Accenture Set To Show Supply Chain, Vertical Solutions

The radio frequency identification (RFID) technology identifies the location of items in a supply chain and performs automatic inventory updates and billing reconciliation in ERP systems as needed, said Stefan Therond, a researcher in Accenture's R and D labs. The technology itself is not new, "but the way it is used is pretty advanced," he said. "RFID can break through the limitations of bar codes."

SAP plans to integrate RFID into its products, according to Therond. The International Organization for Standardization also is developing radio-wave standards that could sharpen supply chain applications for RFID, he said.

At Sapphire, New York-based Accenture also plans to introduce xApps, a line of software tailored to the business requirements of various industries. Five xApps aimed at the chemical and energy markets are slated to be unveiled at the show, said Roger Ford, senior manager in Accenture's energy practice.

The Web Services for Chemical Distributors xApp is designed to let distributors create online portals that push content and catalogs to customers. Another xApp, Exploration and Production, enables information sharing among scientists and other users. The Relationship Management xApp, for the retail energy market, automates daily functions such as fuel ordering and pricing. Other xApps provide knowledge management and desktop support functions.

"We are taking the existing SAP portal architecture and building the xApps on top of it," Ford said.

Some of the chemical and energy xApp components could be applied to other verticals, such as consumer packaged goods, Ford said, adding that xApps for other industries are in the works. As more software is preintegrated, the cost of deploying Accenture-based solutions will decline, making the offerings more attractive to and affordable for smaller clients, he said.