RFID Zero-Sales Preventer Avoids Out-of-Stocks Through Real-Time Supply Chain Visibility

New Zero Sales Prevention module enables manufacturers to improve the real-time performance of their retail businesses by leveraging RFID-enabled supply chain information to avoid stock-outs and support decision making. ...

... "The new service represents a revolutionary advance in how manufacturers use and view RFID data to find supply chain issues, understand root causes and quickly resolve problems to ensure sales are not negatively impacted. Manufacturers such as Ocean Spray Cranberries, an early adopter of the service, are now able to prevent more out-of-stocks and zero sales days because of the visibility provided by TR3's On-Demand RFID Solutions. TR3's Zero Sales Prevention module is a new addition to the company's TR3 On-Demand Solutions suite - currently in use by more than 30 leading manufacturers - that enables product managers to dramatically improve promotions and perishables management and prevent out-of-stock situations. By automatically converting the millions of RFID scans received from retailers on a daily basis, TR3 On-Demand sifts, organizes and extracts critical issues that were previously invisible to product and supply chain managers. Within a single dashboard, manufacturers can view the performance of each product line and have visibility to prioritize and fix supply chain issues in real-time. " ...

Via TR3 Solutions: TR3 Solutions Extends Leadership in RFID Solutions with Release of Zero Sales Prevention Module

RFID Benefits Realized: No Cat Virus

AIM Global will collaborate with RFID leaders to proactively communicate case studies, benefits, and industry thought leadership. ...

... "Consider these instead: RFID secures US ports, RFID saves elderly patient who's wandered off, RFID to protect coal miners, RFID ensures emergency evacuation, RFID tire pressure monitors help prevent roll-overs. Given the chance, the real news about RFID can also provide compelling human interest headlines - they're just not such great tabloid fodder. There is a real lack of understanding among the public and media of the facts about RFID (radio frequency identification) technology and applications. " ...

Via Aim Global: Mission to Highlight Real Benefits and Debunk Myths ...

NIST RFID Security Guidelines and Recommendations

NIST provides guidelines for security of RFID technology. ... A sample of their recommendations are organized by phase of RFID implementation - initiation (prior to design), acquisition and development, implementation, operations and maintenance, and, finally, disposition. In the initiation phase, NIST recommends performing risk assessment to understand threats posed by RFID to the organizations assets. A usage policy should be created that defines assets that should be tagged with RFID and who has the authority to determine what assets get tagged. A transparent privacy policy for RFID should be establised. The organization's information security policy should be updated with regard to the introduction of RFID technology. A training program should be established for the users of the RFID solution that emphasizes security and privacy. Document the RFID standards that you comply with. Disable or destroy RFID tags upon disosal. Other recommendations are in the reference report (PDF). ...

... "RFID devices send and/or receive radio signals to transmit identifying information such as product model or serial numbers. They come in a wide variety of types and sizes, from the size of a grain of rice or printed on paper to much larger devices with built in batteries. Unlike bar coding systems, RFID devices can communicate without requiring a line of sight and over longer distances for faster batch processing of inventory and can be outfitted with sensors to collect data on temperature changes, sudden shocks, humidity or other factors affecting products. As RFID devices are deployed in more sophisticated applications from matching hospital patients with laboratory test results to tracking systems for dangerous materials, concerns have been raised about protecting such systems against eavesdropping and unauthorized uses. " ...

NIST Issues Guidelines for Ensuring RFID Security

RFID Tech Enables Lafinca Reebok Sports Club Customer Experience

The Reebok Sports Club La Finca leverages an efficient access control system, installed by LEGIC Identsystems' impolementation partner, Gantner Technologies. LEGIC's RFID contactless technology is installed at the Calle Serrano Reebok Club in Madrid. The LEGIC partnership is realizing benefits, through efficiency that resulted EUR70,000 in annual savings. Members benefit from simple access control, increased security, and the ability to obtain various services. The Club has implemented the contactless credentials for 6000 members using these form factors: fabric and plastic bracelet, a watch, and a card. Access turnstiles at the club support two readers (one for entry and one for exit). The company is able to better understand the customer experience at the club. ...

