Kimberly-Clark RFID Data Enables Demand Forecasting and Lower Out-Of-Stock Conditions On Retail Shelves

TrueDemand Software closes enterprise-wide license deal with Kimberly-Clark that integrates RFID technology into the demand forecasting and replenishment system. ...

... "Kimberly-Clark will leverage the TrueDemand Forecast and Replenishment Manager (FRM) Release 2.1 to improve sales by reducing retail shelf out-of-stocks (OOS) for its global consumer product brands, which include Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups and Kotex. TrueDemand's FRM solution will leverage RFID data to provide Kimberly-Clark with greater insight including: perpetual inventory by retail store and selling floor, a daily forecast by product and store, and OOS root causes and lost sales by product and store and retail DC, with prioritized actions for replenishment analysts, retail partners and field operations teams. As a result, Kimberly-Clark will be able to more accurately predict product availability, inventory, execution and out-of-stock problems at the aggregate level across all stores, as well as at the detailed product-store level, and take the appropriate preventive action. TrueDemand’s unique predictive software will recommend specific replenishment, forecasting and store operations actions that Kimberly-Clark can take to help improve sales and market share. It provides out-of-stock root cause analysis and recommendations for continuous improvement for regular replenishment." ...

Via Kimberly-Clark: Kimberly-Clark to Power Shelf-Back Supply Chain (PDF) ...

RFID Store Promotion Solution Enables Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark deploys OATSystems' OAT Mobile Tag to enhance in-store promotions through this mobile RFID tagging solution. The OAT solution supports Kimberly-Clark's implementation of RFID-enabled stores in new geographies. ...

... "Like other consumer product companies, Kimberly-Clark invests significantly in in-store product promotions, using as a primary vehicle a manufactured display that features the promoted product. These displays are typically shipped from Kimberly-Clark's contracted manufacturers directly to retailers' stores. All too frequently, operational challenges prevent these displays from reaching the sales floor at the beginning of the promotional period. In fact, industry statistics show that between 15% to 40% of stores fail to move displays to the sales floor on time, missing critical promotional windows and the opportunity to increase sales. Working with OATSystems, Kimberly-Clark has solved this complex operational problem using the latest RFID technology and a mobile tagging solution.

The solution, which incorporates the Mobile Tagging Station from ADASA, enables Kimberly-Clark's third-party contract manufacturers to apply RFID tags to promotional displays. In-store RFID readers read the displays' tags to record when they reach the backroom of the store and again when the displays reach the sales floor. When a display's tag is read, data is sent to Kimberly-Clark and the retailer showing whether the display has reached the sales floor on time. With this innovation, Kimberly-Clark and its retail customers can intervene promptly when displays fail to reach the sales floor on time. This benefits Kimberly-Clark, the retailer and the consumer by ensuring promoted products are where customers expect them to be. " ...

Via OATSystems: Kimberly-Clark Deploys First Mobile RFID Tagging Solution; Uses OATSystems' Mobile Tag

RFID: RealTime Promotion Execution

OatSystems and ADT combine to deliver a real-time promotion execution process, enabled by RFID technology. RFID applied to the execution of promotions, help track the inventory used in promotions in real-time and create immediate feedback for marketers. ...

... "OATSystems, Inc. and ADT, a unit of Tyco Fire & Security, announced a proof of ROI program designed to validate the return on investment from standards-based RFID-enabled promotions and ignite the next phase of RFID deployments. Together with Intel Corporation, the companies will provide RFID hardware, software and services necessary for a 10 store retail deployment to help retailers track promotional products and provide critical information back to suppliers such as Proctor & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark. To help validate the ROI, an independent academic institution of the retailer's choosing will establish the parameters of the study, monitor control stores and deliver a final report on the ROI.

Trade promotion spending by manufacturers is a massive budget item, representing 12%-15% of sales for most companies. Unfortunately, study after study and the day-to-day experiences of manufacturers and retailers show that the returns on trade promotions are far less than satisfactory. Real-time Promotion Execution (RPE) is a new, RFID-centric business process that can help consumer products manufacturers and retailers to dramatically increase promotion effectiveness which may result in increased promotional sales, decreased execution costs, and greater shopper satisfaction. According to Cheryl Perkins, senior vice president and chief innovation officer for Kimberly-Clark, RFID technology can be used as a business tool to help deliver greater value to K-C and its retail customers.

