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Tapestry Solutions provides enterprise logistics software and services for global supply chains, mission planning, combat training and simulation systems.

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An IoT Primer: What You Should Know about the Internet of Things & How to Lay the Foundation for Success with Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI)

February 27, 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) is far from a new topic in the manufacturing, industrial and defense logistics sectors. Although the IoT is moving beyond a buzzword to real-world utilization, not all stakeholders fully understand this transformative technology. So exactly what is the Internet of Things and why should you care? Here’s what you need to know to successfully lay the foundation for the IoT and ensure long-term success.

Making Sense of the Internet of Things

Wikipedia describes the Internet of Things as a “network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these objects to connect and exchange data.”

In the private sector, the Internet of Things connects smartphones, smart appliances, smart home thermostats, wearables and much more.  The rapid expansion of devices connected to the internet is intended to make our life better, including saving us time and money.

The application of the IoT in the manufacturing industry leverages intelligent, connected devices to greatly improve operational efficiency, productivity and profitability. The digital transformation within manufacturing and supply chains is dubbed the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Industry 4.0. and the Industrial Internet.

Connecting People, Data & Processes to Improve Efficiency

The Industrial Internet allows organizations to connect their people, data and processes so business leaders have a complete, accurate picture of their enterprises. Companies are achieving substantial costs savings with the IIoT due to automation, predictive maintenance, and real-time production and supply chain data.

The Internet of Things relies on application programming interfaces (APIs), which tie together the connected “things.”  The APIs essentially serve as the messengers between applications and connected objects.  The IoT also relies on the cloud to provide the integration and computing power to fulfill the promise of a connected world.

One of the most significant benefits of the Industrial Internet is the ability to rapidly collect large volumes of data, or Big Data, that can be analyzed for insights that drive smarter, faster and better decisions.

A Growing yet Fragmented IoT Marketplace

IoT providers are flooding the market, which has led to a proliferation of disparate sensors and devices that track and manage assets.

By 2020, analysts estimate that the number of connected devices worldwide will range from 20 billion to 47 billion, and global spending will range from $267 billion to $1.2 trillion, according to data compiled by WeSpeakIoT.  Although the IoT figures vary drastically, there is no doubt that the Internet of Things will have a huge impact on our lives and economy.

However, there is enormous fragmentation in the larger IoT industry.  Providers of IoT software and hardware solutions are entering the market en masse, which has led to a proliferation of sensors and devices that speak different languages.

As a result, organizations are facing major challenges with interoperability between devices and machines that use different protocols and architecture. They’re often dealing with multiple vendors with multiple, disparate IoT hardware and sensor solutions. So how do you bring it all together?

Establishing a common IoT platform for the data stream will allow multiple sensor technologies to communicate seamlessly; this is what Tapestry’s Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) is all about.

Why is Enterprise Sensor Integration so Appealing?

It all boils down to situational awareness: Manufacturing and supply chain operations want complete visibility of their enterprises, not spreadsheet reports. They need to know the immediate status, including the location of their important assets. They need a common platform to host their hardware and software tracking technologies – a solution that can integrate with newer IoT applications as well as legacy ERP solutions.

ESI connects people, data and processes at 50 Boeing assembly plants, including its Everett, WA factory, pictured here.

Large and small enterprises also need a cloud-capable solution that can process enormous amounts of data.  Above all, they require a sensor-agnostic solution that will ensure interoperability.

ESI software meets all these requirements. In fact, ESI is the first system of its kind that has been successfully implemented at enterprise-level scale. The first customer was Boeing – the world’s leading aerospace company. Tapestry implemented ESI across 50 Boeing plants, including the Everett factory, the largest manufacturing facility in the world. In the process, ESI has saved Boeing $100 million in the first year alone.

So How does ESI Work?

Through data fusion, ESI connects multiple sensors, devices and systems into a single integration platform. Because it is “sensor agnostic,” supply chain visibility is not completely dependent on one manufacturer or sensor type. This ensures total asset visibility of equipment, tools, cargo and processes anywhere in the world.

ESI integrates sensors ranging from RFID tags, GPS-enabled WiFi tags to complex servers.

ESI connects sensors ranging from RFID position-information tags, passive and active GPS-enabled WiFi tags to embedded hardware and complex servers.  It also seamlessly integrates customers’ legacy and next generation systems. It works in the cloud or on dedicated servers to meet the needs of large enterprises.

Among its applications, ESI provides sensor device and infrastructure management; real-time automated alerts; mapping applications; and integration with temperature sensors, thermostats, pressure sensors and humidity sensors.

