RFID Barriers to Pharma Adoption: Cost Benefits Standards

Health Industry Insights shares survey findings that identify the top barriers to pharma industry's adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID). 143 life sciences industry leaders point to technology cost, lack of ROI and standards as the barriers. ...

... "The report goes on to spotlight the slower-than-expected RFID adoption with additional survey findings. Results reveal less than one in five (16%) pharmaceutical companies are currently evaluating the benefits of RFID technology, and even fewer (15%) companies adopting RFID in some capacity. Overall, the report indicates average life science company spend on RFID technology is approximately $25,000, although this level is expected to triple to $75,000 over the next 12 months. Additionally, the report discusses read rate results from commercial RFID pilots in the pharmaceutical industry. The report reveals that initiatives utilizing high-frequency (HF) technology for item-level tagging are achieving better read rates than those using ultra-high frequency (UHF). Findings show initiatives using HF are experiencing read rates in the Four to Six Sigma (a well-know management practice used to help companies achieve exceptional performance levels) range, and exceeding Six Sigma in some cases, whereas those using UHF are typically between Three and Four Sigma. " ...

Via Health Industry Insights: Pharmaceutical Industry's Top Roadblocks to RFID Adoption ...

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

Active RFID Technology Secures Port of Oakland

WhereNet Corp. will assist the Port of Oakland in meeting security requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by implementing a truck RFID tagging system at one of its most active marine terminals. Drayage trucks at the Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT) will be equipped with WhereNet active RFID tags. ...

... "The Port of Oakland has purchased 1,700 WhereTag active RFID transmitters and is contracting with WhereNet and eModal to distribute the tags to drayage companies that serve the OICT, which is operated by Stevedoring Services of America Terminals (SSAT). WhereNet has completed installation of RFID readers at OICT and drivers using that terminal are already voluntarily installing the tags on their truck cabs. When a driver arrives at the terminal and approaches security, a transmission from the WhereTag is picked up by the WhereNet Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) infrastructure of antennas installed at each marine terminal and automatically cross-references with the information available through the eModal trucking database, ensuring that only authorized vehicles are granted entry. The Port of Oakland's security initiative should be bolstered by the recent DHS decision, announced on January 9, 2007, to award increased grant funding to help secure California ports this year. " ...

Active RFID Technology Improves Security at Port of Oakland

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

DLA RFID: Zebra Printers Label DOD Supply Chain

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) will deploy Zebra Technologies' radio frequency identification (RFID) printers for smart labeling applications throughout the Defense Distribution Center's (DDC) global supply chain. ...

... "ODIN technologies selected Zebra to provide its reliable RFID printer/encoders for the initiative. DLA is a U.S. Department of Defense agency providing supply support as well as technical and logistics services to the military services and to several civilian agencies. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., DLA is the one source for supplying nearly every consumable item to the military, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations. Announced in May 2006, the prime contract calls for ODIN to provide DLA's global distribution centers with a UHF RFID technology solution and supporting equipment by the end of 2007. ODIN recently outfitted 71 facilities at 17 DDC sites to accept RFID-tagged cases and pallets from suppliers. In addition to receiving RFID-tagged material, the DDC has developed UHF EPC Gen 2 tagging capabilities, which are now being further enhanced throughout DLA distribution centers. To date, more than 100 Zebra-brand R110Xi high performance RFID printer/encoders have been ordered. " ...

Via Zebra Technologies: Defense Logistics Agency Runs With Zebra Technologies for Global RFID Initiative

ItemLevel RFID Pharma Packaging

Impinj RFID solutions address high tag-throughput rates and secure track and trace capabilities, which are essential deployment criteria for RFID technology in pharmaceutical supply chains. Impinj RFID reader achieves read reliability with throughput exceeding 1000 tags per second in supply chain environments, and 200 tags per second in dense reader environments with up to eight readers. ...

... "Scheduled for production-level deployment in the second quarter of 2007, Purdue Pharma's Gen 2 RFID-enabled packaging line will utilize the Impinj GrandPrix UHF RFID solution, comprising Speedway readers, tags powered by Monza chips, and application-specific near-field reader antennas. The packaging line will be certified for production readiness under SYSTECH International's TIPS Serialized Product Tracking solution that includes exhaustive tests modeling Purdue Pharma production packaging environments. During advance testing, the Impinj-powered packaging line surpassed tag read rate requirements with 100% tag read reliability. " ...