RPE uses RFID-tagged displays and promotion product cases to measure in-store promotion execution by tracking where and when the displays and promotion inventory are in the store. Manufacturers and retailers can track when the items reach the store, when they're moved to the sales floor, and how long they are there - all in near-real time. This information is then integrated across many stores and manipulated with powerful analytic tools. Illustrated by the recently released MIT study on RFID-based promotions, this enables a new business process that is cost-effective and dramatically increases promotion sell-through, correction of poor in-store execution and promotion intelligence, and lowers the cost of promotions management. " ...

Via OATSystems: OATSystems and ADT Announce Promotions-on-Standards Program to Ignite RFID ROI: Leaders Rally Retailers and Suppliers to Validate ROI in Standards-Based Real-time Promotions Execution ...

RFID KimberlyClark Gen2 Walmart Tags ...

Kimberly-Clark ships Gen2 RFID tags on products shipped to Walmart. ...

... "Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced it has begun shipping Gen2 RFID-tagged cases of product to WalMart. This next step in the implementation of RFID technology is a result of K-C's extensive research and testing on the compatibility of Gen2 hardware and software with conveyor, packaging, logistics and shipping systems in the company's dedicated Auto-ID research lab in Neenah, Wis. Leveraging the accuracy and up-to-the-minute information the Gen2 platform provides, K-C has shipped to WalMart approximately 100,000 cases of Huggies brand diapers and other infant and child care products since March. Using industry-leading Gen2 hardware and software, K-C encoded the RFID tags, placed them on the cases, captured and transferred product data into its supply chain system, and forwarded the data to WalMart, letting them know their product order had been shipped. " ...

RFID KimberlyClark Gen2 Walmart Tags: Via Kimberly-Clark Investors: Kimberly-Clark Begins Shipping Gen2 RFID-Tagged Cases Of Products To WalMart ...

RFID Research Lab ...

RFID research lab at Kimberly-Clark ...

... "Research is a key facet of the work being done at K-C, Perkins said. She pointed to the company's RFID lab, which is developing and using technology to help track K-C products from the manufacturing facility to the store shelves. " ...

RFID Research Lab: Via Post Crescent: Kimberly-Clark's Valley presence still strong: After potential cuts, firm will employ 4,400 locally ...

RFID: Sun SAP Collaborate ...

Sun and SAP collaborate to enable seamless RFID solutions ...

... "Sun Microsystems, Inc. expanded its relationship with SAP AG to integrate and standardize RFID technology based on the SAP(R) Auto-ID Infrastructure component of SAP NetWeaver(R) and the Sun Java System RFID Software. This collaboration will enable RFID data network communication between Sun and SAP RFID technology (part of the mySAP Business Suite solutions), allowing for seamless data flow from any RFID-enabled device to the mySAP Business Suite. The technology integration has been tested and certified by SAP. Customers in a broad range of industries, including retail and manufacturing, are looking to RFID technology to help them gain insight into multiple facets of the logistics process, including maintaining inventories, interacting with suppliers, improving customer service and tracking orders. The collaboration between SAP and Sun will help speed time to deployment for customers looking to integrate RFID data into their back-end systems. The Sun Java System RFID Software provides centralized monitoring and management capabilities for large numbers of distributed RFID devices and delivers Jini technology-based dynamic networking capabilities, which help ensure that RFID data can continue to be transmitted to the SAP applications under demanding production environments. " ...

RFID: Sun SAP Collaborate: Via Sun: Sun and SAP Collaborate to Simplify Deployment of RFID Solutions on SAP NetWeaver ...

Additional references on SAP and RFID ...

Via SAP - Components & Tools of SAP NetWeaver: SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure: "SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure, the key component of SAP NetWeaver that provides RFID capabilities, provides SAP applications with a gateway into RFID data. "

Via SAP: SAP RFID Rollout Signals Major Savings for Midsize Flag-Maker: "SAP NetWeaver provides companies with a powerful platform to manage, integrate and leverage RFID data within their SAP and non-SAP business applications. By integrating a combination of SAP NetWeaver components with core business applications, such as enterprise resource planning or supply chain management, customers can RFID-enable their business processes. The implementation of SAP RFID technology was facilitated by Annin's implementation partner CIBER Novasoft. The integration of SAP RFID technology and the pre-existing SAP IT infrastructure means information captured from the RFID tags for the more than 500,000 master cartons shipped annually can be accessed directly in the enterprise SAP system. Retailers can track and report on the movement of Annin's inventory tagged with RFID through warehouses and stores. By creating this real-world aware network, Annin has laid the groundwork for shipping items using RFID and developing an integrated and scalable approach to the technology, providing benefits beyond merely meeting the Wal-Mart requirement. "

