Ford boosts supply chain visibility

Ford's new supply chain platform will track vehicles via RFID functionality

Ford is to implement a system to integrate the management of finished vehicle supply chain activity across its UK transport operations.

The car manufacturer expects that the platform, delivered via a software-as-a-service model, will cover vehicle flow from its plants and worldwide sources to the UK dealer network.

It is expected that the system – which incorporates radio-frequency identification (RFID) and bespoke functionality developed to track vehicles through their entire lifecycle – will reduce dwell time and costs.

The implementation of the system seeks to tackle the lack of visibility experienced by automotive manufacturers and dealerships with parts of the vehicle supply chain.

With the new system, Ford hopes to be able to capture supply chain events in real-time and monitor vehicle transportation across all carriers, during storage and through to final delivery. Increased visibility will enable the firm to quickly react to events and alter car movements accordingly.

Sovereign Business Integration is providing the system.