Canadian Flag GENCO Canada

GENCO Adds Advanced Simulation Capabilities to its Technology Learning Center to Develop and Test Supply Chain Technologies

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - February 1, 2005 - GENCO announced today the addition of advanced simulation capability in its Technology Learning Center (TLC). This new capability allows GENCO to test the deployment of various supply chain process modifications in a simulated distribution center environment and make modifications to improve productivity in advance of actual installation. The addition of simulation technology is seen as a major advancement toward logistics process development. The center opened early in 2004 at the company's headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania primarily to assist retailers and manufacturers in the development of radio frequency identification (RFID) tools as well as other innovative supply chain technologies.

TLC is set up to simulate an actual warehouse where product can be received, put away, picked and shipped as if it were being moved through an actual warehouse operation. The "RF Noisy" environment duplicates the challenges found in production environments with respect to radio wave emissions, structural steel and other constraining factors.

The center contains all the necessary equipment to test every aspect of RFID applications, including:

  • An oval test track conveyor with variable speeds up to 600 feet per minute
  • An Allen Bradley control panel to monitor conveyor speeds.
  • A Wulftec pallet stretch wrap machine with RFID capabilitiesv
  • Clark forklifts with mobile RFID capabilities
  • RFID edgeware
    • GlobeRanger
    • Connectera
    • Sun Microsystems
    • GENCO proprietary middleware
  • RFID label printers
    • Printronixs 5000e
    • Intermec PM4i
    • Zebra R110XilllPlus
  • Readers
    • Matrix AR400
    • Intermec IP5
    • Alien ALR 9780
  • Antennae
    • Maxrad
    • Cush Craft
    • Matrics
    • Alien
  • Full portal testing frames compatible with all readers, controllers and antennae
  • Full range of RFID passive tags
  • An advanced RTLS (real-time locating systems) using ultra wide band active tags

GENCO recently appointed Cary Cameron, vice president, Strategic Technologies and Six Sigma Master Black Belt to oversee the TLC. Ms. Cameron and her staff use Six Sigma DMAIC models as the base process methodology. GENCO believes in performing this statistical data analysis to help companies verify that the equipment and tags they are selecting will perform as expected in day-to-day operations.

About GENCO Supply Chain Solutions
GENCO Supply Chain Solutions is North America's 2nd largest and a Global Top 50 third-party logistics provider and the recognized leader in reverse logistics. The company manages over 112 operations and 37 million square feet of warehouse space throughout North America for a diverse range of retail, manufacturing and government customers, including many Fortune 500 companies. The company provides initial and ongoing value through a complete range of solutions, including contract logistics, transportation logistics, parcel negotiation and audits, reverse logistics, damage research, product liquidation, pharmaceutical services, government solutions and supply chain technology solutions. For more information, visit www.genco.com.

GENCO provides supply chain solutions which produce cost savings and boost efficiency.
Request More Information CONTACT GENCO ...
for more information on improving your supply chain management.