Asset management for returnable containers continues to be an area where RFID can add value by increasing visibility. In many cases, returnables, which often require meaningful capital spending, are lost in the supply chain. In this guest article, Chris Hanebeck discusses that RFID is in a position to provide meaningful improvements in visibility and thus improve efficiency while [...]
At the halfway point of the fourth quarter, we continue to view the broader automated identification and collection market as showing signs of increasing stability. However, the recovery is slow and very uneven depending on the market and the product. Pipelines remain difficult to predict. Overall, projects related to cost reduction and inventory management remain [...]
The November 2009 edition of the RFID Monthly newsletter is now available. In this edition we discuss RFID adoption in perishable foods, some new data that suggests a worsening of retail shrink and how item level tagging might help, a new phase of using RFID in blood tracking and the meaningful growth from Coke Freestyle.
Key Content [...]
The Blood Center of Wisconsin, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin and SysLogic Corporation, have received a $1.4M grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund the Phase II Prototype for using RFID in the blood supply chain. Phase I was funded with a $100,000 grant from NIH that evaluated the technical [...]
We have learned that the Freestyle equipment has seen deployment of about 100 test units. Based on the tests, some modest modifications are being made. We expect pilot production, which will ensure a level of manufacturing repeatability, will be conducted in a 3-4 month pilot program beginning early next year. The pilot program will likely [...]
Last month, we highlighted item level source tagging as a key opportunity for RFID to add value in several ways, including the reduction of annual shrink. Our initial analysis from the 2008 Global Retail Theft Barometer report, which we profiled in the January 2009 edition of RFID Monthly, suggested a very large problem, which companies [...]
Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri vetoed a piece of potential legislation (S 0211) restricting RFID in two ways. First, the bill would restrict any municipality from tracking the identity or movement of a student on school grounds, or while being transported to or from school grounds. Second, the bill specifically stated that the personal information [...]
Intelleflex announced it has received $8M in new funding from New Venture Partners as well as Arcapita Ventures, Morgenthaler Ventures and The Woodside Fund. As part of the transaction, Ketan Patel of New Venture Partners will be joining the Intellflex board. In addition, Intelleflex reached a deal with Maxim Integrated Products to secure the transfer [...]
According to several widespread reports, Apple is considering equipping its next iPhone with NFC capability. According to these reports, the primary application is to enable devices to identify one another and establish a basis for device-to-device communication. In the September edition of RFID Monthly, we highlighted the ability to use NFC for multiple embedded applications [...]
GS1 announced the Foodservice GS1 US Standards initiative, which is designed to bring data synchronization to the food service supply chain. We view this initiative as similar to the Produce Traceability Initiative, and while not specifically intended for RFID, will act as an enabler for more effectively using either RFID or 2D bar codes. In [...]