KnarrTek Supply-Chain Materials Tracking and Traceability Technology

KnarrTek's supply chain materials tracking and traceability solutions consist of two major components, BellHawk and MilramX.

BellHawk is a software platform for rapidly implementing systems to capture materials tracking and traceability data, as well as printing GS1 compliant barcode labels on demand.

BellHawk can be run on a central Windows Server computer or, for higher reliability, on a Windows IIOT (Industrial Internet Of Things) based industrial computer located in each plant or warehouse.

Within manufacturing plants and warehouses, materials tracking data is typically captured using PCs or other such device, equipped with external scanners, or mobile computers with integral barcode or RFID scanners. These devices use a web-browser interface, communicating securely with BellHawk over a local area network, wireless network, or over the Internet if the BellHawk server is located at a remote data center.

Through the use of IIOT computers, located at each site, BellHawk can print out barcode labels on demand on a wide variety of barcode label printers, including wireless mobile computers. It can also automatically capture materials tracking and traceability data from RFID "portals" and weighing scales as well as from process control lines and test stands.  The software in these IIOT devices securely communicate with BellHawk through its web-services interface, thus enabling local barcode label printing, RFID tag encoding, and process equipment data capture with BellHawk located in the Cloud at a remote data center.

At remote sites, such as construction and field maintenance sites, where there is mobile phone connectivity, then materials tracking and traceability data capture can be performed over a mobile phone data network using a mobile phone with a barcode scanning (SLED) attachment or a mobile computer, equipped with a SIM card and an integral barcode and/or RFID scanner.

For those outdoor situations where there is unreliable mobile-phone service or the use of wireless or Internet communications is precluded for security reasons, then a special Store and Forward (BSAF) version of BellHawk can be run on a ruggedized Windows IOT based Enterprise laptop or tablet, equipped with integral or external barcode scanner. Here, the data captured is stored in a local database on the device, until communications can be established with the MilramX server and the data uploaded.

MilramX is an intelligent information exchange platform, which typically runs on a multi-threaded Windows Server computer. It uses the paradigm of multiple intelligent agent data transfer objects (DTOs) which execute in parallel to monitor and analyze data from multiple sources, such as databases and other systems, in near real-time. Then, based on the results of the analysis MilramX send updates to other systems, databases, or to people, in the form of text or Email message alerts.

MilramX also includes a materials tracking , traceability, and operations management database, known as KnarrOps. As data is retrieved from a variety of sources, including BellHawk, information is placed in the KnarrOps database, from which it can be retrieved and sent to other systems. This includes capturing supply chain tracking & traceability data from upstream trading partners, as well as all the BellHawk systems monitored by MilramX, so that DTOs can automatically send materials tracking and traceability data for each shipment to many trading partners.

Contents of the the KnarrOps database can be viewed using a secure website, which is part of MilramX, as well as being used by third party business intelligence systems. This website can give users at many different geographic locations a global view of the status of inventory, assets, and work-in-process at multiple locations. This website can also be used to provide selected materials status information for upstream and  downstream trading partners.

KnarrOps also acts as the repository with which BSAF based mobile devices exchange data when they are able to communicate with the MilramX server over the Internet, wireless network, or local area network. This enables a BSAF device to operate independently, in the field, and sync up with MilramX, when communications is available. When needed, this can be restricted to only being done over the local area network inside a secure facility, for high security applications.

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