireless Network to AeroScout's MobileView software and then passed to the Inventory Management System, which was developed and implemented by Global Data Sciences. Mobile computers secured to each fork truck allow drivers to search for any required component or tire assembly. The carrier location is displayed on a map of the facility together with critical information, allowing operators to deliver inventory appropriately and eliminate scrap.

Global Data Sciences, after careful review, recommended AeroScout for the project and drove the implementation, working closely with AeroScout, Cisco Systems and Applied Group (the local Cisco and AeroScout reseller). AeroScout was selected because of its successful track record, strong manufacturing industry expertise and the fact that AeroScout's solutions leverage open-standards based Wi-Fi networks, such as those from Cisco.

"We pride ourselves on finding the best solutions to meet our clients' needs, and AeroScout has delivered exceptional results for Continental Tire. Thanks to the efficiencies gained using AeroScout's solution, Continental Tire estimates a payback period of less than six months," said Michael Mantzke, Chief Executive Officer, Global Data Sciences Inc.

"Manufacturers are under tremendous pressure to reduce costs, operate more efficiently and respond to demand fluctuations. AeroScout's and Global Data Sciences' solutions are helping Continental Tire do exactly that," said Gabi Daniely, Vice President of Marketing and Product Strategy at AeroScout. "We are proud to help Continental Tire and manufacturers around the world drive lean manufacturing, optimize efficiency and increase production."

Continental Tire's implementation and achievements will be discussed during an educational webinar on Thursday, March 24 at noon Eastern Time. This "Lean Manufacturing and WIP Tracking" webinar will be hosted by Cisco and AeroScout and will feature speakers from Continental Tire and Global Data Sciences. To register, send an email to AeroScout at [email protected].

About Global Data Sciences Inc.
Global Data Sciences Inc., http://www.globaldatasciences.com, has emerged as a leader in providing Strategic Business Solutions for manufacturing companies in the areas of Operations, Financial Controls, Supply Chain/Logistics, Shop Floor Controls and Systems Integration.

About AeroScout
AeroScout is the market leader in Unified Asset Visibility solutions. Customers improve operational efficiency using AeroScout products that leverage standard Wi-Fi networks to track and manage the location, condition and status of mobile assets and people. AeroScout's global customer base consists of leading hospital, manufacturing and logistics organizations, including many of the Fortune 500. The company invented the first Wi-Fi-based Active RFID tag, and today is widely recognized as leading the market in number of deployments and tags shipped. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, AeroScout has offices in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.aeroscout.com.

AeroScout is a registered trademark of AeroScout, Inc. Information is subject to change without notice.