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

Schiff RFID Pilot Tests Technology Across Value Chain

Schiff Nutrition tests RFID technology in a pilot phase, with intention to realize benefits across its value chain with partners and customers. ...

... "Schiff Nutrition International, a U.S.-based manufacturer of vitamins and nutritional supplements, and IBM announced a new Radio Frequency Identification pilot to better anticipate current and future customer needs and improve efficiency. This makes Schiff the first mid-size manufacturer to execute such a program, giving it a competitive advantage in the market and illustrating that RFID is sustainable for small- and medium-sized businesses. After researching RFID technology, Schiff turned to IBM Global Services and Business Partner, OATSystems, for the initial design, testing and implementation of their RFID infrastructure. Remaining compliant with retailer mandates while also having a strategic vision of extended uses of the technology, Schiff required an RFID partner with deep expertise in integration and open standards. " ...

Via IBM: IBM Wins First of a Kind RFID Project for SMB, Schiff Nutrition ...

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 Wave: Make Business Sense ...

Upcoming RFID event ...

... "Making Business Sense of the RFID Wave: February 23, 2006: Making business sense of the RFID wave will give attendees the opportunity to meet key innovators and leaders of the RFID industry and through a panel discussion, attendees will gain first-hand insight into the technological progress around RFID, where the industry is leading to, what the forecasts are, how can companies make business sense or get ROI from RFID. Panelists will include:

Jamshed Dubash, Director of Technology, Proctor and Gamble (The Gillette Company)
Sanjay Sarma, Professor at MIT and Founder, OAT Systems
Mal Postings, Global Lead for RFID, CapGemini
Robert Steinberg, President, Productivity by RFID
Other speakers expected from Tyco, Think Magic

Time: 6 - 8:30 p.m. Location: Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, World Trade Center West, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA " ...

Via MIT Sloan Alumni: Making Business Sense of the RFID Wave ...

Best Buy RFID Compliance: LG Experience

LG's RFID implementation was completed quickly and successfully certified to meet Best Buy's RFID compliance requirements. ...

... "The deployment was completed in less than two months and has been certified by Best Buy to meet the retailer's January 2, 2006 mandate. As a global supplier of televisions, mobile phones, and other consumer electronics, LG began investigating RFID technology when Wal-Mart and Best Buy issued mandates last year. In the initial deployment, LG plans to tag three SKUs to be shipped from their warehouse in Texas to Best Buy distribution centers. According to Sam Ismail, Director, Logistics Advanced Engineering at LG Electronics, this infrastructure gives LG the ability to tag and ship additional SKUs from the warehouse and manufacturing facility as more retailers mandate the use of the technology and as more business cases are determined to add value. " ...

Best Buy RFID Compliance: LG Experience: Via OATSystems: LG Electronics Goes Live with OATSystems: Implementation Completed in Record Time ...

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.

RFID Supply Chain Excellence Recognition ...

Supply chain innovators are recognized for their operational excellence. ...

... "OATSystems, Inc., the recognized RFID framework leader, offers its congratulations to customers who have been named to the AMR Research Supply Chain Top 25, which highlights companies that are excellent operationally and brilliant innovators. A third of the companies on the Top 25 list are using OAT's RFID platform to help optimize their supply chains. AMR Research analyzed the top retailers and manufactures on a variety of metrics and criteria including return on assets, inventory turns, trailing 12 months growth. According to Marc Osofsky, vice president of marketing and product management at OATSystems, RFID has become an increasingly attractive and realistic strategy for companies to track their products through the supply chain and gain operational efficiencies.

AMR Research's Supply Chain Top 25 for 2005 list includes:
Dell, Procter & Gamble, IBM, Nokia, Toyota Motor, Johnson & Johnson, Samsung Electronics, Wal-Mart Stores, Tesco, Johnson Controls, Intel, Anheuser-Busch, Woolworths, The Home Depot, Motorola, PepsiCo. Best Buy, Cisco Systems, Texas Instruments, Lowe's, Nike, L'Oreal, Publix Super Markets, Sysco and Coca-Cola. " ...