... "But the services provided by the LEGIC all-in-one-card go well beyond mere access control. Members can use their contactless smartcard to reserve the locker they want, and they can purchase minutes in the sun cabin by using their LEGIC smart card. Lastly, the Club is about to install a new LEGIC based application on the all-in-one-card so that members do not need to worry about having small change and notes on them if they want to purchase food and drink in the Club's cafeteria, because they will be able to pay for it using their card or bracelet with integrated LEGIC chip. " ...

Via LEGIC Identsystems AG: Reebok Sports Club La Finca opts for LEGIC technology at its sports facilities

Government RFID Position

US and EU position on RFID technology is cautiously optimistic, with an eye toward protecting privacy. In order to enable efficient and effective commerce, governments appear willing to allow the technology to mature without the burden of legislation, at this time in the development lifecycle. ...

... "We were afraid the EU would mandate RFID legislation and would perhaps fail to understand where the technology was going. Instead, they took a step in the direction of monitoring the technology to prevent consumer harm. " ...

Via GCN: Commerce Dept, Robert Cresanti Interview

RFID Training on the Web

OTA Training releases RFID eLearning product, called RFID on the Web. This educational tools is aimed at helping users understand every aspect necessary to implement RFID successfully and obtain RFID+ certification. This virtual training program supports an organization that needs RFID training and certification. ...

Via OTA Training: OTA Training Releases RFID on the Web

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 European Union Public Hearings ...

EU starts public hearings on RFID technology, hoping to spark debate abd understand issues. ...

... "The European Commission last year established an RFID inter-service group to co-ordinate the gathering, analysis and internal dissemination of information concerning RFID technology and its uses. Building on this, the Commission has started today to launch a wide public debate on the opportunities and challenges associated with RFID. To exploit the economic potential of RFID, privacy and consumer concerns associated with the use of RFID tags need to be handled constructively, with the assent of all stakeholders. Furthermore, to enable RFID to deliver on its potential for growth and jobs, Europe needs to agree on common technical standards, to ensure RFID interoperability across borders, and also on a common radio spectrum band for RFIDs to use. The public debate on RFID launched by the Commission today will rely on a series of workshops to build consensus on key issues associated with the use of RFID. These workshops will address RFID applications, end-user issues, interoperability and standards, and frequency spectrum requirements. They will take place in Brussels between March and June 2006 and their conclusions will assist the European Commission in drafting a working document on RFID. This document will be published in September in an online consultation. Additional feedback obtained will then be analysed and integrated in a Commission Communication on RFID, to be adopted before the end of the year. This feedback could lead to amendments of the e-privacy-Directive which is up for review this year. The Communication will also address the need for other legislative measures for RFID, such as decisions on allocation of spectrum. " ...

RFID European Union Public Hearings: Via EUROPA: Commission launches public consultation on radio frequency ID tags ...

RFID Lab Provides Hands-On Classroom Experience ...

Stratum Global will provide the RFID technology foundation for the hands-on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) lab in Illinois at Oakton Community College, serving fourteen northern Chicago suburbs.

... "The Community College RFID lab will be located at Oakton’s new Art, Science, and Technology Pavilion in Skokie. Stratum Global, William Frick, Intel and Intermec Technologies Corp. are providing Oakton with the tools required to develop an RFID lab and curriculum that will give students the opportunity to study the dynamics of how RFID infrastructure, readers, tags, and software logic solve business problems.

Stratum Global’s TagNet RFID solution suite will serve as the software application foundation for understanding the integration components and the dynamics between the infrastructure, tags and readers. Students will use the software to manage and configure readers, conduct remote diagnostics, commission and interrogate tags, verify tag reads against existing enterprise data and create rules to establish application level events. William Frick, based in Libertyville, IL, specializes in tag and labeling solution offerings. Frick will assist in developing the tag curriculum as it relates to tag materials, tags for high impact or rugged environments, application of active or passive tags, high visibility tags as well as tagging location. Frick will provide the lab with a variety of tag types for the students to work with on different materials, in multiple scenarios. Students will have a firm understanding of the differences between tags types, where those types are applicable and how to effectively construct a tagging methodology. Enterprise data will reside on an Intel based P4 and Xeon Server infrastructure. Data will be used to commission tags, construct work rules and manage events. Stratum Global’s TagNet® will ensure a seamless flow of data within the RFID environment, between the Intermec Readers, antennas, tags and the Intel platform.

