The Strategic Implications of Wal-Mart's Rfid Mandate

Over the last few years the live declines of wireless Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, combined with improvements in sensitivity, range and durability, cave in enabled widespread RFID use in the logistical planning and transaction of supply chain processes in the manufacturing, distribution and retail industries, and helped act its credence into services such as security and annoy control, tracking, and monitoring/management.An RFID pass over consists of a microchip and an antenna, often in the form of a tiny ribbon that can in turn be packaged into many forms, such as a label, or imbedded in between the cardboard layers in a carton.On the microchip is stored information about the product that the label is affixed to, which can then be read when the tag passes within proximity of an RFID reader, with that information being relayed back to a com droper system that updates the location status of the associated product.This enables great efficiencies and cost reductions with respect to inventory management and control in a physical product environment, and enables innovative applications in locating and tracking people and assets in a services environment.

Up until recently, though, the adoption of such technology has been nearwhat scatter-shot; about companies use it, some dont; within any given company that does, it may be apply for some types of supply chain operations but not others; or is used only with some types of customers - its adoption has been a relatively immature hit-or-miss. This environment changed dramatically last June when Wal-Mart Stores announced that it would require its top 100 suppliers to put RFID tags on shipping crates and pallets by January 1st 2005, and earlier this month announced that it will expand its RFID efforts to its next 200 largest suppliers by January 1st, 2006. Each tag would store an Electronic Product autograph (EPC) which is a bar code successor that would be used to track products as they enter Wal-Marts distribution... If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com

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