This is a great opportunity to work as a member of Vilant’s skilled software development team. You will be working in our server team to develop high end Auto-ID solutions for our customers, including Nokia, Volvo and ABB. We are always eager to try out and adopt new technologies, which means that you can make a visible impact on how things are done – provided you have the drive and capability. Interested? Read full job description here.
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Goodpack is the world’s largest provider of intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs). These are patented multi-modal, returnable metal boxes. Through a global network of subsidiaries and regional offices, Goodpack rents its 2.3 million IBCs to customers worldwide providing comprehensive services of delivery and collection, as well as, technical support. Vilant was chosen the main provider of the RFID system responsible for the system’s design and implementation. The solution consisted of RFID tags for the containers, fixed RFID gates and RFID handhelds for tracking, RFID software and backend integration. Read Case
Vilant was rated again this year as one of Finland’s Technology Fast 50 companies by Deloitte. This is the seventh time that the competition is arranged in Finland ranking the fastest-growing high-tech companies based on percentage growth in revenue over five years. Vilant grew 444% over this period and was ranked 18th. A full list of the winners on Deloitte’s pages.
In order to maintain its competitive advantage and achieve its growth targets, VR Transpoint faces a complex set of economic and operational challenges – for example, competitive freight pricing, maximizing asset utilization, as well as, controlling capital expenditure levels. Hence, better automation of its logistics processes using RFID technology was seen as an opportunity to help improve revenue growth and operational efficiency.
The RFID system needed to be accurate, resistant, reliable, and cost efficient. Vilant conducted surveys in different VR Group’s sites to identify how Vilant’s RFID solution for rail would be best implemented. Read case
Remember that BMW RFID speed test a year or so ago? That was amazing, then and set a new record for RFID reading in high speeds. We waited for a while to see if somebody else would set a new record and, finally, now we have one. It was our Vilant team in Sweden who set up for the challenge. This time, on a flying jet. Take a look at this extreme experiment: RFID @250kmph
HELSINKI, FINLAND (May 23, 2011) – VR Transpoint, the largest logistics group in Finland with operations in 9 European countries & Russia and Vilant Systems have implemented a modern logistics system, now in production use, based on second generation RFID. This is the world’s first full scale implementation in rail industry providing VR Transpoint with one of the fastest and most efficient logistics processes available.
RFID technology uses communication through the use of radio waves to exchange data between a reader and an electronic tag attached to an object, for the purpose of identification and tracking. Leading companies in other industries such as Nokia, Wal-Mart and Volvo are also using second generation RFID for improving their logistics processes through automation.
“This is a vast logistics implementation that brings major process changes in rail yards, defect management, asset inventory management, automation and more. We have now tagged all our 10 000 freight wagons with RFID tags and have in everyday usage over 300 handheld reading devices,” says development manager Ilari Niskanen at VR Transpoint.
The advantage of RFID tagging is that VR Transpoint personnel can now track wagons automatically and in distance through handheld devices. All information is automatically and instantly registered into the logistics system whereas before this involved a lot of manual work. Work instructions are also digitally delivered through the handheld devices for optimal timing. This all means real-time and error-free information flow and management of assets. In addition, RFID tags need no visual contact so they can be dirty or embedded while still functional. This is especially important in industrial asset tracking in harsh environments such as extreme weather conditions.
For VR Transpoint this is however just the start as the new logistics system gives rise for several additional beneficial applications. Vilant, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of supply chain and asset tracking RFID systems, offers a software platform that enables multiple applications utilizing RFID tags. In the rail industry, some of these applications include tracking of assets; integration with weighing of wagons; defect marking and tracking; as well as, several cargo customer services leading to a new level of services to VR Transpoint customers.
VR Group is a versatile, environmentally friendly and responsible corporate group of travel, logistics and infrastructure engineering services. VR Transpoint is Finland’s leading and most versatile transports & logistics service company. The company’s net sales in 2010 amounted to €580.6 M and its staff numbered 2600. VR Transpoint offers a wide range of high-quality and up-to-date rail, groupage, bulk goods and international transports & logistics services.
Vilant Systems is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of supply chain and asset tracking RFID systems. Since its foundation, in 2002, Vilant has been awarded with numerous growth and innovation awards and has delivered installations to 22 countries on five continents. Most of Vilant’s customers come from electronics, automotive or machinery manufacturing industry or operate in logistics. Vilant offers its customers turn-key RFID solutions that result in faster stock turnover, lower inventory level and more efficient supply chain process. Vilant’s offering includes own software, own or third party hardware supplied from a trusted partner network and services such as installation, integration, consultation and 24/7 support.