Additionally, ESI generates automatic notifications when parts or assembly kits arrive; monitors equipment for improper handling; and ensures compliance with all storage and inventory management requirements.

Let Tapestry Help Your Organization Tap the Power of the IoT

The possibilities of connecting billions of people and “things” through the cloud and networks – with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity and access to knowledge – are virtually limitless. These possibilities are multiplied by emerging technologies in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology and quantum computing.

However, enterprises must first lay a solid foundation to ensure successful entry into this rapidly evolving landscape.  The key benefits are total asset visibility, improved productivity and, above all, significant savings for your organization.

Learn how to tap the power of the IoT today and improve your bottom line by requesting a Tapestry ESI Demo or emailing marketing@tapestrysolutions.com.

 

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
Boeing Global Services
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Uncategorized Tagged With: Enterprise Asset Management, Enterprise Sensor Integration, IIoT, Industrial Internet, Industry 4.0, Internet of Things, IoT, Tapestry ESI

How the Internet of Things Optimizes Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) for a Smarter, Connected World

February 6, 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing at a phenomenal rate, and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) is part of this ongoing march toward connected systems and technologies.  Over the past 20 years, EAM has evolved from basic tracking and managing critical pieces of equipment to managing the full-cycle of millions of components and devices throughout an enterprise.

The future of EAM is about information exchange between devices, components and people. And it levies information through Big Data and analytics, which provide operational insights from massive amounts of data.

The combination of Big Data and analytics directly enables company expansion and competitive advantage across all industries and their supply chains in an increasingly competitive and a cost saving-focused world. Having better actionable information from objects and networks connected to the IoT nets better asset visibility.

Achieving Higher Visibility with the IoT

Achieving higher visibility through connected devices eliminates inconsistencies and errors that result from manual tracking and data entry.  EAM is a powerful way to drive reliability, operational effectiveness, asset planning and scheduling for manufacturing, supply chain operations as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) management.

At its core, the IoT optimizes EAM by bringing disparate systems, sensors and information together, making data accessible and actionable in several fundamental ways:

  • End-to-End Solutions. End-to-end solutions exist for leveraging enterprise-wide IoT deployment. Upper-level management and command control centers can access information collected by sensors in real time. With the IoT, connected assets allow for increased collaboration between maintenance, operation, and performance, enabling a cohesive push toward continuous improvement throughout an organization.
  • Automated Systems. Automation is the heart of the IoT. It streamlines data collection and analysis to provide detailed, as well as broad, asset risks and opportunities. This promotes faster decision making and more effective risk management.
  • Predictive Maintenance via Big Data. Knowing asset location and status is great, but knowing when a failure might unfold – before it happens – gives enterprises a crystal ball into the future. Next-generation EAM leverages analytics and Big Data to identify relationships between asset performance and malfunction, and reduces downtime by notifying MRO team members of necessary maintenance to prevent such failures.
  • Decreased Asset Costs. Less downtime leads to a reduced total cost of ownership of assets. Since problems can be corrected before they occur, overall equipment life expectancy increases.
  • Accurate, Lean Inventory Management. While maintaining inventory, whether its spare parts or product stock, remains crucial, analytics also empower better demand forecasting. Supply chain managers can move to a just-in-time (JIT) replenishment model, reducing carrying costs, as well as reducing logistics costs, effectively reducing the burden on assets and increasing asset performance.

Utilizing the IoT for EAM is only as good as its weakest link, so integrated sensors, centralized platform controls, automated reporting and process management are considerations within an overall EAM strategy.

Start Your IoT Implementation and Integration Now

The IoT merely is a means of transforming worldwide data into digestible, actionable insights that leverage the power of smart devices, sensors, and analytics. The next generation of IoT technologies and analytics platforms is on the horizon, including natural, artificial intelligence systems, automated drones and more, explains Kevin Price of Diginomica.

Enterprises can use the power of today’s IoT to optimize EAM, reduce spending, and realize higher efficiency and productivity, but they must first bring data into a cohesive network and system. Manufacturing and supply chains need a solution like Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) to bridge disparate sensor technologies onto a common platform.

Your organization stands on the cusp of this innovation. Get started today by contacting Tapestry Solutions  or calling 1 (858) 503-1990.