RFID hardware will be provided by Intermec and will include Intermec’s IF5 fixed readers, IP3® portable readers, and a combination of Intermec Intellitag antennas. Students will use the hardware to understand how physical readers, handhelds and antennas are used to develop portals, and how portal development impacts read rates and the dynamics of hardware configuration. The hardware and curriculum will prepare students for careers in RFID, with a firm understanding of the technology required for a successful implementation and how that implementation can bring continuous process improvement to the business. " ...

Via Stratum Global: Hands-On RFID Lab at Oakton Community College: Industry leaders collaborate to develop lab and curriculum ...

Additional resources on university RFID labs:

Via Cal Poly: RFID HIGHLIGHTS: "Fred Abler, Tali Freed visited Sun Microsystems in Menlo Park, CA for a day of meetings to present the Cal Poly RFID Research and Testing Lab to a team of SUN executives. The meeting was arranged by Sema Alptekin, a Cal Poly IME professor currently on sabbatical at UC Berkeley. During the day-long series of meetings, the directors presented their vision for RFID Research at CAL POLY, resulting in the RFID Research and Testing Lab being nominated to become the SUN Center of Excellence for RFID."

Via University of Wisconsin: Headlines for March 21, 2005: "The RFID laboratory on the UW-Madison campus enables RFID workgroup members to conduct structured experiments ranging from tag placement to antenna design. "

Via University of Arkansas - Daily Headlines: "The University of Arkansas RFID Research Center laboratory has passed accreditation criteria established by EPCglobal Inc., a global not-for-profit standards organization commercializing the Electronic Product CodeT (EPC) and RFID worldwide. The UA lab is one of the first EPC/RFID research laboratories worldwide to receive the EPCglobal Performance Test Center accreditation. The RFID Research Center, a subunit of the Information Technology Research Institute, housed in the university's Sam M. Walton College of Business."

RFID Intelligence: Cisco Webcast ...

Cisco hosts webcast on the future of RFID technology and intelligent networks. ...

... "Cisco Systems (Nasdaq:CSCO) will host another session of its Tech Talk for Investors webcasts, with corresponding slide presentation, on Friday, December 16th, at 12:00 Noon ET. Please join Mohsen Moazami, Vice President, as he discusses how networks and Cisco Systems will increasingly play a key role in RFID implementations. Following a brief presentation, a question & answer session will be held with Reik Reid and Ken Muth of Robert W. Baird & Co. Date: Friday, December 16th, 2005; Time: 12:00 Noon ET; 9:00 AM (PT) " ...

RFID Intelligence: Cisco Webcast: Via Cisco: Cisco Systems Hosts Tech Talk for Investors Educational Webcast -- Cisco RFID Solutions: Delivering Intelligence to RFID ...

Additional resources on RFID network intelligence:

Building Business Intelligence: RFID: An Opportunity for Business Intelligence, Part 1: "A computer is a device that can input, process and output information. RFID tags potentially have these capabilities, as well as the ability to communicate wirelessly within networks."

Via TechWeb: RFID Network Set To Launch In 2006: "EPCglobal Inc. is looking for big changes to radio frequency identification technology adoption in 2006, and expects to launch its RFID network that will enable businesses to collaborate and share data electronically early next year."

ProdexNet - Business Intelligence for the IT Infrastructure: "Network management software provider ProdexNet has developed an RFID version of its core NetGather application to provide a real-time management and reporting system for enterprise RFID networks. The new productdubbed NetGather for RFID - delivers a centralized management console that provides full control and visibility of all readers in an RFID network. In 2001, ProdexNet debuted its first integrated IT reporting solution, NetGather, which was designed to draw operational data from a company's IT infrastructure to provide reports and alerts so that a company could better understand and interpret how that infrastructure was impacting its core business. Developing a version for RFID implementations required ProdexNet to add a new central console as well as ensure that the new software could pull data from a range of applications and hardware in real-time. "

RFID Test Lab: Integration Simulation

RFID Test Lab: Integration Simulation: PEAK Opens Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Test and Integration Laboratory ...

Peak has created an RFID test and integration lab to support RFID business process simulation ...