Via SAP: SAP Forges Next Generation of RFID-Enabled Business Solutions with Kimberly-Clark: "SAP and Kimberly-Clark will continue to leverage EPCglobal efforts to promote standards based solutions to the marketplace. SAP is bringing to bear the state-of-the-art Auto-ID, analytical and event-driven technologies provided by the SAP NetWeaver platform to collect, analyze and act on EPC (electronic product code) data shared among Kimberly-Clark and its trading partners. Kimberly-Clark has already deployed SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure as the system of record of enterprise-wide EPC information and as the interface that controls all EPC information flowing into mySAP ERP. "

Via SAP: SAP Enables Fraport AG to Reduce Maintenance Costs and Increase Safety at Frankfurt Airport with Mobile Asset Management: "Before the mobile deployment, service engineers had to fill out lengthy forms during equipment checks, then enter the data manually into the central ERP software. Service technicians now use PDAs to access daily maintenance plans and carry out work orders. The PDAs read maintenance-relevant information from the RFID tags installed on ventilation shutters and act as clients to the ERP software for reporting and archiving. Because the PDAs can read tags only at a distance of three centimeters or less, the mobile scenario confirms that service technicians duly checked each vent on their work orders. In addition to safeguarding maintenance processes and generating reports in compliance with federal regulations, the solution helps the company maintain a complete view across the entire asset life cycle and more quickly locate reoccurring faults. "

Kimberly-Clark RFID Adoption Recognized ...

Kimberly-Clark is recognized for its adoption of RFID technology. ...

Kimberly-Clark RFID Adoption Recognized: Via Dallas Morning News: Honors and awards in the Dallas-area business community ...

... "Consumer Goods Technology magazine has presented Kimberly-Clark Corp. of Irving with its RFID Early Adopter Award. The new award recognizes the consumer goods company that has most successfully implemented tracking products with microchips. " ...

Kimberly-Clark is making serious investment and organizational committment to RFID technology for internal use and to support the industry. ...

Via Kimberly-Clark: Kimberly-Clark RFID Lab is One of Two in North America to Receive Accreditation as a Global Performance Test Center: Accreditation underscores Kimberly-Clark's leadership in the adoption and implementation of RFID technology ...

... "The accreditation also certifies that Kimberly-Clark's RFID lab capabilities, including the RFID tags, readers, printers, and applicators used in the facility, have been rigorously tested against EPCglobal standards, and have demonstrated the ability to present retail customers winning, innovative and cost-effective EPC and RFID solutions for the global supply chain. As we continue to explore the potential of RFID technology, we believe it will enable Kimberly-Clark to become an indispensable partner with our retail customers, allowing us to be more responsive to their needs and to provide them with accurate and up-to-the-minute EPC information to jointly enhance supply chain applications, concluded Perkins. " ...

Kimberly-Clark maintains its focus on leadership of the latest RFID standards and is involved in shaping the Generation 2 RFID standards. ...

Via Kimberly-Clark: Kimberly-Clark Leads Consumer Products Industry in the Adoption of RFID Technology; Begins Testing Generation 2 RFID Hardware ...

... "The Generation 2 RFID hardware to be tested includes tags, readers, printers, and applicators. The tests, scheduled to begin July 6th at Kimberly-Clark's dedicated RFID research lab in Neenah, Wis., will allow the company to determine which hardware is the most compatible with its conveyor, packing, logistics and shipping systems. " ...

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people – nearly a quarter of the world's population – trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries.

KimberlyClark Walmart RFID Program ...

Anita French reports on the community involvement of Kimberly-Clark, who is also a top Wal-Mart supplier and part of the Walmart RFID program.

KimberlyClark Walmart RFID Program: Via The Morning News; Kimberly-Clark Considers Itself Community Partner ...

... "The very first product scanned at the RFID testing program in Dallas was a Kimberly-Clark product, Dunning said. We're very involved with RFID and supplier-chain issues. " ...