T

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
Boeing Global Services
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

 

Hyperlinked Sources

https://blogs.dxc.technology/2017/12/21/how-iot-powers-next-generation-enterprise-asset-management-eam/

https://iotbusinessnews.com/2018/01/10/1972-future-asset-visibility/

https://www.tapestrysolutions.com/solutions/enterprise-iot-solutions/’

https://diginomica.com/2017/05/25/iot-ai-and-drones-in-the-future-of-enterprise-asset-management/

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Uncategorized Tagged With: EAM, Enterprise Asset Management, Internet of Things, IoT, Sensor Integration, Tapestry ESI

IoT for Military Asset Management (Part II): Tapestry’s Sensor Integration Solution, ESI, Changes the Game for Defense Supply Chains

January 17, 2018

Decades ago, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) played a critical role in laying the foundation for the Internet of Things (IoT) with sensors, extensive computer networks and communications technologies. Today, as the IoT transforms the world around us – from smart homes to smart factories – leveraging the IoT for the defense supply chain seems like the logical next step in the military’s digital transformation. But it’s not that simple.

ESI

Over the years, the U.S. military has focused its IoT-related deployments on combat operations, primarily network-centric warfare – the centerpiece of military transformation that relies on sensors, platforms and networks for battlefield situational awareness. The DoD also continues to drive innovation with machine-to-machine communications and artificial intelligence.

In the area of asset management, the military uses radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to track shipments and manage inventories, but RFID sensors are just part of the IoT equation.

 The IoT Elephant in the Room: CONNECTIVITY

The IoT has become a ubiquitous term with all the hype surrounding sensors and smart devices in the private sector. The Internet of Things actually involves much more than a network of sensors and smart devices collecting data. The ultimate challenge is connecting these technologies as part of an intelligent network, and transforming “Big Data” into meaningful information. Connectivity, therefore, is key to a true IoT infrastructure.

IoT systems are more than just sensors collecting massive amounts of data. To be a true IoT system, the data must undergo analysis and be used to effect some type of physical or virtual response,” as noted in the CSIS report, Leveraging the Internet of Things for a More Efficient and Effective Military.

A major challenge is that information is often collected from sensors that are not designed to communicate with one another, and this poses a major problem in managing supply chain assets.  Rather than extracting data from each sensor type, a true IoT platform fuses the data from multiple sensors in real time, providing timely, actionable information to decision makers.

In the commercial sector, the IoT is transforming everything from manufacturing and supply chains to transportation systems and maintenance management systems. It is significantly improving productivity, efficiency and profitability. However, the military has not kept pace with commercial IoT deployments for several reasons, including security concerns, shrinking budgets and interoperability challenges.

While the military has been a driver in connected and machine-to-machine communications such as radio frequency identification, more commonly known as RFID, it has been slow to adopt true IoT applications that knit these communications into interoperable, automated cycles. Communications remain within their given channels, not easily shared or aggregated,” according to the Deloitte article, Continuing the march: The past, present, and future of the IoT in the military.

With this in mind, broader deployment of IoT technology across the military “requires investment in increased connectivity, digital analytics and improved interoperability,” noted to CSIS authors Denise E. Zheng and William A. Carter.

ESI: Solving the Interoperability Challenge

Tapestry Solutions provides the gateway to the IoT with its Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) technology. ESI effectively bridges disparate sensors together via a single interface, solving challenges related to interoperability. It also delivers automation, real-time alerts, mapping applications and analytics – the full offerings of the Internet of Things. This ensures total asset visibility of equipment, tools, cargo and processes anywhere and at any time.

In fact, Boeing – the world’s largest aerospace company – has already reaped the rewards of ESI.  At Boeing, ESI has integrated its asset tracking and supply chain management systems on a common platform across 50 assembly plants. This unity of information, powered by sensor integration, saved Boeing more than $100 million in the first year alone, and it continues to generate huge savings each year.

The ESI platform integrates sensors ranging from RFID position-information tags, passive and active GPS-enabled WiFi tags to embedded hardware and complex servers. ESI also seamlessly integrates customers’ legacy and next generation systems. As a “sensor agnostic” solution, ESI can communicate with many different hardware and software vendors’ IoT solutions.  The platform can be implemented across a global enterprise, either in the cloud or on dedicated servers.

With sensor fusion as a core capability, Tapestry Solutions has been delivering enterprise-level solutions to commercial and military customers for decades.  Let’s take a closer look at Tapestry’s asset management solutions of the past and how these technologies eventually led to the development of solutions like ESI.

BCS3: A New Age in Information Sharing

Dating back to the U.S.-Iraq War, Tapestry Solutions developed the Army’s Battle Command Sustainment Support System (BCS3) in response to mounting pressure for better asset tracking. First fielded in 2004, BCS3 represented the start of a new age in sustainment information sharing. BCS3 was among the first battle command systems for logistics that helped commanders filter critical logistics information.

