"The yard management solution is a tool that gives a company like Nissan real-time visibility physically," he said. "We tag the trailers permanently, and when a trailer arrives on-site, it's authenticated and authorized to come in through the gates. So they roll through without having to stop, and the system tracks the trailers wherever they are on-site, and we record all the information -- dwell time, what time did it arrive, what time did it leave, where's it at now, is it full, is it empty, and what's inside. We're also deploying our business rules engine -- a tool that allows us to automate the movement of the trailer in the yard."

By automating the check-in/checkout procedures for the hundreds of truckloads and thousands of components arriving at the assembly facility every day, the WhereNet system will save Nissan several hours per day in processing deliveries; provide higher velocity and throughput in the yard; and increase flexibility in manufacturing through better utilization of equipment, facilities and labor, according to the statement.

Latham said Nissan will use the vehicle tracking system to manage postassembly verification and test processes. The system includes a business rules engine that manages the processing of every vehicle in accordance with its assigned status so that critical orders are processed before lower-priority units, he said.

When new vehicles roll off the Nissan assembly line, each vehicle will be assigned an active RFID WhereTag transmitter that is "married" to the vehicle identification number, Latham said. The WhereTag remains on the vehicle until it has been processed and is ready to ship to its final destination.

According to Latham, the vehicle tracking system will ensure that no vehicles with known quality defects get shipped. The system also enhances quality by ensuring that no process steps are missed and that every vehicle departs in accordance with dealer/customer specifications.