Generation2 Radio Frequency Identification: Kimberly-Clark

Generation2 Radio Frequency Identification: Kimberly-Clark: Kimberly-Clark Leads Consumer Products Industry in the Adoption of RFID Technology; Begins Testing Generation 2 RFID Hardware ...

Kimberly-Clark shows their leadership in the CPG industry with Generation2 RFID technology testing ...

... "Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) today announced the company will begin formal testing of Generation 2 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) hardware this summer. The Generation 2 hardware provides a universal solution to RFID technology on a global basis, replacing numerous and incompatible systems with one system used worldwide. " ...

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries.

SAP OATSystems RFID Integration Standardized at Kimberly-Clark ...

SAP OATSystems RFID Integration Standardized at Kimberly-Clark: Standard RFID Infrastructure: Kimberly-Clark Deploys RFID Software from SAP & OATSystems: Results in Standard Product Interfaces between SAP and OAT ...

... "Kimberly-Clark, SAP and OATSystems®, Inc. today announced that the Kimberly-Clark Corporation has initially deployed the 1st standardized interfaces between SAP AII (Auto-ID Infrastructure) and the OAT Foundation Suite. Together, SAP and OAT will provide a complete RFID infrastructure that provides best-of-breed RFID functionality and fully leverages existing investments in SAP. The standardized interfaces are fully supported by both SAP and OAT to minimize the total cost of ownership (TCO) and optimize RFID integration for joint customers. Kimberly-Clark led the effort to develop a standardized RFID infrastructure. Working closely with SAP and OAT, Kimberly-Clark helped design the appropriate interfaces between SAP AII and the OAT Foundation Suite. SAP and OAT continued the collaborative effort to develop the most appropriate interfaces to support broad market needs. " ...

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are indispensable parts of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people -- nearly a quarter of the world's population -- trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries.

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software solutions*. Today, more than 26,150 customers in over 120 countries run more than 88,700 installations of SAP® software--from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small and midsize businesses to enterprise-scale suite solutions for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver™ platform to drive innovation and enable business change, mySAP™ Business Suite solutions are helping enterprises around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP industry solutions support the unique business processes of more than 25 industry segments, including high tech, retail, public sector and financial services. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP."

OATSystems, Inc. is the recognized RFID framework leader with software that empowers businesses to achieve competitive advantage from radio-frequency identification (RFID). As pioneers in the development of RFID technology, OAT has been setting the standard in RFID for over half a decade and is responsible for industry firsts that include the largest scale and largest scope of deployments, as well as the most innovative approaches to providing enterprise-wide RFID solutions. OAT's multinational client base, which includes companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Gillette, consists of over 50 customers in retail, CPG, consumer electronics, manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace and defense. Headquartered in Waltham, MA, OAT has offices in Chicago, London and Bangalore.

RFIDJournal Live Coming Soon ...

RFIDJournal Live Comming Soon: RFID Journal LIVE! to Showcase Unique End-User Case Studies; 100 ...

Leading RFID event, RFIDJurnal Live, is coming up in April. Dont miss it. ...

From PR Web (press release), WA ... 2005 -- Business professionals will have a unique opportunity to get objective, first-hand information from end users and early adopters of RFID technology at ...

... Business professionals will have a unique opportunity to get objective, first-hand information from end users and early adopters of RFID technology at the RFID Journal LIVE! executive conference, April 10-12, 2005 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. They will hear about the lessons learned by Wal-Mart and Kimberly-Clark; get the inside scoop on Best Buy's RFID roll-out; and learn about the European RFID experience from Tesco, a leading European retailer and among the most active deploying RFID technology. In its third year, RFID Journal LIVE! features an unparalleled lineup of end-user case studies from those at the forefront of RFID deployment. ...

RFID Journal is the only independent media company devoted solely to radio frequency identification and its many business applications. Our mission is to be the ultimate resource for businesspeople that need to understand how RFID can help their companies boost supply chain efficiencies, reduce inventories, limit theft, improve product availability and add convenience for consumers. RFID Journal serves the needs of businesspeople looking to take advantage of RFID technologies with timely news, strategic analysis, networking opportunities at events and in-depth education.

KimberlyClark AutoID RFID Strategy at Conference ...

KimberlyClark AutoID RFID Strategy at Conference: Mike O'Shea from Kimberly-Clark Corporation to Keynote on Day 2 of ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... Mike O'Shea, director of corporate Auto/ID and RFID strategies and technology at Kimberly-Clark Corporation, will be the featured keynote speaker on ...