Still in limited use today, BCS3 provided commanders with a joint logistics common operating picture. It tied together information from numerous, disparate Army logistics systems, in-transit visibility systems, and other fragmented data sources. This enabled operators to view the supply stockage levels in warehouses and track the movement of supplies as they traveled through the distribution systems via air, land and sea.

Among the subsystems feeding into BCS3 were RFID tags and fixed-site interrogators. BCS3 processed RFID tag data and graphically depicted the data on a map or report (shown above).

The RFID tags work like “wireless bar codes” that record, track, and manage the supplies and equipment of a modern networked military, according to the article, “RFID Technology: Keeping Track of DoD’s Stuff.”    There are many benefits to RFID, including improved asset tracking, inventory management and automation. However, the DoD had faced challenges of achieving widespread RFID implementation, mainly because it was unable to demonstrate the return on investment.

Improving the Effectiveness of RFID – and Multiple Sensor Technologies

Fast forward to today. As the costs of using RFID technology decreased phenomenally, RFID has been deployed across military supplies and assets, including aircraft, tanks, weapons and ammunition, soldiers and equipment.

It is estimated that the military has over 3 million active RFID tags in circulation, including over 3,000 tag-reader devices in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Pakistan, according to ToolHound, a developer of web-based tool management software.  RFID is often used with barcodes to record, track and manage military equipment and supplies.

The information collected by RFID tags is significant, but its value is limited if the data remains siloed, or isolated from other data sources. Its true potential can only be realized when connected to other sensors and asset management systems via an Internet of Things platform, like Tapestry’s ESI.

By fusing data from multiple sensor technologies from multiple vendors, ESI gives decision-makers a complete picture of their asset movements and inventory.  For instance, if an enemy mobilized against the U.S., military officers can immediately identify what is happening, determine which assets are nearby, mobilize those assets and ensure they have enough equipment, supplies, and soldiers to overcome the opposition.

Despite the challenges of adopting IoT for military applications, ESI can help defense organizations leverage this interconnected architecture to increase efficiency, reduce costs and enhance situational awareness across the full spectrum of defense logistics management.

It’s all about information-sharing – and achieving information superiority in the battlespace – because military commanders have always lived and died by information.

he appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information
does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

Watch ESI Commercial to Learn More

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Filed Under: Blog Posts, Uncategorized Tagged With: Asset Management, Enterprise Sensor Integration, ESI, Internet of Things, IoT, IoT for Defense, RFID

IoT for Military Asset Management (Part I): A Deep Dive into Problems of the Past and how Tapestry’s Sensor Integration Platform, ESI, Can Help

December 19, 2017

The Internet of Things (IoT) permeates everyday life around the globe. From smart TVs to appliances, the IoT gives organizations an opportunity to learn more about consumers’ spending habits, behaviors and more.

Adoption of IoT devices is particularly beneficial to manufacturing and supply chain operations that manage a large number of assets and complex distribution processes. The IoT promises to boost productivity, productivity and profitability by improving decision-making and redefining how people and machines interact with each other.

However, the IoT goes beyond the private sector; it has wide-ranging implications and benefits for military logistics and supply chain management. Connected devices in the military promise to revolutionize modern warfare by leveraging automation, Big Data and analytics. This will provide greater lethality and survivability for our warfighters, while reducing cost and increasing efficiency.

“IoT devices can gather more data, facilitate more complex analysis and faster reactions, and reduce human error, delivering more precise and efficient military capabilities, according to a CSIS report, “Leveraging the Internet for a More Efficient and Effective Military.”

 Challenges in Adopting IoT for Military Applications

The DoD continues to drive innovation in advanced sensors and control systems, “but it is falling behind in deployment of IoT technologies that have the potential to deliver new capabilities and cost savings,” according to CSIS authors Denise E. Zheng and William A. Carter.

Like commercial operations, the DoD continues to struggle with interoperability. While the military has deployed a wide range of IoT-related technologies, many are developed in segregated “stovepipes” which makes it difficult to communicate across other systems.

The DoD has also connected millions of sensors through extensive network infrastructures, but few leverage the full capabilities of the IoT – namely connected sensors, automation and digital analytics.

Enterprise Sensor Integration: The Gateway to the IoT

Tapestry Solutions, a leader in information management software and services, has addressed these challenges with its Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) solution. ESI is a revolutionary integration platform that provides a centralized hub for any sensor, regardless of hardware type or brands.

The technology automates workflow processes and integrates digital analytics, enabling commanders and logisticians to easily digest massive amounts of data to facilitate relevant, instant decision-making. ESI significantly optimizes asset tracking, inventory management, warehouse and fulfillment operations, and workflow management.

To truly understand why ESI is key to leveraging the IoT in defense supply chains of today, however, let’s take a look at defense supply chains of the past.

