Honda Italia Industriale teams with IBM to jump-start a significant business transformation project by adopting RFID technology for its production processes

Case Study QuickView

Selling motorcycles, scooters and off-road bikes, Honda Italia Industriale
S.p.A. (Honda Italia) is the world leader for powered two-wheel (PTW)
vehicles. In 2006, Honda Motor Company’s Italian subsidiary sold more
than 12.7 million PTW vehicles, earning 785 million.

Overview
Honda Italia Industriale S.p.A.
Atessa, Italy
www.hondaitalia.com

Challenge
To achieve greater efficiency and accuracy in its production lines, Honda Italia wanted to integrate a radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking solution into its Atessa, Italy, production plant. The PTW manufacturer wanted to quickly implement best-of-breed RFID technology, so it sought to engage knowledgeable RFID experts.

Solution
Honda Italia turned to trusted advisor IBM to provide leadership for the RFID initiative. IBM Global Business Services and Global Technology Services supported the client in the design and development of the RFID project, which will enable the manufacturer to identify and track each vehicle along the production chain in real time. Additionally, the RFID tags will allow the client to track critical vehicle components, such as engines.

The IBM group collaborated with Honda Italia engineers to design new processes and to identify the best RFID solutions. The IBM team will integrate the selected technology with the client's existing IT systems through an open-standards-based application built on the IBM WebSphere Application Server - Network Deployment, Version 6 platform.

The first phase of the project transformed the client's motorcycle assembly line, enabling Honda Italia to use RFID tags to monitor the traceability of critical components, manage work-in-progress and replenish inventory. Next, the client will apply the RFID technology to its scooter production line.

Benefits
• Facilitates a significant business transformation that provides
real value to Honda Italia
• Improves inventory supply and quality control
• Increases the efficiency of assembly line and configuration
management
processes.

“Implementing RFID technology
is a fundamental step
in our ‘Outstanding Quality’
production strategy. Thanks
to IBM Global Business
Services and the IBM Web-
Sphere platform, we have a
superior foundation on which
to build our RFID solution.”
—Nicola Marrone , Project Executive,
Honda Italia Industriale S.p.A.