Checkpoint RFID EAS Improves Metro Retail Loss

Checkpoint Systems collaborates with Metro Group to deliver an EAS solution built on RFID technology. The RFID-based Electronic Article Surveillance system will comply with GS1 EPCglobal EAS Overview and Technical Implementation Guide. ...

... "METRO Group is working with Checkpoint to deliver standards-compliant, RFID-based EAS to both mitigate loss and optimize our merchandise management, said Dr. Gerd Wolfram, Head of CIO-Office, METRO AG. This effort is in line with our stated RFID strategy to use tags for multiple purposes along the supply chain. We are pleased to continue our partnership with Checkpoint and we are convinced that the GS1 enhanced standards-based solutions are bringing benefits for retailers and suppliers. " ...

Via Checkpoint Systems: Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) Built on RFID

Checkpoint RFID Strategy Gaining Traction

Checkpoint discusses quarterly results and sees the Oatsystems integration proceeding as planned. ...

... "Our Evolve RF and RFID-enabled product line continues to be well received by our customers and is gaining traction in the marketplace. The addition of OATSystems puts key aspects of Checkpoint's developing strategy for RFID EAS in place as the combination of Checkpoint and OATSystems uniquely positions us as a one-stop-shop for solutions that enable retailers and their supply chains to gain deeper inventory visibility, further reducing shrink and increasing bottom-line profits by enhancing on-shelf merchandise availability for consumers. " ...

Via Checkpoint Systems: Integration of OATSystems progressing as planned

Oatsystems RFID Company Acquisition

Checkpoint Systems makes all cash offer to acquire OATSystems. The acquisition should be completed quickly. Product line synergies are expected. ...

... "Checkpoint and OATSystems offer complementary merchandise protection and inventory management applications that together strengthen their combined presence in the retail market. For retail customers, OATSystems solutions help turn large quantities of data from RFID hardware into meaningful and actionable information. These solutions enable retailers to enhance operational efficiency by obtaining accurate perpetual inventory levels, ensuring onshelf availability of merchandise that is seamlessly integrated within the framework of existing loss prevention strategies and practices.

Senior management of OATSystems, including Michael George, President and Chief Executive Officer of OATSystems, will continue to operate the business as a division of Checkpoint. The Company will continue to use and develop the OATSystems brand and software platform to serve retail, consumer products and industrial customers. " ...

Via OatSystems: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS TO ACQUIRE OATSYSTEMS

Checkpoint RFID Powers Metro Markets

Metro will use Checkpoint Systems RFID technology in the next phase of its rollout. ...

... "Checkpoint will equip another 200 Real hypermarkets across Germany with its RFID portals. " ...

Via RF Design: METRO Group RFID

RFID Research Invests in Item Level Validations

Checkpoint will fund RFID Research Center's laboratory through investment and equipment donation. The research will support proof-of-concept, pilots, and use case validations in areas, such as item-level tracking. The RFID Center sponsors range from RFID technology providers to end user companies, such as WalMart, FedEx, Microsoft, and Tyson Foods. ...

... "The RFID Research Center is part of the Information Technology Research Institute in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University. The Center, which opened in 2005, is a vendor-neutral, third-party testing and research facility focused on the use of RFID and other wireless and sensor technologies in the supply chain. Checkpoint has supplied RFID, electronic article surveillance (EAS) and source-tagging technology and services to some of the world's largest retailers, and will be able to leverage that experience to share its insight and expertise in the area of item-level tracking and shrink management with the RFID Research Center. " ...

Checkpoint Joins University of Arkansas RFID Research Center

Metro Supplier RFID Tag Pilot

METRO Group's Tag It Easy! pilot uses Checkpoint RFID labels to manage the inbound supply-side of its supply chain in Asia to Germany. ...

... "The METRO Group expects that the RFID pilot will optimize efficiency and transparency in the international flow of goods. Access to more-accurate, real-time shipment data will help the retailer improve control over its international supply chain, resulting in lower warehousing costs and reduced out-of-stock situations.