Via Impinj: Purdue Pharma Selects Impinj Gen 2 RFID Item-Level Tagging Technology for First-of-Its-Kind High-Speed Packaging Line

RFID Readiness Assessments: Tagging Objects

Avnet Technology Solutions and Stratum Global create partnership to focus on enterprise mobility solutions incorporating the RFID capabilities of TagNet. TagNet enables tracking of RFID-tagged objects (products, assets, or individuals). ...

... "The Avnet Enterprise Mobility team leverages its technical expertise and market experience to help partners develop and implement complete, custom enterprise mobility solutions encompassing hardware, software and services. The new relationship with Stratum Global complements Avnet's Enterprise Mobility initiative by providing RFID solutions for access control, asset management, compliance, high-volume conveyor tagging and closed-loop inventory location management. Stratum Global's TagNet RFID solution suite supports a variety of vertical industries, including defense, education, healthcare, hospitality and manufacturing. TagNet seamlessly integrates with most enterprise resource planning and business intelligence applications for complete end-to-end RFID event management.

As part of the new relationship between Avnet and Stratum Global, participating Avnet partners will be trained and certified to perform comprehensive RFID readiness assessments. The readiness assessments include an in-depth business analysis for end customers and the creation of a roadmap for developing and implementing RFID solutions. By working with Avnet and Stratum Global, channel partners can design and implement custom, integrated RFID hardware and software solutions for their customers, as well as establish plans for long-term scaleable end solutions. " ...

Via Avnet Inc.: Enterprise Mobility RFID Solutions

RFID Drug Authentication eCustoms

IBM announces solution that provides ability to share and analyze real-time RFID sensor data to enable drug authentication and e-customs for clients in the pharmaceutical value chain. ...

... "The new technology, WebSphere RFID Information Center, is based on a recently completed EPCglobal standard called EPCIS, which provides a standard way to securely communicate the data created by sensors and RFID tags, and tie it to existing business information and trading partners. The growing trend of item-level tagging will create exponential growth in sensor data well beyond that generated from conventional barcode technology. This creates a need for a new way to manage this explosion of data in a manner that does not overwhelm a business and its supply chain partners. In addition to managing the massive amount of data RFID creates, two other barriers to widespread RFID adoption to date have been the lack of standards and data sharing capabilities. RFID Information Center solves all of these issues, clearing the way for wider-spread RFID adoption in various industries.

The IBM WebSphere RFID Information Center has already been successfully deployed for a number of early-adopter IBM clients across several industries, including consumer packaged goods company Unilever, the e-customs project ITAIDE in Europe, and Big Three pharmaceutical distributor AmerisourceBergen. " ...

Via IBM: IBM Enables Drug Authentication, E-Customs With Release of New RFID Technology ...

HighSpeed RFID Read Rates: Pharma Cases

Impinj discusses results of live demonstration of RFID technology in pharmaceutical packaging application with Owens-Illinois (O-I) at the RFID Health Care Industry Adoption Summit in D.C. ...

... "In pharmaceutical manufacturing and fill-line demonstrations, a near-field UHF Gen 2 RFID solution, comprising Impinj's Speedway reader and O-I's item-level embedded RFID tags powered by Impinj's Monza chips, achieved 100% reliability when reading and writing tags at high speed on pharmaceutical bottles. In the first demonstration, the UHF Gen 2 system programmed 96-bit EPC numbers at rates exceeding 600 tags per minute on bottles containing the four most common dose types - liquids, gel caps, solids and powder. In the second demonstration, the system developed by Impinj and O-I flawlessly read 600 tags per minute on cases containing 48 individually tagged bottles and a case-level tag. " ...

Via Impinj: Impinj-Powered UHF Gen 2 RFID Solution Delivers Exceptional Results for Item Tagging of Pharmaceuticals

RFID Manages Metro Shrinkage

Metro partners with Checkpoint to implement RFID source tags to reduce shrinkage across a significant number of stores across multiple countries. ...