A Flashback to the Gulf Wars

For decades, the U.S. military has faced a widespread problem: a lack of visibility into supply and demand. When a soldier needed something, uncertainty surrounded the order.

Photo: David Giles / Getty Images

Questions undoubtedly arose: Where’s my stuff? When will it get here? How long will it be before another shipment arrives? How much do I have right now?

During Operation Storm, for instance, these questions led to frequent instances of over-ordering supplies – or “just-in-case” stockage – a standard practice in all ranks in the military.  However, this practice of hoarding backfired. The units that depended on just-in-case stockage experienced extended wait times until they receive needed parts.

During Desert Storm, the just-in-case logistics system was so severely hindered by misprioritized shipments that high-priority items, such as food, ammunition, and fuel, were not delivered to participating units in a timely manner. To avert the possibility that units might run out of critical supplies, a ‘work-around’ just-in-time distribution system called Desert Express was developed,” according to Army Logistician.

After the war ended, assets ranging from package-level supplies to artillery and armored vehicles were left in the field or warehouses for use by allied forces in Iraq, aid workers and contractors.

As military conflict returned to the region in the second Gulf War, U.S. soldiers were taking advantage and using the resources left behind from the First Gulf War. Unfortunately, much of the weapons and equipment left behind had grown old with advances in battlefield technology. The use of these left-behind assets led to even more significant confusion as the military realized millions of dollars were lost.

Poor Accountability = Losses and Risk

The problem continued during the second Gulf War with the massive withdraw of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011. Rather than ship everything home, the U.S. handed over military bases and millions of pieces of equipment – worth billions to the Iraqi government, according to the Huffington Post.

In September 2011, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report, GAO-11-774  noting that after one of the largest base transitions to date, “officials said they were surprised at the amount of unaccounted-for equipment that was left over at the end of the transition process.”

In one year alone, over 2.4 million pieces of equipment worth a total of $250 million had been given away to the Iraqi government, including tanks and trucks to office furniture and latrines.  Unfortunately, many items were unaccounted for.

Some assets could have simply piled up in Iraq since combat operations began in 2003 and were not properly logged, according to the report. The GAO warned that “units sometimes turn in such equipment without paperwork and have even removed identifying markings such as serial numbers to avoid retribution.”

Better tracking of assets was the end-all solution presented in the GAO report, but it had a more profound reason than just cost-savings. It could prevent equipment, weapons and uniforms from falling into the enemies’ hands.

The problem continued in 2013 with missing assets in Afghanistan. The DoD Inspector General published a summary of an audit report revealing that the U.S. military “did not report in a timely manner 15,600 pieces of missing equipment valued at approximately $419.5 million,” according to ABC Denver. In the report, Army officials were criticized for poor accounting and oversight.

Technology Used for Tracking Continued to Lag, Reducing Visibility

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags were available at this point and widely used in the private sector, such as retail outlets like Walmart. RFID also had promising applications for military asset tracking and supply chain visibility, but investing in them was counterproductive.

The costs of tracking package-level items with active RFID (aRFID) or passive RFID (pRFID) was significant; thus, the military relied mostly on barcoding.

Barcodes were placed on all assets and supplies, ranging from aircrafts to item-level packages. While effective at tracking items, this process lacked real-time applicability. Information scanned was only as good as its last time of scanning.

Barcodes were also slow and cumbersome. The technology required direct line of sight and lacked accuracy, according to Mojix.  The lack of asset visibility, in turn, resulted in the continued practice of over-ordering and unaccounted-for assets.

Automation: The Key to Total Asset Visibility, Improved Productivity and Cost-Savings

The problem was compounded because data collection was dependent on manual entry. The lack of automation – along with a fragmented information technology (IT) structure and limited processing of data – contributed to further inaccuracies in data collection, storage, retrieval and analysis.

When the U.S. turned over forward-operating bases to local forces in the Middle East, for example, the military could not determine the actual value or location of all assets and equipment left behind. Due to manual data entry, information and accountability got lost amid the paperwork.

The natural solution to this problem is automation; however, automation depends on solid IT structure. The best-laid plans for system data collection and automation will fall short if a network cannot realistically communicate with individual sensors and interfaces. All components of an IT network must function as one to provide a clear, crisp image of overall supply chain asset location, movements and planned deployments or shipments.

Moving from manual entry and application to automation leads to better analyses and review of data to enhance supply chain accountability and visibility. Furthermore, leveraging Big Data and analytics through an IoT-based platform like Tapestry’s ESI solution, can help commanders achieve a 360-degree view of all military assets, regardless of time or location.

