Wireless: real-time part tracking and replenishment: in a fast-paced auto assembly plant,...

The more flexible manufacturing processes become, the more complex is the flow of material to the manufacturing assembly lines. No manufacturing process is more complex than automobile manufacturing and feeding the limited-space assembly lines with a consistent flow of material.

For large manufacturing operations such as Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, Mich.), managing the flow of tens of thousands of items is a major undertaking. Temporarily misplaced items can stop the manufacturing process. Delayed delivery means partially assembled or unfinished products. The result