... "PEAK Technologies, an RR Donnelley company (NYSE: RRD), announced that it has opened a new Radio Frequency Identification Test and Integration Laboratory at the company’s headquarters in Columbia, Maryland. The new state-of-the art RFID Test Lab is located within PEAK’s existing 20,000 square-foot warehouse in Columbia, providing an application environment that simulates a warehouse/distribution center for testing RFID technology. PEAK’s RFID Test and Integration Lab allows customers to understand the best ways to utilize the technology through a detailed lab process that includes testing packaging composition in terms of RFID signal propagation; tag placement and orientation; read range validation and antenna selection; portal and product-conveyor performance; and a host of other best-fit solutions. " ...

PEAK Technologies, an RR Donnelley company, is an international provider of automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) systems, enterprise mobility solutions and ongoing service and support. PEAK's primary applications include solutions for warehousing, manufacturing, distribution and field-based operations. PEAK's market leadership and strong financial management provide stability and assurance that solutions are delivered with long-term support. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland (USA), PEAK Technologies has more than 800 employees with locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe.

RFID Technology Entry Exit Land Border Pilots ...

RFID Technology Entry Exit Land Border Pilots: Via DHS | Department of Homeland Security | US-VISIT Begins Testing Radio Frequency Identification Technology to Improve Border Security and Travel

... "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun testing the US-VISIT Program's next phase of implementation, which uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to more efficiently record the entries and exits of visitors who are currently issued an I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) at our land borders. Five U.S. land border ports will test the RFID technology from August 4, 2005, through early summer of 2006. The ports are Nogales East (Deconcini) and Nogales West (Mariposa) in Arizona; Alexandria Bay (Thousand Islands) in New York; and Pacific Highway and Peace Arch in Washington state. US VISIT is a continuum of security measures that collect biometric and biographic information from visitors at U.S. visa-issuing posts around the world, and upon their arrival in and departure from U.S. air, sea and land border ports. Experience has shown that the US-VISIT enrollment process is fast, easy to understand and simple for visitors. " ...

RFID Research Report

Welcome to BIGresearch: RFID Consumer Buzz: Research Report

... "This study is the first of its kind to track, understand and publish consumer attitudes and opinions as RFID becomes a reality. It provides a quarterly profile of consumers who are aware of the initiative and information on how they became aware " ...

Europe RFID Test Labs

Europe RFID Test Labs: Manhattan Associates Launches Network of RFID Demonstration Labs across Europe: Labs to Provide Setting for Customers to Evaluate Deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology ...

Manhattan opens RFID test labs in Europe to support demonstration and evaluation of RFID technology configurations and representative business process simulations ...

... "Manhattan Associates®, Inc. (Nasdaq: MANH), the global leader in providing supply chain execution and optimization solutions, has today announced the opening of five RFID demonstration labs across its key European markets. The labs will showcase Manhattan Associates' award-winning RFID in a Box® solution and provide a representative customer environment in which Manhattan Associates can evaluate various RFID technologies and equipment with clients' products. The opening of the labs has been made possible with the help of Microsoft and several of Manhattan Associates' key alliance partners. The labs, located in Paris, Sophia Antipolis (France), Munich (Germany), Utrecht (Netherlands) and Bracknell (UK), will provide companies with the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in RFID and understand how to deploy and begin benefiting from this technology. Suppliers will learn how to meet RFID-compliance mandates including those issued by Metro, Tesco, Wal-Mart and others. " ...

Manhattan Associates, Inc., is the global leader in providing supply execution and optimization solutions. It enables operational excellence through its warehouse, transportation, distributed order management, reverse logistics and trading partner management applications, as well as its RFID, performance management and event management capabilities. These Integrated Logistics Solutions™ leverage state-of-the-art technologies, innovative practices and our domain expertise to enhance performance, profitability and competitive advantage. Manhattan Associates has licensed more than 900 customers representing more than 1,600 facilities worldwide, which include some of the world's leading manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

Smart Labels RFID Conference ...

Smart Labels USA 2005 Conference ...

... "Smart Labels USA 2005 at a glance: THE WORLDS DEFINITIVE RFID SMART LABELS EVENT! From pallet to item level: How to manufacture, implement and benefit from RFID Smart Labels. Emerging technologies & systems - from tags to middleware, understand all the RFID building blocks and what is coming next - now with World first announcements! Speakers include Hitachi, Deloitte, Impinj, AWID, Samsys, PolyIC, MIT, Alien, TYCO ADT, ..." ...

June 27-30 2005
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
The conference will be held at the Wyndham Baltimore - Inner Harbor Hotel.