On the battlefield, this translates into fewer instances of lost, unaccounted-for equipment and lowers the risk of expensive, if not dangerous, military equipment falling into the wrong hands.

What’s Next?

Military logistics networks face an uphill battle when using outdated, manual processes to track and manage supply chain assets. Rather than leaving many supplies, assets and resources in potentially hostile territories upon withdrawal from times of war, military forces need a way to gain accurate, real-time visibility and accountability into their logistics’ networks.

ESI addresses these challenges with its sensor-agnostic IoT platform that enables various sensor technologies and networks to talk with one another. But how exactly does implementing IoT technologies via ESI lead to better asset tracking for defense organizations? How does integration of IoT technologies prevent the recurrence of the disastrous state of DoD logistics that arose during the Gulf Wars?

Stay tuned. We answer those questions in the next blog of this two-part series.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information
does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

See ESI Commercial to Learn More

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Uncategorized Tagged With: Asset Management, ESI, Internet of Things, IoT, Military Distribution, Supply Chain

Tapestry to Showcase Military Applications for its Internet of Things platform, ESI, during RFID in Aerospace & Defense Conference

December 12, 2017

As a proud sponsor of RFID in Aerospace and Defense 2017, Tapestry Solutions will demonstrate how its Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) platform can help reshape fragmented supply chains and communications gateways by leveraging the Internet of Things, or IoT, that can improve the readiness and mobility of military forces.

During the conference, held Dec. 13 in Arlington, Va., company representatives will demonstrate ESI’s powerful capabilities at the Tapestry booth. Tapestry’s Patrick Lubinski, Business Development Director, will also present a case study during a presentation, “Connecting Aerospace & Defense (A&D) Supply Chains with Integrated IoT Sensor Solutions.” He will highlight the rollout of ESI across 50 Boeing factories – saving the aerospace giant over $100 million in its first year alone.

Lubinski will discuss how ESI can transform fragmented A&D supply chain operations, significantly optimizing asset tracking, inventory management, warehouse and fulfillment operations, and workflow management.

ESI is a revolutionary integration platform that provides a centralized hub for any sensor, regardless of hardware type or brands, and it can be offered as an on-premise or cloud-hosted solution. This “sensor-agnostic” IoT solution provides enterprise visibility and a common operating picture. It integrates digital analytics, enabling commanders and logisticians to easily digest massive amounts of data to facilitate relevant, instant decision-making.

By bridging disparate sensor technologies through a standard interface, ESI solves military’s challenges by obtaining real-time, relevant data from multiple sensor sources and networks. ESI addresses communications gaps caused by massive data collection from disjointed systems, rapid changes in globally dispersed operations, and increasingly complex distribution and supply chain operations.

WHY MILITARIES NEED TO ADOPT IoT TECHNOLOGIES

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nick Cerilli)

Unlike the consumer supply chain, the military supply chain involves an unstable and unpredictable demand, moving end supply points, and ensuring equipment readiness for war. These challenges present complications such as difficult inventory and asset management, inefficient equipment maintenance and repair operations, overstocking of spare parts, and long ship times for spares that are not immediately available in the shop.

The lack of automation also presents a challenge for defense organizations. Data collection is dependent on manual entry, and there is limited processing of massive data collection through data analytics tools. This leads to a fragmented information technology structure – a major issue facing militaries today.

The military lacks a cohesive IT architecture that can support the Internet of Things, according to the CSIS eBook “Leveraging the Internet of Things for a More Efficient and Effective Military.” The authors noted that the armed services and the Department of Defense (DoD) agencies are connected to DoD networks, but these networks are developed independently and with different requirements.

“Often, multiple services are involved in an operation, or multiple agencies are involved in a process, but information has to be passed between their stovepiped systems manually, which is inefficient and allows for human error. Fragmentation across DoD’s IT architectures complicates the development and use of common security protocols and practices across DoD network,” according to CSIS.

THE ESI APPROACH TO MILITARY CHALLENGES
ESI ensures all IT systems are interoperable, enabling the military to leverage the full potential of the IoT. It ensures standardization across the enterprise, allowing asset management and tracking systems to talk to each other in the larger IoT ecosystem.

ESI automates workflow processes, and together with digital analytics, enables decision-makers to easily process the sheer volume of data, reducing data overload.

In the area of supply chain management, ESI enables logisticians to efficiently track and manage complex assets and individual supplies down to the tactical level. It allows decision-makers to see a complete picture of asset movements and inventory at any given time.

ESI collectively processes data from sensors such as RFID position-information tags; passive and active GPS-enabled WiFi tags; and embedded hardware and complex servers, both legacy and next-generation systems.

