Timely Solution Offers Serial Traceability And More

ERP leader and Fujitsu subsidiary Glovia International has successfully gained approval from Honda of America for its Manufacturing's Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and automotive shipping requirements, thus making it only the third ERP provider in North America to earn this distinction. This recognition means that Glovia's enhanced automotive shipping functionality has satisfied Honda's strict EDI and barcode label implementation requirements.

Honda is considered one of the toughest automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), especially when it comes to shipping and packaging because their suppliers have to identify and label products correctly, pack them in specific, labeled containers and ship them right on time — or be subject to harsh penalties.

That's why Honda's EDI and barcode testing is a multi-phase software development and approval process that includes onsite testing with Honda personnel, thereby guaranteeing that suppliers comply with Honda's stringent communications and data-integration standards.

Automotive Suppliers Under Intensive Pressures
OEMs face tremendous pressure from mounting global competition, complex supply chains, surging costs and customer demands and recent economic downturns. By extension, OEM suppliers must grapple with reduced costs and increased response times. Consequently, they have to deploy Lean Manufacturing and Just-in-Time strategies, tighten delivery schedules, provide near-perfect shipments and slash costs every year just to keep up with the industry's pace.

Glovia understands these challenges well, having collaborated for many years with automotive suppliers to develop capabilities that support an evolving industry. Glovia customers have leveraged the company's extended ERP solution, glovia.com, to achieve significant operational advantages, especially reduced product and delivery lead times, as well as greater profitability.

Step Up to the Bar Code
Through a partnership with Bar Code Solutions of Troy, Mich., Glovia is marrying Bar Code Solutions' Visual-Automated Release Management System (Visual-ARMS) with glovia.com. The new solution automatically generates Advanced Shipment Notices from the original ship schedule and prints all barcode labels, as well as associated shipping documents needed to fulfill Honda requirements.

The Visual-ARMS solution — a complete, end-to-end application — also notifies suppliers when inbound shipping requirement change and helps diminish errors by validating orders to part numbers, supplier identifications, engineering levels and shipping destinations.

"By successfully completing the Honda approval process we have proven that our integrated glovia.com Visual-ARMS solution has the capability to streamline management of EDI communications between our automotive customers and their trading partners in the automotive industry," said Glovia President and CEO Yuji Nakasu.

"The Honda approval illustrates Glovia's commitment to provide superior software functionality, integration, flexibility, and customer support for a true end-to-end enterprise solution for automotive suppliers."

New Rules of The Road
Glovia's integrated ERP and automotive shipping solution conveniently coincides with Honda's recent announcement that as of this summer, it will demand an even more specific lot and serial tracking not only for products but also for all related components. Because of the critical nature of serial traceability to liability and recall issues, other OEMs are sure to follow suit. Suppliers will then have to rise to the challenge or be left by the wayside.

"The fully integrated glovia.com Visual-ARMS solution also includes lot and serial control, with traceability, from the container itself, to finished products in the container, to the major subcomponents in those products," said Young Kim, Product Line Manager, Glovia International.

"The detailed information generated by the solution can then be used to improve quality and provide accountability for warranty recalls. This puts our solution in a very favorable position as Honda is incorporating a new initiative for approval this year that includes the lot and serial control and traceability functionality."