RFID Research Center Expands With ACNielsen ...

ACNielsen Joins RFID Research Center at University of Arkansas

... "ACNielsen, a leading global provider of consumer and marketplace information, today announced it has joined the University of Arkansas' new RFID Research Center to study the impact of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology on the global consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. The Center, at the university's Sam M. Walton College of Business, is examining how best to utilize RFID technology in the CPG industry, with a special focus on helping retailers and manufacturers maximize their return on RFID investment. " ...

ACNielsen, a VNU business,is the world’s leading consumer and marketing information provider. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the unit provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen’s market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns.

European RFID Conference in October 2005 ...

European RFID Conference in October 2005: RFID Journal Announces European Executive Conference

RFID Journal schedules its European RFID COnference for this October ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... First RFID Journal LIVE! Europe to be Held 11-12 October ... RFID Journal LIVE! Europe will ...

... RFID Journal announced today it will hold its first European executive conference 11 to 12 October 2005 at the Hotel Okura Amsterdam, The Netherlands. RFID Journal LIVE! Europe will feature executive presentations from early adopters across Europe including Marks & Spencer, Metro and Tesco, and will be lead by RFID Journal founder, editor and global RFID expert Mark Roberti. ...

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.

SAP RFID Future Vision ...

SAP RFID Future Vision: SAP Business Economist Offers Real World Awareness Vision to Drive ...

SAP information describes RFID future state vision ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... Second Book from SAP Executive Provides Commentary, Analysis and Framework to Help Decision Makers Understand and Responsibly Deploy RFID Technologies CHICAGO ...

... SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced the second business management book by SAP executive board member and business economist Claus Heinrich, outlining SAP's vision for next-generation business environments and technologies that will change how companies sense and respond to market dynamics in the near and distant future. In the new book, "RFID and Beyond: Growing Your Business through Real World Awareness," Heinrich expands upon the concept of the adaptive business network introduced in his first book, "Adapt or Die - Transforming Your Supply Chain into an Adaptive Business Network," in which a company's business processes are so tightly integrated with those of its key business partners, suppliers and customers that it can respond swiftly to any shift in customer demand, new market opportunity or external threat. The announcement was made at National Manufacturing Week, being held in Chicago, Illinois, March 7 - 10. ...

Prof. Dr. Claus E. Heinrich has been a member of the executive board of SAP AG since 1996. During his 18 years at SAP, he has headed up multiple areas, including SAP(R) R/3(R) development, SAP's manufacturing industry solutions, human resources and labor relations. Widely recognized as a practitioner and an international thought-leader in the supply chain management and RFID space, Heinrich serves on the boards of several academic institutions, as well as that of a consumer packaged goods company. With a doctorate in Business Administration, he is also the author of several articles and books including "Adapt or Die - Transforming Your Supply Chain into an Adaptive Business Network" and "RFID and Beyond: Growing Your Business through Real World Awareness." He also lectures as a professor of Management Science at the University of Mannheim, Germany.

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(R) 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(TM) platform to drive innovation and enable business change, mySAP(TM) 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."

SensorML Used For Autonomous Collaborative Agents for Onboard Multi-Sensor Re-Targeting

Autonomous Collaborative Agents for Onboard Multi-Sensor Re-Targeting

... "Technologies that support the configuration of sensors and satellites, and allow the reconfiguration or retargeting of sensors in response to user demand or significant events require mechanisms to autonomously understand the type and current state of on-board resources and to re-task these resources in such as way that the system achieves its global objectives. Here we propose the development of an integrated framework for onboard dynamic sensor (re)configuration, discovery and classification of data, based on SensorML (Sensor model language). We also model each satellite as a multi-criteria multi constraint optimization problem to optimize the usage of resources in response to significant events without adversely affecting the normal operations. This is achieved through negotiation among various satellites that have overlapping sensing capabilities so that globally optimal solutions can be found by computing joint plan qualities resulting due to sharing of resources. We propose to use IAI's propriety Cybele agent platform (www.cybelepro.com) that provides capability to model and simulate such complex distributed systems. DIVA a case tool developed by IAI would be employed to design and implement negotiation protocols among satellite agents to demonstrate the collaborative global optimization of autonomous planning process for multi-sensor retargeting. " ...