As noted by CSIS, IoT technology can significantly reduce costs in the following areas:

  • Inventory Management – Real-time supply chain visibility and predictive analytics enable the military to order parts and supplies on demand, and reduce stockpiling and loss.
  • Real-Time Fleet Management – Adopting IoT devices for real-time fleet management, including sensors for cargo, geolocation, status, fuel efficiency and weight; can reduce fuel costs by as much as 25 percent and increase fleet utilization by two percent.
  • Condition-Based Maintenance — Retrofitting vehicle fleet with onboard sensors to monitor engine performance and parts facilitates on-demand ordering of parts, which in turn, reduces unanticipated failures.
  • Base Management and Energy Efficiency – Smart thermostats have saved consumers up to 15 percent on heating and cooling. Even half those efficiency gains could save the DoD $700 million per year on energy.

Tapestry Solutions, Inc. is a global provider of information management software and services for defense, government and commercial markets. Backed by our parent company, The Boeing Company, we provide mission planning, training and simulation support to maximize readiness for our warfighters. We also help solve logistics challenges for the world’s largest and most complex supply chains. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Tapestry supports customers from more than 50 locations worldwide, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Afghanistan, Kuwait, the UK, South Korea, Australia, Germany and Italy. 

 

WATCH VIDEO TO SEE ESI IN ACTION

Filed Under: Press Releases, Recent News Tagged With: Enterprise Sensor Integration, ESI, Internet of Things, Military Logistics, military networks, Supply Chain

Moving from Hype to Reality in the Application of the Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT, for Manufacturing Operations

September 27, 2017

Tapestry Solutions has pioneered the use of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for manufacturing operations – turning hype into reality when it rolled out its Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) platform across 50 Boeing factories.

For this monumental achievement, The Internet of Things Institute, Inc. has included Tapestry’s IoT technologies in its listing of the Top 20 Industrial IoT Applications. The Top 20 list includes companies that are “not idly boasting about the promise of the IIoT to transform their business; they have already begun the transformation,” according to the Institute.  

As noted in the listing for Boeing: Using IoT to drive manufacturing efficiency:

“Aviation pioneer William Boeing quipped that it “behooves no one to dismiss any novel idea with the statement, ‘It can’t be done.’”
The multinational 
aviation company founded in Boeing’s name apparently still subscribes to that ethos … Boeing and its Tapestry Solutions subsidiary have aggressively deployed IoT technology to drive efficiency throughout factories and supply chains…”

As a sign of aggressive deployment of its IIoT application, Tapestry recently completed the initial phases of an ESI installation for a major defense contractor. The technology will provide the customer with automated asset tracking, workflow and material replenishment processes at their assembly plants throughout the United States.

About ESI

Tapestry’s ESI is an innovative integration platform that connects disparate sensor technologies through a standard ­­interface – seamlessly connecting people, data and processes through automation.  The technology addresses concerns surrounding interoperability between devices and machines that use different protocols with different architectures.

With ESI, there’s just one platform that can communicate with many different hardware and software vendors’ IoT solutions. As a result, supply chain visibility is not completely dependent on one manufacturer or sensor type. This ensures total asset visibility of equipment, tools, cargo and processes anywhere in the world.

The sensor integration solution saved Boeing over $100 million in its first year alone. It continues to generate savings year after year due to improved productivity, reduced inventory costs and increased supply chain velocity.

Unlike other IoT sensor solutions, ESI is a cloud-based platform that can be implemented across a global enterprise.  In addition to manufacturing applications, ESI supports global supply chain logistics for industries including pharmaceutical, automotive, aerospace and defense.

 

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

 

Watch video to learn more

Filed Under: Blog Posts Tagged With: ESI, IIoT, Internet of Things, IoT, manufacturing, RFID, sensors

Tapestry to Integrate its IoT Platform for Major Defense Manufacturer

May 4, 2017

Tapestry Solutions has entered into another agreement with a major defense manufacturer to integrate Tapestry’s Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) software at its assembly plants throughout the United States. The technology will provide the defense contractor with automated asset tracking, workflow and material replenishment processes using touchscreen monitors and handheld RFID readers.

The first installation is set to go live in August, with additional installations expected to follow at more than two dozen plants under a multi-phase project approach.

“We are proud to offer a package that no other vendor was able to match,” said Michael Spencer, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Tapestry Solutions. “The customer made it clear that they chose Tapestry because no other vendor demonstrated our unique understanding of the Internet of Things (IoT) hardware, software, operations and customer centric implementation.”

