The NLINK® RFID Solution for SAP® is a fully integrated product, created through a partnership between Junot Systems and Loftware, to address the pressing need for seamless real-time integration between RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) devices and SAP.

RFID technology is revolutionizing the tracking and supply-chain management of consumer goods, parts, and raw materials. The touted benefits of real-time inventory tracking and true Just in Time (JIT) inventories are currently balanced against not only the obvious hurdles associated with the adoption a new technology, but also the challenges of consumer privacy concerns, huge data volumes, lack of established standards, and software integration. Those manufacturers and suppliers that take managed steps forward now will avoid the extra costs associated with last-minute adoption forced by RFID-enabled partners, and will be able to cultivate the benefits of RFID into their organizations sooner and on their own terms.

BACKGROUND
The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP solves the problem of how to exchange information between SAP and RFID devices. Synchronization of these systems has been important for some time but previous approaches have had, and continue to have, many drawbacks:

• They had to be implemented via custom coding.

• They may or may not have supported the full range of AIDC technologies (RFID, barcodes, CMBs, etc.) that you need.

• They were implemented as simplistic point-to-point interfaces.

• Advanced, proven data management tools such as data filtering, event triggering and performance analysis were not provided.

• They were expensive to migrate when upgraded to support new releases of SAP.

• They were not built on SAP certified technology.

• They were not reliable, scalable, flexible or manageable.

These drawbacks have meant that integration between RFID devices and SAP was either not attempted at all or implemented and maintained at an unacceptably high cost.

Now more than ever, companies need to know in real-time exactly what is happening in their supply chains so that they can minimize the impact of outages and exceptions and plan accordingly. The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP allows them to do this quickly, easily, more comprehensively and more cost-effectively than was previously possible.

KEY BENEFITS
The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP provides significant advantages over alternative approaches:

• Fast to Implement, Easy to Change - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP requires no custom coding to integrate RFID data with SAP. The solution is customized to meet the particular needs of the deployment via a Graphical User Interface and all configuration is simplified and accelerated through the use of Wizards.

• Broad Device Support - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP supports all AIDC technologies, including RFID, barcodes, CMBs (contact memory buttons) and more.

• Field Proven - The core technology has been awarded several patents and is a mature, field-proven integration product deployed throughout the world since 1998. It is a reliable, scalable, flexible and manageable enterprise class addition to any IT infrastructure.

• No Risk - We do not just simply provide technology, we also provide our customers direct access to RFID and SAP R/3 functional experts to help collect, refine and validate project requirements. When necessary, these functional experts make use of Junot’s in-house SAP R/3 systems to provide whatever consulting support that may be needed.

• Future Proof - With a current maintenance contract, the installed RFID to SAP integration solution can be easily upgraded to take advantage of new product features and to keep the installed solution compatible with new SAP releases or upgrades.

• SAP Certified - NLINK is SAP Certified for Advanced Data Collection (CA-ADC) and Application Link Enabling Interface (CA-ALE). Additionally, NLINK has been awarded both the Certified for SAP NetWeaver™ and the Powered by SAP NetWeaver designations.




• Reliable - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP provides built-in critical transactional support not seen in other approaches, including:

• Store and Forward - If the SAP system becomes unavailable, the NLINK RFID Solution for SAP stores messages locally and then automatically submits them once, and only once, in the correct order to the SAP system when connectivity is re-established.

• Automatic Failover - If the NLINK RFID Solution for SAP computer becomes unavailable, or has failed due to hardware or operating system software problems, an optional backup system can be configured to handle its workload until the failed system is brought back online.

• Scalable - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP provides unparalleled performance and scalability through a number of features, including:

• Replication - Use of replication to reduce unnecessary round-trip requests to the back end SAP system, improving overall system response time, reducing network traffic and system load.

• Validation - All RFID transactions support centralized validation prior to posting to the SAP system. Many potential errors can be caught prior to posting, reducing the load on the back end ERP.

• Multi-Threading - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP is fully multi-threaded. It is able to efficiently handle many requests from many RFID devices simultaneous and process them concurrently.

• Memory Resident - NLINK’s patented technology uses an extremely powerful and flexible memory-resident database to allow efficient and timely data processing.

• Flexible - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP offers complete flexibility straight out of the box:

• Expandable - Unlike other approaches, the NLINK RFID Solution for SAP is a full Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) product. It can be expanded to include connections to legacy systems, best of breed applications, the Internet, and more.

• Business Rules - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP provides more than just message delivery. It allows the user to build business logic into any transaction. Business logic is easily configured and changed for evolving business requirements, all without programming.

• Data Management - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP provides advanced, proven data management tools such as data filtering, event triggering and performance analysis.

• Data Combination - The NLINK RFID Solution for SAP lets you easily combine and manipulate data from multiple sources and supports long running transactions.

• Scheduler - In addition to processing transactions in an event-driven manner, transactions can also be batched or scheduled to be posted to SAP periodically.

CoNNectors, eXtenders, the NLINK Server and NLINK Modules are components of a total environment for delivering process integration within and between companies. The NLINK product suite has been independently certified on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista as a pre-requisite for continued inclusion in the Microsoft Certified Partner Program. As you would expect, NLINK operates equally well on Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION
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