... "The strategic agreement, which includes worldwide store installation of NDRF (New Digital Radio Frequency) technology and source tagging, will help METRO Cash & Carry to minimize shrinkage and reduce operational costs by using only one supplier, Checkpoint Systems, and implement source tagging, with the ultimate aim of improving their customers' shopping experience. Installation of 3G NDRF (called Liberty PX in North America) antennas and deactivators is planned for the more than 425 Cash & Carry self-service wholesale stores in 28 countries, making it the most international EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) roll out of its kind. The global shrink management solution provides METRO Cash & Carry (under METRO and MAKRO brand names), with product protection throughout the entire supply chain, from manufacturing and distribution to the point of sale, where the RF tags on the item are deactivated. This eliminates the need for employees to spend time physically securing the tags in-store or removing them at point of sale. " ...

Via Checkpoint Systems: METRO Cash & Carry Selects Checkpoint Systems as Their Exclusive Shrink Management Global Partner

RFID Smart Labels Event

... "Sixth annual RFID Smart Labels USA 2007 conference and exhibition will be held in Boston, MA, Feb 21-22, 2007. Covering all the RFID applications and technologies, the event focuses on the business case for RFID, item level tagging, RFID progress around the world and state-of-the-art technologies. " ...

Via IDTechEx: Sixth Annual RFID Smart Labels USA Event Launched ...

RFID Case Tracking: BestBuy Compliance ...

NetGear complies with BestBuy RFID mandate through services of APL Logistics. ...

... "Global supply chain management leader APL Logistics has won the RFID tagging solution business of Silicon Valley-based NETGEAR, a leading provider of wireless networking equipment. Under terms of the agreement, APL Logistics will affix Radio Frequency Identification tags to cases of NETGEAR product sent to selected Best Buy stores in the U.S. The deal highlights a growing trend among major retailers who mandate that their suppliers use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on shipments. It also confirms APL Logistics' role as an innovative provider of the technology for supply chain management. " ...

Via APL Logistics: NETGEAR Turns to APL Logistics for RFID Mandate

Printed RFID Tags: Near Future?

Printed RFID tags to enable low-cost item level tagging may be within reach. ...

... "While a printed RFID tag will never be as inexpensive as a bar code - since bar codes require only one color of a conventional ink that may already be used to produce product packaging - printed RFID tags would bring item-level tagging to a wide range of products that, today, are economically out of reach. " ...

Via AIM: RFID: Objects in the Future May Be Closer Than They Appear ...

RFID Automated Application System Supports Supply Chain Strategy ...

Dairy Fresh implements Xterprise RFID automation system to support supply chain performance. ...

... "Dairy Fresh chose Xterprise to deploy the XARM 4000 solution on two manufacturing lines so that supply chain strategies and their customer mandates could be met in a timely manner, without the need for added labor to accomplish the RFID tagging requirements. The XARM 4000 is a fully integrated, automated, RFID application solution that enables Dairy Fresh to easily transition from non-tagged production line packaging to RFID tagged production line packaging. The XARM 4000, designed and built by Carrollton, Texas based Xterprise, is designed around a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) software platform that enables real-time monitoring and control of the complex production line material handling system and RFID printer applicators and verification readers. The system can accommodate full pallet single SKU tagging (case and pallet) and pallet only tagging for their various retailer’s requirements. In addition to using the latest technology to ensure maximum readability of RFID tags in the retailers supply chain, the Xterprise automated solution also provides the lowest cost per case application and the highest case per minute throughput in the industry. " ...

Via Xterprise: Dairy Fresh Deploys Xterprise RFID Source Tagging Solution: WalMart Beverage manufacturer chooses automated solution for RFID case and pallet tagging ...

RFID Item Level Tag Growth ...

RFID-enabled item level tagging sees higher growth rates as applications increase in multiple industries ...

... "IDTechEx has recently upped its forecasts of item level tagging based on faster than anticipated progress, where the benefits are greater and the income is more equitably spread through the RFID and consumer goods value chains. " ...

2000 RFID Case Studies Reveal Surprises: Via IDTechEx ...

RFID Reader: ROHS Compliant ...

Omron introduces 13.56MHz ISO15693 RFID readers, that comply with the Restriction of Hazardous Substance (RoHS) Directive. ...