Unlike other sensor solutions, ESI is a sensor-agnostic IoT platform that can be scaled across the global enterprise. It is also available as a cloud-based solution for factories of all sizes and supply chain operations.

With ESI, supply chain visibility is not dependent on one manufacturer or sensor type. ESI interfaces with major RFID vendors as well as sensor solutions from providers including Oracle, SAP and IBM Maximo. This ensures total asset visibility of equipment, tools, shipments and processes anywhere in the world.

ESI is based on automated information technology that Tapestry rolled out across 50 Boeing plants. Boeing reported a savings of more than $100 million during its first year by reducing labor costs, increasing workflow efficiency, preventing asset theft, lowering rental equipment expenses and improving decision making based on the analytic data. Tapestry estimates a recurring savings for Boeing of $70 million annually.

As a result of the successful implementation at Boeing, Tapestry launched the commercially available ESI product line in November 2016.

Media Contact:
Janet Dayton
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

Filed Under: Blog Posts Tagged With: AIT, Enterprise Sensor Integration, ESI, Internet of Things, IoT, manufacturing, RFID

Tapestry Solutions Launches IoT Sensor Integration Solution; ESI Leverages Enterprise Technology Deployed at Boeing

October 25, 2016

SAN DIEGO, November 16, 2016 – Tapestry Solutions, Inc., a non-fully integrated subsidiary of Boeing [NSYE: BA], has launched its Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) software platform that will transform supply chain operations and help businesses tap the power of the Internet of Things (IoT). Tapestry’s ESI middleware solution seamlessly connects people, processes and data on factory floors, supply chains, and across the enterprise. By providing a standard infrastructure for data and analytics, ESI gives decision-makers a complete picture of their inventory and asset movements during the production process.

Wing Sets in the 747 Factory in Everett
(Photo: Jeff McNeil/Wikimedia Commons)

“ESI is a game-changer in the industry. It will modernize supply chain and manufacturing operations, and in the process, help businesses grow their bottom line,” said Robin Wright, President & CEO of Tapestry Solutions, Inc.

ESI is based on Tapestry’s field-proven technology recently deployed at 50 sites throughout The Boeing Company – the world’s largest aerospace company. At Boeing, the custom technology is known as the Automated Identification Technology – Information Management System, or AIT-IMS. In its first year alone, AIT-IMS saved Boeing approximately $100 million through decreased assembly time, automated asset receipt/payment, enhanced inventory management and improved quality and safety.

The software harnesses the power of Big Data, boosting manufacturing efficiency, productivity and profitability. It serves as the foundation for the IoT, where internet-enabled devices are connected, intelligent and interactive.

“ESI not only will give businesses a competitive advantage, it will also help accelerate industry innovation around the globe. We are proud to be Automotive industry manufacture line with different metal partspart of this IoT sensor revolution,” added Jens Pohl, Vice President of Engineering, Tapestry Solutions.

Tapestry’s commercially available ESI solution features expanded capabilities, including a cloud-based platform and integration with temperature sensors, thermostats, pressure sensors and humidity sensors.

Through data fusion, ESI integrates a myriad of sensor technologies that track, monitor and control assets and workflow processes on a common platform. It synthesizes data from sensors, software and electronics – everything from bar codes, active and passive RFID, Wi-Fi and GPS tags to scanners and ultra-wideband wireless systems can securely and seamlessly interact with one another.

pharmaceutical factory equipment mixing tank on production line in pharmacy industry manufacture factory

ESI also unlocks the massive opportunity of the future IoT, where everything is smart and interconnected – from smart cities and homes to smart factories. From a manufacturing perspective, the sensor management system is not limited to tracking assets and enhancing supply chain visibility, however. It can also be linked to a building’s infrastructure and equipment, such as managing and controlling heating, lighting and door security systems as well as machine sensors.

The enterprise-class platform has interconnected nearly every aspect of Boeing’s asset management and supply chain. As a result of its successful implementation, AIT-IMS will serve as the platform for Boeing’s IoT integration efforts. (See AIT-IMS Case Study)

Tapestry Solutions, Inc. is a global provider of information management software and services for defense, government and commercial markets. Backed by our parent company, The Boeing Company, we help solve logistics challenges for the world’s largest and most complex supply chains. We also provide mission planning, training and simulation support to maximize readiness for our warfighters. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Tapestry supports customers from more than 50 locations around the world, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Afghanistan, Kuwait, the UK, South Korea, Australia and Germany.

Media Contact:
Janet Dayton
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

Filed Under: Press Releases, Recent News Tagged With: AIT, AIT-IMS, Asset Management, Enterprise Sensor Integration, ESI, Internet of Things, IoT, manufacturing, RFID, Supply Chain

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