Press Contacts:
Heikki Ruuhijärvi, VR Transpoint
+358 40 862 3750
Heikki.ruuhijarvi@vrtranspoint.fi
Arlinda Sipilä, Vilant Systems
+358 50 362 3571
Arlinda.sipila@vilant.com
Due to our continuous growth we are looking for a
Product Manager, Traceability Solutions – Vilant Systems AG, Bern, Switzerland
You are responsible for the following areas within traceability solutions:
- Defining and leading the development of a new product
- Gathering of customer feature requests, comments and feedbacks, prioritizing them and formulating specifications to the product
- Business development to address various customer groups and partners throughout the world
- Developing and managing the product communication
I’ve often pondered why SCM usage of RFID technology evolved into a much different market than barcode technology, IT systems or industrial automation. It’s kind of a mixture of all three, plus the RFID factor. Here are a few pointers on how I’ve explained it to myself:
From single decoding to multi-gathering
In most barcode systems the barcode reader enables the reading of a single barcoded character string into a user interface that is usually user controlled. In other words, the barcode reader you can replace with your eyes and fingers. In RFID, many processes are based on multi-item recognition (the dock door RFID gate sitting in your DC), in which the system simultaneously performs tasks for each identified item. The single user, single item user interface paradigm has to be rethought to multi user, multi item.
Not automation, but humanomation *)
Compared to automation systems in which machines move things and decide based on clear rule sets (move conveyor, or don’t) RFID brings multi-item recognition to human controlled processes. Think of a forklift driver hurrying for his lunch break. You cannot use the simple rulesets that work for automation systems, but you need to harden the system against the human factor. This factor is quite ingenious in finding loopholes.
Not desktop software, but humanomation *)
I’ve seen IT consultants struggle with rules and user interfaces. Your Outlook email system has 100 buttons in your field of view, and is a user interface optimized desktop software. In RFID however, you are optimizing logistics processes where physical things move – your interfaces should show only the bare minimum you can grasp eg. while driving by with a forklift. This is just opposite like with the automation guys, meaning that RFID userfaces “are dehumaned”, making the machine do most of the work fast, and only bring exceptions visible for the user. Usually IT people do not build systems, that used half by men, half by machines. Again, it’s a system hardening issue, this time against machine provoked failures.
Barcode is read-only
On system level it is much more demanding to create a system that also feeds data back into the tag in certain transaction steps. Unlike for most barcode systems, an automated, fully online and backbone integrated system level is emphasized.
ROI and process integration
Barcode technologies can be quite easily applied to automate single steps of identifying objects, think grocery store point of sales. For multi user, read many applications that RFID systems are often built around, the whole operation process can be rethought and automated. Add EDI messaging for purchase orders, goods receipts and you are really changing physical processes instead of partially optimizing single steps of them.
Maybe due to these differences compared to the traditional sciences, the RFID industry in general has taken some time to develop and formulate itself.
*) derived from human automation – forgive me for inventing a new word, fill me in if an appropriate one exists
Best regards,
Antti Virkkunen, CEO and co-founder, Vilant Systems Oy
We are so happy finally being able to launch our new website with many new features and sections. We hope our new site serves you well and you find it informative and interesting. All comments and improvement suggestions are extremely welcome. You can give us your comments for example through the new online chatter which provides you direct contact to Vilant customer service. Just click the button on the upper right corner of the page and you’re ready to go!
See our new solutions section, where different RFID solutions for industrial applications have been introduced with clear and determined benefits. Also visit our case section, which includes an impressive amount of RFID use cases, with the newest addition: RFID controlled window component production at Fenestra.
Our blog will contain all the latest news and updates and it is the first place where you can read about our newest RFID cases. Our CEO and Co-founder, Antti Virkkunen, will also share his ideas about the business at Vilant and in the RFID sector in general once a month. Antti’s first blog post will be published at the beginning of November. Order the RSS feed to our blog and keep yourself up-to-date.
Happy surfing!
Using the Impinj Speedway reader, Vilant successfully reads UHF RFID tags on a car traveling at speeds greater than 200 km/h.
