RFID Revisited By Retail

By Brian Albright, Integrated Solutions magazine

In 2003, when Wal-Mart first announced it would mandate the use of RFID tags throughout its supply chain, many in the retail industry promoted a vision for RFID that would have the tags track merchandise at the item level from the point of manufacture to the checkout counter. Seven years later, many retailers and consumer goods manufacturers have scaled back their RFID compliance programs. Ironically, though, the number of RFID pilot programs and deployments has been growing within certain retail segments (particularly apparel). However, this time the focus is on macro-level supply chain visibility — tracking goods or even returnable transport containers, often in closed-loop systems. This increase in activity has been driven in part by the availability of more reliable tags and readers at lower price points, as well as more advanced software solutions and a movement toward standards-based RFID integration platforms like Microsoft BizTalk RFID.

Used with permission from Integrated Solutions magazine.