Indiana University and Manhattan Associates Bring RFID to the Classroom
Students Gain Hands-On Experience in Latest Technology Using Simulated Supply Chain
ATLANTA - December 13, 2005 - Leading supply chain solutions provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), announces that it is participating in the latest curriculum at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business in Bloomington. The university has built a scale model of an RFID-enabled supply chain in its lab, exposing students to this new technology and its application in the real world. The program offers an opportunity for companies who will be deploying RFID in their supply chain operations and for future professionals who will soon be joining the business marketplace.
Companies are looking for employees who have experience with RFID technology, said M. A. Venkatarmanan, chairperson of the Kelley Undergraduate Program and a professor in the Operations and Decisions Technologies Department. By using actual RFID equipment in the classroom, students can understand the technology's role in helping companies track goods through the supply chain, see into inventory and eliminate out-of-stocks-ultimately increasing revenue. It's something quite different from just seeing it animated on a computer screen or reading about it in a textbook.
Indiana University is one of the first business schools to decide to build a working model of a RFID environment. Davison Schopmeyer, senior director of RFID Professional Services at Manhattan Associates, invited Venkataramanan, Ashok Soni, chairperson of the Operations and Decision Technologies Department, and Daniel Conway, a Kelley School professor, to tour Manhattan Associates' RFID Lab in Atlanta earlier this year. The professors have created an RFID lab that is used to teach RFID to the university's graduate and undergraduate classes. This lab uses miniature train sets and radio-controlled trucks, RFID tags, readers and antennae to create a scale model of how goods flow through the supply chain-from manufacturer to warehouse to retailer.
The trains and trucks carry goods with product names and equipped with tags. Antennae read the tags as the miniature carriers pass by. The students track how the tags are read, collected and presented on a computer. The school will continue to move ahead with RFID as an important part of its curriculum.
One of the biggest concerns people have is the shortage of people who have knowledge about RFID, said Eddie Capel, Manhattan Associates' senior vice president, product management. Indiana University is staying at the forefront of this technology, and it is exciting for Manhattan Associates to be able to take part. Indiana University is empowering its students to enter the market equipped with knowledge about this latest technology and its place in moving products through the supply chain.
Manhattan Associates has provided its RFID solutions to more than 60 companies in the consumer goods, life sciences, food and grocery, retail, logistics service providers and high tech and electronics industries. Manhattan Associates was recently cited by ARC Advisory Group in their Warehouse Management System Worldwide Outlook Summary as the leading supplier of RFID, based on software and services, with 31.3% market share.
About Manhattan Associates, Inc.
Manhattan Associates is a leading supply chain solutions provider. The company's demand intelligence, advanced planning, supply chain planning, supply chain execution and business process platform capabilities enable its more than 1200 customers worldwide to enhance profitability, performance and competitive advantage. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.
Contact Information: To learn more about Manhattan Associates' supply chain solutions, simply complete the information request form, and we will contact you. For North & South America, call +1 877.596.9208 or e-mail info_americas@manh.com. For global inquiries, call +44 (0)1344 318000 or e-mail info_global@manh.com.