... "The suite of new products includes 4W and 1W output fixed type readers (V720S-BC5D4, V720S-CD1D), and an embedded OEM reader (V720S-HMC73). Omron RFID began producing V720 HF series readers in 2000 and since then has shipped more than 300,000 units worldwide. They are used today in a wide variety of RFID reader applications including manufacturing and distribution logistics, consumer goods packaging, libraries and the apparel industry. Omron's long track record for superior quality RFID products and our established expertise in HF RFID technology today provides immediate solutions to those whose needs involve item-level tagging, particularly pharmaceutical, asset management and library applications ... " ...

RFID Reader: ROHS Compliant: Via Omron: Suite Of RoHS Compliant HF (13.56MHz) RFID Products ...

RFID Oracle EdgeServer Success ...

Noel SA, South American CPG company, successfully uses Oracle RFID edge services to understand the application of RFID to logistics business processes. ...

... "Noel SA used RFID-enabled Oracle Warehouse Management (WMS), part of the Oracle E-Business Suite, as the logistics platform for the pilot, which included tagging 2,000 pallets of Ducales cookies that were sent to the distribution center in Medell? Colombia. Noel SA used Oracle Sensor Edge Server, a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, to connect and manage all the devices on the RFID system, including tag printers and readers. Data captured from the system was processed by Oracle WMS and synchronized with the Oracle enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. Each pallet received a passive RFID tag, which included important order information such as the lot number and product expiration date.



The RFID-tagged pallets were read throughout the supply chain from the production floor to the final distribution center to ensure proper delivery of orders. Once the pallet arrived at the distribution center of Medell? it was read again to reconcile the sales order and fulfillment information held in the Oracle order management system. At the conclusion of the pilot, Noel SA uncovered that the bar code process prior to the RFID pilot was being executed incorrectly, rendering inventory and shipment data inaccurate. Noel SA gained valuable visibility into its operations such as inventory management and order fulfillment using RFID. The company plans to begin the roll out of a full-scale RFID system in the future. " ...

Via Oracle: Noel SA Successfully Completes RFID Pilot Based on Oracle Solutions

RFID Memory Chips: 2048Bits ...

STMicroelectronics introduces RFID memory chips that support 2048 bits of information. ...

... "STMicroelectronics, a worldwide leader in serial non-volatile memories, announced the availability of two new 2048-bit long range RFID memory products that are fully compliant with the ISO/IEC 15693 and ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1 RFID standards for tracking applications. The use of 2048-bit memories in the LRI2K and LRIS2K has been driven by the demand for increased memory in cost-sensitive general-purpose RFID applications requiring both data storage and security. The new devices are particularly suited for market segments such as access control, library automation, and supply-chain management, as well as for anti-counterfeiting of sensitive products, such as pharmaceuticals and high-value items.

Both the LRI2K and LRIS2K provide 2 Kbits of electrically erasable user memory (EEPROM), with an on-chip RF interface operating at the standard HF (high-frequency) 13.56MHz carrier frequency. Offering high-speed data-rate capability, an application reading range of up to 1.5m, and the advantages offered by 13.56MHz-based RFID technology, such as high reliability and low RFID reader cost, the two devices are highly suited for item-level tagging, whenever security, inventory speed, and tag size are relevant requirements. " ...

RFID Memory Chips: 2048Bits: Via STMicroelectronics: STMicroelectronics Unveils New 2-Kbit Long-Range RFID Chips for Multi-Purpose Asset-Tracking Applications ...

RFID Cold Chain Application 3PL: Third Party Logistics ...

Atlas Cold Storage implements Ship2Save RFID systems in a second phase of its cold chain. ...

... "As part of Atlas Cold Storage's RFID expansion initiative, Ship2Save has deployed yet another Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system for the cold storage third party logistic provider (3PL). The 2nd deployment site is phasing in a superior Gen2 tag standard that has facilitated Atlas Cold Storage to have a more flexible operational process with the RFID tagging. As it stands, Ship2Save has deployed its RFID solution at 2 of Atlas Cold Storage's 55 facilities. This solution can easily and rapidly deployed at the other Atlas facilities. The C