RFID Web Seminar: Zebra Technologies Web Seminar Notes
RFID Deployments: Slap and Ship to Total Deployment Strategies to Achieve Compliance and Measureable Operating Improvements
Zebra Technologies Web Seminar, May 10, 2004
On Monday, May 10, 2004, Chris Hook, of Zebra Technologies, and Matt Reim hosted their second web seminar on RFID Technology, titled "RFID Deployments: Slap and Ship to Total Deployment, Strategies to Achieve Compliance and Measureable Operating Improvements"
Agenda is Components, RFID and Bar Code Comparisons, Measuring Improvements, fast-track with smart labels... Focus is on passive RFID tags and systems. Smarts labels have RFID tags embedded in the printed label. Simultaneous identification is when we obtain information from many tags all at same time.
RFID Tags and antennae go into RFID inlays which are then embedded into RFID labels. RFID Components include printers, RFID readers, and hand-held RFID readers. AIDC system VARs provide the RFID subsystems, which are then combined with middleware, which in turn integrated with enterprise business systems.
Barcodes are now ubiquitous. While RFID can replace role of barcodes, it is envisioned that RFID technology will have a much greater impact on business processes, especially the data capture touch points throughout the extended supply chain. The key is identifying the RFID-enabled data capture touch points. There is significant operating expenses associated with these touch points. Whever touching is prevalent, RFID technology can provide value. (Walmart benchmark: each barcode scan costs 5 cents)... Eliminate touches, increase cycle time, save money, increase velocity.
Bar codes and RFID can co-exist in a hybrid environment. Used Sanacorp, Germany as benchmark... Barcodes used on products, bins, and picking tote boxes. Errors still existed in the barcoding as-is state. Sanacorp assessed their barcoding current state. RFID tags were deployed to tote boxes and RFID readers provided routing. RFID technology drove error rates below 0.01%. Performance increased to allow one hour order turn-around in fifteen regional distribution centers. A hybrid solution encompassing RFID and barcoding can work well.
RFID can have a role in supply chain process management in measurement - event management, etc. Up to 30% lower inventory, 8% better on-shelf availability, 10% higher sales. Monitor, Measure, Control, Notify, and Modify are key steps in the lifecycle of RFID technology implementation. It is critical to move beyond the first three steps to achieve high returns on investment, ROI.
Slap and Ship RFID Compliance is minimum work required to meet RFID compliance requirements. Slap and Ship RFID techniques can be supported by optimizing the RFID system performance. What is in the box matters... Absorption and reflectance of the radio frequency waves must be considered and the reading performance must be understood. Pick the technology that will provide the broadest range of performance across your products. Make RFID tags pay for themselves before they leave you facility. Slap and Ship techniques, by themselves, add cost to material handling. Moving further down the RFID lifecycle will position your company to derive value of RFID before your product leaves your end of the supply chain. Drive your RFID implementation. Don't be driven.
Smart Labels are the best way to meet RFID compliance labeling requirements. A hybrid of RFID and barcoding is necessary during the technology transition period, before RFID becomes ubiquitous, like barcoding. Visual identification of printed labels will always be necessary. Airline bag tags have been in trials for a hybrid label with barcoding and RFID.
Zebra role is printing and encoding. Zebra printers will print the label on the RFID inlayed label, encode and validate the RFID data into the RFID tag. Validation and verification is critical step. In an EPC scenario, the EPC number is programmed into the RFID tag and is also printed in human readable and barcode formats on the smart label. Consistency in the data among these forms of data is essential.
RFID applications are surging in warehousing, express parcel handling, returnable container tracking, airline baggage tracking, libraries, video rental, event ticketing (counterfeiting), sensitive document tracking, mass transit ticketing. These are existing standards and recommendation for RFID application: ISO, EAN, UCC, DOD RFID Expert Group (REG).
Labels: airline, baggage, barcode, compliance-program, container, handheld, inventory-management, passive-tag, passivetag, rfid-compliance, roi, seminar, slap-and-ship, smart-label, smart-shelf, track-inventory, walmart-barcode, walmart-tag, walmart-technology, what-is-rfid, zebra-rfid
