Accenture Shows Radio Technology at Sapphire

SAP Accenture

Stefan Therond, a researcher in Accenture's research and development labs, said the radio frequency identification technology, or RFID, can identify where items are in a supply chain, kicking off automatic inventory updates and billing reconciliation in ERP systems as needed.

The technology itself is not new, "but the way it is used is pretty advanced," said Therond. "RFID can break through the limitations of bar codes."

SAP is looking at ways to integrate RFID into its products, Therond said. What's more, the International Organization for Standardization is working on developing radio-wave standards that could help RFID's application for supply chain management become more prevalent, he said.

At least one client, Sydney's Star City Casino, is using the RFID technology to track 80,000 employee uniforms from the laundry chute to the cleaners to the worker who needs the garment at the beginning of a shift. Star City is saving money by replacing fewer uniforms, about 7 percent annually instead of 20 percent.

Also on display at Sapphire are Accenture's xApps, sets of prepackaged, preintegrated software geared toward the business requirements of different industries.

This batch of five xApps is aimed at companies in the chemical and energy arenas, said Roger Ford, a senior manager in Accenture's energy practice.

The Web Services for Chemical Distributors xApp lets distributors create online portals that push content and catalogs down to customers. Another xApp, Exploration and Production, allows information sharing among scientists and other collaborators. The Relationship Management xApp, for the retail energy market, automates daily functions like fuel ordering and pricing.

XApps for knowledge management and desktop support are also available.

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

Some of the components of the chemical and energy xApps, he added, could be applicable to the business needs of other industries, such as consumer packaged goods. Other xApps for other lines of business are in the works, Ford said.

As more software is preintegrated, the cost of deploying an Accenture-based solution will come down, Ford said, which could make Accenture's offerings attractive and affordable for smaller clients.