Zebra Technologies Launches Rack & Container Location Solution to Improve Visibility Through Real-Time Data in Rack Fleet Management

DETROIT, Sept. 23, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zebra TechnologiesCorporation (Nasdaq:ZBRA), a global leader in products and servicesthat provide real-time visibility into organizations' assets, peopleand transactions, today at the Automotive Manufacturing Solutions (AMS)conference in Detroit, announced the release of Rack & Containermanagement solution. The solution is a manufacturing execution system(MES) designed for automotive manufacturers to efficiently track thelocation, status, condition and history of each reusable rack andcontainer within the automotive supply chain.According to the Joint Automotive Industry Forum (JAIF), the automotiveindustry spends millions of dollars addressing problems associated withlost and damaged racks and containers, which are re-used across theautomotive supply chain to critical transport parts and assemblies. In2010, JAIF found these costs associated with rack and container issuesto be so significant that the organization issued international radiofrequency identification (RFID) guidelines to help the automotivesupply chain better leverage technology to enhance containervisibility.Developed for the automotive manufacturing environment, Zebra's newlyreleased Rack & Container management solution helps to simplify thecomplexity of the automotive supply chain by leveraging not only RFID,but a combination of RFID, real time locating systems (RTLS)technologies and visibility software to give manufacturersunprecedented access to precise information on the location andcondition of the racks and containers flowing through their operations."This new offering further demonstrates the growing demand forreal-time visibility to improve efficiency and productivity in themanufacturing environment," said Jill Stelfox, vice president andgeneral manager of Location Solutions, Zebra Technologies. "Rack andcontainer management continues to be an ongoing operational challengefor businesses, especially in the automotive industry. Zebra's solutiondelivers efficient and real-time visibility to address this need."Built on Zebra's Material Flow suite, Zebra's Rack & Containermanagement solution is the only industry specific rack and containersolution available on the market today that leverages RTLS technology.The implementation of RTLS and the benefits it delivers continues togrow in the automotive and industrial manufacturing industries. Zebra'ssolution is designed to solve the core problems facing automotivemanufacturers, including: -- Inability to find exact location of rack and container fleets -- Inaccurate count of empty versus full containers -- Severe rack damage requiring costly, time-consuming maintenance and repair -- Lack of tracking receipt of new rack fleetsThe auto-identification technology behind Zebra's Rack & Containertracking solution allows for real-time location reports, mapping ofracks and configurable alerts when racks go into incorrect areas of thesupply chain trail. Reports can be created to give schedulers areal-time count of empty, useable or significantly damaged racks onsite, creating greater workforce efficiency by alleviating the need fortime consuming physical counts by plant employees. With the use ofactive or passive RFID tags, shipments can be tracked and queried toconfirm when racks were received on site, their current location andcondition, allowing accurate audits of large and in-service orders."Zebra's Rack and Container solution is very unique in its ability tooffer not just location information but motion information that allowsit to capture real time status and conditions of the racks andcontainers," said Nandini Bhattacharya, senior research analyst fromFrost & Sullivan. "Understanding the inventory count and condition ofrack and container assets in the automotive industry has always been achallenge that this solution goes a long way in solving."For more information about Zebra's RTLS solutions, please visitwww.zebra.com/lsAbout Zebra TechnologiesA global leader respected for innovation and reliability, ZebraTechnologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA) offers technologies that give avirtual voice to an organization's assets, people and transactions,enabling organizations to unlock greater business value. The company'sextensive portfolio of marking and printing technologies, includingRFID and real-time location solutions, illuminates mission-criticalinformation to help customers take smarter business actions. For moreinformation about Zebra's solutions, visit www.zebra.com.