1. RFID & Retailing
Jonathan Wareham

2. What is RFID?
RFID is an technology that uses radio-frequency waves to transfer data between a reader and a movable item to identify, categorize, track...
RFID is fast, reliable, and does not require physical sight or contact between reader/scanner and the tagged item

3. RFID Operations

4. What is RFID? -- The Tags Tags can be read-only or read-write
Tag memory can be factory or field programmed, partitionable, and optionally permanently locked
Bytes left unlocked can be rewritten over more than 100,000 times

5. RFID Tags

6. RFID System Basics Read Only (Factory Programmed) Tag ID Only
WORM - Write Once, Read Many times
Reprogrammable (Field Programmable)
Read/Write (In-Use Programmable)
Tag ID Only
Programmable Database Pointer
Mission Critical Information
Portable Database

7. What is RFID? -- The Tags Tags can be attached to almost anything:
pallets or cases of product
vehicles
company assets or personnel
items such as apparel, luggage, laundry
people, livestock, or pets
high value electronics such as computers, TVs, camcorders

8. Are All Tags The Same? Basic Types: Active Tag transmits radio signal
Battery powered memory, radio & circuitry
High Read Range (100 meters)
Passive
Tag reflects radio signal from reader
Reader powered
Shorter Read Range (10cm – 5 meters)

9. RFID the Supply Chain Tag Antenna Reader Middleware
Supply chain execution
- Transmits identification data to a reader
- Coiled antenna of reader creates magnetic field with coiled antenna of tag
Transmit data to middleware
Associates tag info with product info
Process information from reader
Filters data
Sends data to backend servers
- Backend SCE or ERP systems receives Information

10. How far, how fast, how much, how many, attached to what?
Low Frequency
No regulation
Penetrate materials (water, wood, tissue well)
Slow read speed
Small range
No penetration of iron and steel
Medium Frequency
Little data, small distance
Thin tags
Low cost
High data rates
Govt regulated
Non mental penetrating
High Frequency
Penetrate materials
Small tag size
High data transfer
Long range
Non-water or tissue penetrating
Non-regulated in some regions
expensive

11. Where can RFID add value?
From Manufacturing
Through Distribution
Transportation
Into a Store’s Back Room Inventory
On the Shelf
At the Cash Register
Out the Door as an anti-theft device

12. RFID Video

13. Portal Applications
Bill of Lading
Material Tracking

14. Portal Applications Limited number items at forklift speeds
8’ X 10’ doorways
Electronic receipt & dispatch
Wrong destination alert
Electronic marking
Pallet/container item tracking

15. Conveyor / Assembly Line
Read / Write Operations
Higher Accuracy than Bar Code

16. Conveyor / Assembly Line
Up to 450 fpm
60+ items per container
Inexpensive tunnels
Longer tunnel more items
Electronic receipt
Sorting
Electronic marking

17. Hand Held Application Categories
Batch
Wireless
Fixed Station

18. Application Examples Material Handling Wireless / Batch By Destination
Inventory Management
Material Handling
By Destination
Where is it going? Where has it been?
Should it be here?
Where is it? What is it?
What is inside the box?
Material Handling
Aggregate / De-aggregate
Material Handling
Inspecting / Maintaining
Has this been repaired?
Is this under warrantee?
Has this been inspected?
Is this complete?
What is the asset’s status or state?
What have I assembled or disassembled?
How many do I have? Do I have enough?

19. Tote/Box/Unit Level Inventory
Shipping Validation
Tote/Box/Unit Level Inventory

20. Intelligent Labels

21. The HazMat Label

22. HazMat Smart Label Low power > long range 1024 bit memory
Read/write/lock on 8 bits
Advanced protocol
Efficient multi-id  Lock data permanently
12 ms/8 byte read  25ms/byte write
Group select  Broadcast write
40 tags/second  Anti-collision

23. Application Requirements
Wal-Mart - Suppliers will mark inbound cases and pallets with RFID - 1 January May, 2003 specification calls for ≈256 bit read/write tag
U.S. Department of Defense - Draft RFID policy to be completed by 18 September To issue final policy in July of 2004 that will require suppliers to put passive RFID tags on selected case/pallet packaging by January of Draft policy calls for passive tags (est. 256 byte) and active tags

24. Is RFID GPS? NO!                           

25. Electronic Article Surveillance
Typically retail theft deterrence applications
Arguably first and most widespread commercial use of RFID
“1-bit” tag
Cheap, passive

26. Electronic Toll Collection
Toll tags speed regular users through toll gates
RFID tag on windshield identifies vehicle and enables toll deduction from account

27. Railcar Tracking
99% of every North American railcar in interchange service equipped with RFID

28. Access Control The ubiquitous employee badge is RFID Vehicle access
NEXUS border inspection program at Peace Arch
photo by HID Corporation

29. Product Recall Remember Ford and Firestone? TREAD Act
RFID pilots underway to track tires from manufacturer to vehicle

30. Baggage Tracking Positive Passenger-Bag Matching initiatives (PPBM)
Bar code systems work today but line-of-sight requirements make complicated solutions
1 to 2 billion tags/year
Many pilots to date
Tag price is key

31. Medicine

32. Counterfeits

33. Top 100 Suppliers:
Suppliers will mark inbound cases and pallets with RFID - 1 January May, 2003 specification calls for ≈256 bit read/write tag
1 EPC tag per carton – 100% read on conveyor
1 EPC tag per pallet – 100% read at Inbound dock
Conveyor speed of up to 600 feet per minute
3 Texas Distribution Centers
January 2005

34. Why??? Stock management /perishables (field to fork) In-stock levels
Invoice reconciliation: damaged, deductions, performance penalties, etc.
Scan Based Trading or VMI
Improved analytics & POS data
All reads available to suppliers within 30 minutes

35. Metro Future-Store
Video RFID Retailing

36. RFID & Retailing
PRADA

37. Guidelines for using RFID
Bar codes cannot be used
Counting versus identification (reverse logistics)
Use of 3Party logistics and suppliers
Data collection is chaotic (battlefields, hospitals, retails shops)
Exact configuration of the good must be maintained
Counterfeit protection
High Risk scenarios, drugs, hospitals
Collecting data outside of retailer (smart refrigerators, medicine cabinets, etc)