METRO Group has standardized on UHF EPC Gen 2 tags for compliance to all regional requirements: 917 - 922 MHz for China; 920 - 925 MHz for Hong Kong; and 865.6 - 867.6 MHz for Europe. The RFID tags on the labels provided by Checkpoint will store the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC), which will be read at several points along the supply chain from Hong Kong to Unna, Germany. The METRO Group will receive an electronic delivery note in advance of the shipment, detailing the container content. The supplier also benefits, by gaining detailed proof of package delivery. The pilot will run for three months, and the METRO Group expects to extend the project to include several other Asian suppliers at a future date if the concept proves to be feasible. " ...

METRO Group and Checkpoint Systems Partner to Help Suppliers Tag it Easy

Library RFID Cost Data

Anecdotal data on RFID cost in library application. ...

... "The price for the RFID system, purchased from New Jersey-based Checkpoint Systems, was $643,000, of which the library initially paid $143,000 in 2004 and funded the rest through a loan at about $111,400 per year, according to an October 18 2005 staff report by Budget Manager Beverli Marshall. " ...

Via Berkeley Daily Planet: RFID Costs For Library

Retail RFID Implementation: European Shoes

Checkpoint Systems enters into a strategic agreement with RENO, European shoe retailer. The agreement will enable an RFID source-tagging program and implementation at 700 retail locations across six countries with NDRF-based (New Digital Radio Frequency) RFID tagging system. The implementation will be completed in May. The RFID system will support reduction of shrinkage and improvement of the customer experience. ...

... "Switching from EM to NDRF technology, RENO wants to further optimise both its market presence and its operational processes. To be successful in the shoe retail trade the goods have to be presented in the right way. As well as displaying shoes in pairs and in boxes, an open shop construction is also particularly important, says Konigs. With NDRF, the current aisle widths in the branches could be increased from 90 cm to 1.80 m and a more customer friendly entrance introduced. Further improvements in the business process include simpler deactivation of the tagged goods at the point of sale. The cashier transaction is sped up while it guarantees that no customer will leave the store with a tag that accidentally remains activated, thereby triggering a false alarm. RENO's decision for radio-frequency source tagging is a further step towards a uniform standard in security technology, not only in Germany, says Ulrich Schafer, Vice-President and General Manager NCE Unit, of Checkpoint Systems. For retailers, radio-frequency source tagging is the best option for reducing the costs of shrinkage. At the same time they are able to create a customer-friendly shopping atmosphere, which will help to boost sales. " ...

Via Checkpoint Systems: RENO Partners with Checkpoint Systems for Its Source Tagging Programme

Checkpoint RFID Metro Pilot Implementation Solves Technical Challenges

Checkpoint Systems is involved in pilot of UHF RFID technology at METRO Group's Distribution Centres near Hamm, Germany, under supervision of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) task group 34 (TG34). The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) plays a major role in the global standardization of Information and Communication Technologies. This pilot has been created to improve the read performance of RFID tags in a high-density UHF reading environment and validate the performance of portal dock door solutions. The successful pilot solves UHF RFID challenges and supports Metro's plan to implement RFID more broadly in 2007. The Metro RFID implementation is aimed at enhancing customer service and increasing the efficiency of its supply chain. METRO Group is an international retailing company with 2005 sales of EUR55.7 billion. The company has a headcount of about 250,000 employees and operates more than 2,200 outlets in 30 countries. ...

... "Utilizing equipment from numerous RFID suppliers in Europe and North America, Checkpoint served as a hardware integrator for the trials. In this capacity, Checkpoint helped with the design work for the hardware solution and procurement, configuration and installation of the 36 RFID-enabled dock door portals which were used to validate successful simultaneous operation of multiple dock doors using a 4-channel synchronized approach under the ETSI 302 208 standard. Pallets containing 62 individually tagged cases largely containing RFID unfriendly materials (such as cans, liquids and metal lined items) were simultaneously transported at warehouse speeds through 36 adjacent loading dock doors. Some 4.5 million individual reads were recorded over the course of the trials. Complying with the ETSI listen before talk (LBT) requirements, the tests achieved a 98.5%+ read rate simultaneously from multiple pallets as they were wheeled through the dock doors. " ...

Via Checkpoint Systems: Checkpoint Systems Partners with Metro Group to Successfully Deploy UHF RFID Dock Door Solution: 98.5%+ Read Rate Represents Milestone in European RFID Deployment ...