RFID Supply Chain Excellence Recognition: OAT Customers Included in the AMR Research Supply Chain Top 25: List Identifies the Top 25 Global Supply Chain Performers for 2005 ...

Cephalon RFID Pilot: Drug Tracking ...

Cephalon RFID Pilot: Drug Tracking: Cephalon Selects OAT Foundation Suite for Item-Level Drug Tracking Pilot: OAT Foundation Suite Powers RFID Initiative to Drive Supply Chain Efficiencies and Ensure Patient Safety ...

Cephalon pilots RFID drug tracking as products move through the value chain to market. Broader RFID drug tracking implementation is expected, upon conclusion of the pilot period ...

... "OATSystems®, Inc., the recognized RFID framework leader, announced that Cephalon, Inc, an international biopharmaceutical company, has selected OAT Foundation Suite as the RFID software platform for use in a pilot program for tracking branded pharmaceuticals across the supply chain. For the pilot, OAT Foundation Suite will deliver end-to-end visibility of Cephalon’s products as they move across owned and outsourced facilities as well as selected drug wholesaler trading partners. Once the pilot project has proven successful, Cephalon will implement RFID utilizing the OAT Foundation Suite. " ...

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.

Additional resources on RFID pilots for drug tracking:

Purdue Pharma announced that it is placing RFID tags on bottles of the pain reliever OxyContin (oxycodone) to make it easier to authenticate, as well as to track and trace the medication. OxyContin, which is a controlled substance, has been subject to abuse, theft, and diversion. Based on the availability of sufficient RFID tags, Purdue also plans to tag bottles of Palladone (hydromorphone), a newly approved product to treat persistent moderate-to-severe pain.

Nine months after an FDA task force promoted the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) on drug packaging and labeling to prevent fake products from entering the supply chain, agency officials on November 15 announced that at least four pharmaceutical makers are participating in pilot projects or studies to test the effectiveness of RFID in combating counterfeiting.

GlaxoSmithKline [NYSE: GSK) announced that it will begin using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in the next 12 to 18 months on at least one product deemed susceptible to counterfeiting in order to more effectively monitor its progress from the company to the patient. GSK is partnering in this pilot project with the US Food and Drug Administration, which is encouraging the use of RFID technology to protect American patients from the growing risk of counterfeit and diverted medicines.

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.

RFID Framework System: Retail Industry ...

RFID Framework System for Retail Industry: OAT Launches Industry’s First RFID Framework Designed for Retailers: Result of Unique Collaboration with Top Retailers and RFID Hardware Companies ...

... "OATSystems, Inc., the recognized RFID Framework leader, today announced OAT Foundation Suite 4.5 for Retail, the industry’s first RFID framework solution designed specifically to maximize systemwide performance for retailers’ unique requirements. " ...

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.

OATSystems RFID Framework Upgrade ...

OAT Unveils OAT Foundation Suite 4.5

OATSystems upgrades their RFID framework software ...

Industry’s First RFID Data Management System and RFID Design Environment Accelerates ROI and Eases Configuration and Management ...

... "OATSystems®, Inc., the recognized RFID framework leader, announced the latest version of the company’s flagship OAT Foundation Suite 4.5, with major new enhancements including an enterprise RFID data management system that integrates RFID data from trading partners and provides advanced analytics and reporting of goods movement and inventory, and an RFID design environment for easy configuration and integration of RFID-centric processes. Companies deploying RFID today face the dual challenge of identifying the long-term ROI of RFID while minimizing total cost of ownership of the solution." ...

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.

OAT RFID ROI Acceleration ...

OAT Announces RFID Pathway to ROI for Consumer Products Companies ...

OATSystems delivers RFID ROI return-on-investment acceleration tools that move beyond compliance ...

Comply for ROI is the First ROI-based Approach for RFID Compliance. ePOD is the First RFID-centric Application to Deliver ROI ...

