Tobyhanna Army Depot Gives SYS-TEC "Exceptional" Ratings Across the Board

Petersburg, MI - (BusinessWire) - Jan 31, 2005   SYS-TEC Corporation is pleased to announce that its performance as prime contractor for the Tobyhanna AIT (Automatic Identification Technology) Pilot Program received the highest possible ratings. The purchase order was awarded under a Department of the Army contract to SYS-TEC for project management and installation of the WhereNet Corp. Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) at the Tobyhanna Army Depot.

Project description
The Depot, a major element of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, is a full-service repair, overhaul and fabrication facility. Some of the items it refurbishes are vital links in the U.S. war on terror, like radar antenna systems. These systems, comprising approximately 20,000 parts apiece, are disassembled, repaired and tested at the Depot before being returned to the field: a 12-15 month process. Keeping track of 20,000 parts as they move through the shop is doubly important since all 20,000 must end up in the right place at the right time for final assembly.

Automatic Identification Technology was the obvious answer, and the application chosen was the WhereNet Real-Time Locator System (RTLS), which can provide instantaneous location and tracking throughout the supply chain for total asset visibility.

Why SYS-TEC?
Senior VP, Mike Ringlein, believes there were several factors that caused the Department of the Army to issue the installation and project management contract to SYS-TEC:

Proven experience in the government sector
SYS-TEC has been a successful systems integrator in every branch of the military. a complex legacy systems interface for the Air Force, its own Collateral Equipment/Material Management System for the U.S. Navy, and all technical engineering services on a warehouse management system (WMS) for the U.S. Navy. SYS-TEC is also highly experienced on the commercial side, having worked with many leading enterprise systems as well as implementing a Wal-Mart-compliant RFID project.

A Full-service solution
In addition to its technical expertise, SYS-TEC has demonstrated its ability as a project manager, bringing to the table the required mix of hardware, applications and services. SYS-TEC took responsibility for issues ranging from infrastructure to interface with DoD personnel.

Business planning
SYS-TEC was charged with responsibility to "develop a business blueprint to collect and integrate work center data to optimize implementation of the Pilot Program." SYS-TEC worked with WhereNet to configure the system, then the tagging began. WhereNet's active tags known as WhereTagsT were attached to critical parts. The tags are literally beacons that broadcast their position at prescribed intervals and can be triggered to emit a specific signal when entering or leaving a work area. This information is automatically recorded to enable depot personnel to locate any tagged item at any stage of the refurbishing process.

Results to date
According to the official review by the Program Manager, Ronald Rains, Sr., AIT Coordinator at the Depot, SYS-TEC:

Anticipated benefits include

Planning for the future
SYS-TEC and Tobyhanna have ongoing efforts to implement SAP-certified dcLINK® from Data Systems International as the pilot rolls out to additional plant sectors, dcLINK will enable Tobyhanna to leverage its RTLS tracking data by integrating it into an enterprise system. SYS-TEC is certified by DSI to implement dcLINK.

In summary, the Depot can expect to see reduced cost for labor and inventory, improved quality control, greater insight for future planning. And most importantly, minimum turnaround time for mission-critical assets.

About SYS-TEC
SYS-TEC serves the automated data collection, bar coding, labeling and hardware needs of government and commercial organizations in supply chain management. For more information, please contact Mike Ringlein at +1.734.854.3000 Ext 215 or MRinglein@SYS-TEC.com or visit www.SYS-TEC.com.

dcLINK® is a registered trademark of Data Systems International (DSI). WhereTags™ and WherePorts™ are trademarks of WhereNet Corporation.