Boeing subsidiary launches supply chain IoT tool

The Boeing Co. subsidiary Tapestry Solutions Inc. has launched its Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) software platform, which is designed to transform supply chain operations and help businesses tap the power of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Tapestry's ESI middleware solution connects people, processes, and data on factory floors, in supply chains, and across the enterprise. By providing a standard infrastructure for data and analytics, ESI gives decision makers a complete picture of their inventory and asset movements during the production process.

That capability allows ESI to serve as a foundation for the IoT, where internet-enabled devices are connected, intelligent, and interactive, San Diego-based Tapestry said.

"ESI is a game-changer in the industry. It will modernize supply chain and manufacturing operations, and in the process, help businesses grow their bottom line," Robin Wright, president and CEO of Tapestry Solutions, said in a release.

ESI is based on Tapestry's field-proven technology, deployed at 50 Boeing assembly plants. Aerospace giant Boeing calls the custom technology the Automated Identification Technology-Information Management System (AIT-IMS), and says it has saved the company $100 million in its first year through decreased assembly time, automated asset receipt and payment, enhanced inventory management, and improved quality and safety.

The commercial version of the platform features a cloud-based platform and integration with temperature sensors, thermostats, pressure sensors, and humidity sensors. Through data fusion, ESI integrates numerous sensor technologies that track, monitor, and control assets and workflow processes on a common platform. It combines data from sensors, software, and electronics—from bar codes, RFID, Wi-Fi, and GPS tags to scanners and ultra-wideband wireless systems.

That massive compilation of data can deliver value from the IoT, Tapestry said. For manufacturing, ESI is not limited to tracking assets and enhancing supply chain visibility, but can also be linked to a building's infrastructure and equipment, and manage heating, lighting, and door security systems as well as machine sensors.

The product marks a transition for Boeing to supplying software products as well as hardware for the supply chain industry. The industrial giant has a long history of building 747 and 767 freighters for air cargo shippers like FedEx Corp. and Amazon.com Inc.