Mobile RFID Enhances DVD Inventory Visibility at Retail
Alliance is offering a retail display solution that leverages RFID and improves inventory management and merchandising. Alliance, a RockTenn company, provides marketing solutions to retailers, which includes the development of promotional and permanent displays. Alliance has added Seeonic’s SmartWatch RFID solution to its next generation of its MAXRPM DVD promotional display offering. In the solution, a Gen 2 reader and associated antennas are embedded into the promotional display, which take inventory at set intervals during the day. These scans automatically provide inventory information that can improve re-stocks and merchandising, all while reducing labor associated with physical counts. The system is completely wireless, and does not integrate directly with the retailers IT infrastructure, which substantially lowers installation costs and removes IT impediments. Each DVD is tagged with a UPM Raflatac Gen 2 Spine tag, which is low profile.
The reader, which is battery powered and thus removes the need for an external power source, will scan for tags for a set duration, usually several seconds, at set intervals, usually 5-7 scans per day. Once the scan is complete, the data is transmitted through a cellular wide area network to a host system operated by Seeonic. The SmartWatch system allows retailers to access and import data through a web-based system. In addition to providing access to the raw data, the SmatWatch system provides analytical tools that generates information on potential-out-of-stocks, merchandising patterns, missing inventory. Seeonic has been testing a similar apparel based solution at Tomorrow’s Mother, which has been in pilot for several months.
Related Content
Retail RFID Analysis at Dillards – University of Arkansas
RFID Apparel Moving Forward with New Solution
RFID Industry Business Conditions – May 2009
Walgreens Advances Display Tracking