... Mike O'Shea, director of corporate Auto/ID and RFID strategies and technology at Kimberly-Clark Corporation, will be the featured keynote speaker on day two of RFID World 2005, March 2-3 at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, near Dallas, adding to the show's list of top end-user speakers and case studies. Mike Meranda, president of EPCglobal US(TM), a regional Member Organization of EPCglobal Inc.(TM), the not-for-profit standards organization entrusted with driving the global adoption of Electronic Product Code(TM) (EPC) technology, will also address attendees in a morning keynote session. The second day keynote panel, "RFID Readiness and Interoperability," features Alien Technology, Intermec Technologies, Microsoft Corporation, Printronix, Inc. and Texas Instruments, who will discuss global standards issues surrounding frequency allocation, tag and reader functionality, and intellectual property. ...

Retail RFID Conference: Wal-Mart and Target Sit on Panel With Their Suppliers to Discuss ...

From Business Wire (press release) ... Top IT and business executives from Wal-Mart, Target Stores, HP, and Kimberly Clark will discuss critical issues around RFID during one of the three opening ...

Retail Systems 2004/VICS Collaborative Commerce
17-19 May, 2004
McCormick Place, Chicago IL USA

Conference RFID highlights...

Keep Pace with RFID and other Evolving Technologies
Improve Product Movement and Visibility
Collaborate with Trading Partners
Align IT with Business Objectives

Walmart keynote speaker:

Mike Duke will discuss the long-term vision driving Wal-Mart Stores’ decision to integrate Electronic Product Code (EPC) and RFID network technology into his company’s supply chain practices. He will discuss his senior management team’s rationale for the well publicized Wal-Mart 2005 initiative and its implications for the suppliers of the world’s largest retailer. He will describe how he views transformational technologies such as RFID and their potential impact on logistics, store operations and merchandising.

Michael, who is one of the primary business sponsors of Wal- Mart’s RFID initiative, is responsible for the day-to-day retail and merchandising operations of Wal-Mart’s discount stores, Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets in the US.

Prior to this position, he served as executive vice president of administration. Mike joined Wal-Mart in 1995. During his time at the company he has also served as executive vice president of logistics, senior vice president of logistics and senior vice president of distribution. A long-time retail industry veteran, Mike spent 23 years with Federated Department Stores, May Department Stores and Venture Stores.

VICS

Come join members of the VICS Board of Directors as they provide an overview of the VICS Strategic Plan, highlighting the significant changes that will define VICS for the short- and long-term future, 2003 accomplishments, and major initiatives planned for 2004 - 2005. The new VICS value proposition, of critical importance to existing as well as potential members, will be discussed. An explanation of member benefits, including a revitalized Web site and newsletter that will feature current and relevant information, will conclude the session.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT at DOD
Adopt an RFID Supply Chain Practice
Maurice Stewart
Deputy Chief of DOD Logistics Automatic Identification Technology
Automatic Identification Technology (AIT) Office U.S. Department of Defense
Maurice will look at how the Department of Defense (DOD) is preparing to deploy RFID technology. He will explain how the DOD, which has been using active RFID tags to track freight containers since 1995, will require all suppliers to use active and passive RFID tags on all shipments to the military by January 2005. Learn about the feedback from supplier educational meetings of October 2003, and the RFID Summit of January 2004, as well as analysis of the DOD’s initial RFID projects. Explore the intricacies considered when phasing in RFID requirements on a large scale. Understand the DOD’s plans for embracing and utilizing diverse numbering schemes, and leveraging RFID technology throughout the DOD supply chain.

Technology Viewpoint Session on Microsoft RFID
Features and benefits of Microsoft’s Smarter Retail Initiative
Frank May
Industry Manager
Microsoft
An overview of the Microsoft Smarter Retailing Initiative will identify the functional benefits of providing “new edge of the enterprise” information to both retailer’s customers and sales associates in the store. A description of the architecture behind the initiative will illustrate how Microsoft and their partner solutions can be installed today to provide a competitive edge in the marketplace. The availability and usage of real time operational data provided by this architecture provides the methodology to migrate current systems into this new world. Integration of this architecture into an existing IT infrastructure will be discussed. Emerging wireless and RFID and other technologies introduction into the architecture will also be described.