Some of the biggest names in retail"”such as Walmart, Macy's, Marks & Spencer, Dillard's, JCP and others"”have implemented large-scale item-level RFID initiatives, in full production rollout. These have big implications for suppliers.
OCTG Tubular Finishing Services, which inspects and finishes steel pipes used at oil-drilling sites, is employing radio frequency identification technology to track personnel and tools at its facility near Houston. The company is also in the process of developing a service to provide information regarding the status and location of pipes located on site.
Two gun distributors-American Tactical Imports (ATI) and AmChar Wholesale-are installing a radio frequency identification solution from Annapolis, Md., logistics-management software firm AdvanTech Inc. to help them track firearms passing through their facility.
Some RFID label manufacturers, as well as vendors of goods tracked via radio frequency identification, are taking advantage of a new technology developed by LPKF Laser + Electronics AG that enables the laser-printing of an antenna and circuit board for RFID transmission.
Tokyo-based retailer BEAMS Co. Ltd. has incorporated radio frequency identification technology at five B:MING Life Stores that it recently opened in Japan. The stores are employing RFID technology for both tracking inventory and improving efficiency at the point of sale.
Equipment built for use in oil wells is not only expensive, but often includes many potentially hazardous materials. As such, it must be closely monitored, both on a manufacturer's site and as it leaves the plant, bound for an end user. FMC Technologies, a Scotland-based manufacturer of equipment for the energy industry, is using RFID technology so it knows where every piece of equipment is.
Several Miami-based restaurants and bars are employing a radio frequency identification solution that identifies and weighs liquor bottles, and then transmits that information to a server where it can be linked to point-of-sale (POS) data. In this way, management can know how much of each type of liquor is being poured, how customers are then being charged at the register, and when any discrepancies might occur, such as an over- or under-pour, a missing bottle or unbilled pours.
Bereket Döner, one of Turkey's largest producers of frozen and ready-to-serve meat products, is employing radio frequency identification to track its goods as they are loaded onto pallets, weighed and shipped to customers.
Knapp, an Austrian firm specializing in warehouse automation and logistics, has developed an RFID-based conveyor system for sorting and packing goods in a specified sequence. The solution ensures that items can be placed within boxes in the correct order"”for instance, with the heaviest products on the bottom"”and that packages can be loaded onto trucks in a particular sequence, so they can be unloaded easily at various stops along a delivery route. At present, the system is being installed at a warehouse operated by Olymp, a German manufacturer of men's shirts.
