Reno, Nevada, April 30, 2020, KTVN Channel 2 News. A Reno company is using its cloud-based technology to improve inefficiencies in the supply chain. As raw materials and goods make their way from one place to another, rfxcel Corporation uses Integrated Monitoring, or RIM, to track its delivery.
“It helps avoid counterfeits, helps to avoid out-of-stocks, and helps ensure that your ingredients and raw materials are going to be there at the plant when you need them,” Glenn Abood, Founder and CEO of rfxcel Corporation said.
The technology is similar to what people use to track online orders as they’re delivered. Each item has a serial number or lot code that gets scanned along its delivery route.
“We, today, deal with pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, wholesalers, dispensers, we also deal with food and beverage manufacturers,” Abood said.
Abood says the transportation industry is doing a good job of keeping up with demand but that there are other problems with the supply chain.
The company uses RIM to track finished goods as they go from the manufacturer to distribution centers and eventually to the market. For the past few months, the bigger focus has been on raw materials that travel from their origins to the manufacturers. He says that is even more important in a global market.
“They might know who they bought it from, directly, but where did that company get the product from?” Abood said. “Was it impacted by what’s going on in China? Was it impacted by other global shortages?”
He says the tracking helps everyone from start to finish. Manufacturers are better-equipped to handle inventory issues and they can make changes to who their suppliers are, if necessary. He says that can help prevent counterfeit products. That is something that can give consumers more confidence.
“If we go to a drug store and by the medicine that we need, that that medicine is in fact genuine,” Abood said.
rfxcel moved its headquarters to Reno in November, 2018. Part of the city’s appeal was the quality of life, proximity to the Bay Area and the University of Nevada. Since then, it has grown but Abood says that has slowed down since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The company has about 100 employees around the world, including more than a dozen in Reno. Many of those are homegrown.
“It’s always a challenge to find the right people and we’re very selective but we have found some great people in the Reno area and we’re really excited about being here,” Abood said.
The company and its employees are also adjusting to the emergency. Most of its workers are doing their jobs, remotely.
“Because we’re a cloud-based company anyway, our software, our applications, our customers use the product in the cloud and therefore, for us it’s not been too difficult to work from home,” Abood said.