... "OATSystems®, Inc., the recognized RFID framework leader, today announced a clearly defined RFID pathway to ROI for the consumer products industry. Based on work with industry pioneers, OAT has developed Comply for ROI and ROI for CP, a two-phase pathway with solutions built on the company’s flagship OAT Foundation Suite and designed to accelerate the path to ROI for all consumer products companies. Addressing the need for a clear course for their company to go from compliance to ROI, OAT has fundamentally changed the approach from cost-based compliance to ROI-based solutions. Instead of focusing exclusively on the lowest possible cost of a compliance solution, OAT analyzes a company’s specific products and business operations to design a phased adoption that accelerates payback from their RFID investment." ...

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 and is on the Web at www.oatsystems.com.

RFID Business Processes: OAT Launches Industry's First RFID Framework Solution and ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... OATSystems, Inc., the recognized RFID framework leader, recently announced the OAT Foundation Suite 4.0, the industry's first RFID framework solution ...

... OATSystems, Inc., the recognized RFID framework leader, today announced the OAT Foundation Suite 4.0, the industry's first RFID framework solution for managing multi-site, multi-mandate RFID initiatives. The OAT Foundation Suite includes industrial-strength RFID data and systems management, best practices, and a walk-up interface to enable businesses to deploy and manage RFID across multiple sites with speed and confidence. The pre-integrated suite of products provides a foundation for building competitive advantage with RFID-centric business processes and applications. ...

RFID-enabled business processes may need people to power the movement of material, however people will not be necessary to enter transactions into business systems to keep inventory accurate. Real-time material movements will be transacted in a hands-free manner using RFID technology to enable key business processes, such as manufacturing, warehouse management, and logitstics, to name a few...

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 30 customers in retail, CPG, consumer electronics, manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace and defense. Headquartered in Waltham, MA, OAT has offices in Chicago, London and Bangalore.

RFID Software: OAT Announces First End-to-End RFID Software Solution to Power ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA OAT EPC-IS Edge Server 3.0 is an industrial-strength Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) software solution that is easy to deploy and proven to meet the ...

OAT EPC-IS Edge Server gives organizations complete real-time visibility into, and control over, the flow of goods through a facility. Using OAT EPC-IS Edge Server's rules-based workflow and exception management, manufacturing facilities and warehouse operations can track products, automate processes to improve operational efficiency, and create an integrated shipping and receiving operation with real-time validation.

OATSystems, Inc. is the leading provider of software for the High-Resolution Supply Chain™. OAT powers the EPC networks of many of the world's largest retail, defense, CPG, and pharmaceutical companies. First released in 2001, OAT is the world's most widely deployed EPC software solution. O AT has been involved in the creation of the EPC industry from day one and has assembled the industry's most respected team of EPC experts.

RFID Deployed: OAT Completes Successful RFID Deployment for HP; OAT EPC-IS Edge ...

From TMCnet ... OAT EPC-IS Edge Server 3.0 is enabling HP to track cases of printer cartridges with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to manage the flow of ...

The OAT EPC-IS Edge Server is the world's most widely deployed RFID software suite. OAT provides a complete and powerful standards-based RFID solution for companies in the retail, CPG, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and logistics markets. Built around open industry standards, the OAT EPC-IS Edge Server collects data from leading RFID hardware devices, turns that data into intelligent and actionable business objects, and then seamlessly integrates it into enterprise applications such as ERP, warehouse management, supply chain management, and manufacturing execution systems.

OAT EPC-IS Edge Server excels at handling large volumes of data, and can run hundreds of RFID readers off a single server, while eliminating the problems that stem from RF interference, as well as duplicate or spurious reads. With Web-based configuration management, support for SNMP, and robust APIs, OAT EPC-IS Edge Server is both simple to manage and simple to extend.

RFID Career: RFID Luminary Sanjay Sarma to Join OAT as CTO; RFID 'Founding ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... Sarma previously led MIT's Auto-ID Center, where he worked closely with early Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) adopters such as Wal-Mart, Target, Gillette ...

Sanjay Sarma: Sanjay is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. In 1999, he co-founded MIT's Auto-ID Center and has served as its Chairman of Research ever since. Sanjay Sarma is credited with defining and developing many of the standards and technologies that form the foundation of the commercial RFID industry...