09:00

EPC Standards and Benefits

12:00

Preconference seminars open/working lunch

Working Lunch: RFID Basics
New to RFID? Here's your opportunity to gain a basic introduction to the fundamentals of radio frequency identification. The differences between the various classes of tags will be explained, including active and passive systems, and the need for additional IT systems to build upon RFID in real-world applications will be highlighted. This session will also include a very brief overview of the EPCglobal network, the future of ISO standards, ETSI reader regulations and the latest standardization efforts worldwide. Finally, the relationship between different standards in the areas of RFID and EPC, including the latest EPC Gen 2 standard, will be presented.

Speaker:

Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal

13:15

Preconference Seminar Breaks into Separate Room

     RFID Journal University
     EPC Standards and Benefits

17:00

Preconference Seminar Concludes

08:00

Continental Breakfast

08:30

Welcome and Introduction

Speaker:

Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal

09:00

Keynote Session:
Metro Group Update: Applying RFID Along the Entire Retail Value Chain

Despite the challenging economic climate, Metro Group continues to move forward with its deployment of EPC RFID technology. In this presentation, Dr. Gerd Wolfram, head of Metro's CIO office, will provide an update on the progress the company is making in using RFID to improve operations across the entire retail value chain. The speaker will provide insights into the lessons Metro Group has learned from using RFID in logistics, warehouse management, apparel store inventory management and quality control for fresh food products, and will bring attendees up to date regarding the next phase of the rollout.

Speaker:

Dr. Gerd Wolfram, Head of CIO Office, METRO Group

09:45

Keynote Session:
Charles Vőgele Group Tracks Items from Production to Point of Sale

Charles Vőgele Group, a European fashion retail chain and 2009 RFID Journal Award finalist, has deployed one of the world's first end-to-end supply chain tracking solutions at the item level. The company has its suppliers tag clothing items at eight production facilities in China. The goods are then tracked through a warehouse at the port of Shanghai, as well as at European distribution centers, the backs of four stores in Slovenia, on the retail floor and, finally, the point of sale. The system has been live since September 2008, improving on-shelf replenishment, stock-taking, inventory management and the management of each store's back room.

Speaker:

Thomas Beckmann, VP, Group Supply Chain Management, Charles Vőgele Group

10:30

Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall

11:15

General Session:
Recent EU RFID Recommendations on Privacy and Data Protection

This session will explain the recent EU RFID recommendations regarding privacy and data protection, as well as the steps taken by the EU and its RFID stakeholders to facilitate implementation. The presenters will begin with an introduction from the EC on overall activities, followed by a presentation from GS1 showing the implications the recommendation could have on RFID deployments, and the possible actions end-user companies should take. At the end of this session, there will be a panel discussion.

Speakers:

Marisa Jimenez, Public Policy Director Europe, GS1
Manuel Mateo Goyet, Policy Officer, DG Information Society, European Commission

12:00

General Session:
The State of RFID Adoption Globally

As the editor of RFID Journal, Mark Roberti has had a unique view of the RFID industry's development around the globe. In this presentation, Roberti will bring attendees up to date on the state of adoption worldwide, share insights into which industries are adopting RFID most quickly and explain which factors are currently driving adoption.

Speaker:

Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal

12:45

Lunch in the Exhibit Hall

Supply Chain/Logistics:
Improving Efficiency and Productivity at Munich Airport

Munich Airport deployed an RFID-enabled system leveraging GPS and Wi-Fi, in order to improve its ability to track baggage dollies, cargo dollies and rental dollies. In this session, hear how these items move rapidly throughout the facility and are tracked automatically, thereby increasing the efficiency of their use and staff productivity. In addition, learn how the availability of open application program interfaces (APIs) contributed to the system components' efficient integration into Munich Airport's Airport Process Management (APM) software suite.

Speaker:

Marc Lindike, VP of IT Consulting, Munich International Airport

Takeaways:

• How the airport's solution improves the speed in which tagged items are located
• Preventing delays and loss with radio frequency identification

Retail:
Krause Outlet Takes Window-Shopping to the Ultimate Level

Krause Outlet, a retail store in an industrial park in northern Germany, is employing radio frequency identification to display information regarding each garment presented in its store windows, thereby enabling a consumer to purchase that exact item on the spot, via a vending machine. Before RFID was implemented, customers had to wait for up to two weeks before purchasing clothing displayed in a particular window. A clerk would manually write down the shopper's name and telephone number by hand, then call that person when the requested item was taken out of the window and became available for purchase. In this session, learn how information regarding each garment is displayed, thereby enabling shoppers to utilize their mobile phones to reserve the clothes they see, then purchase those outfits via a vending machine.

Speaker:

Wilhelm Stock, Owner, Automatisierungstechnik Dipl.-Ing. W. Stock

Takeaways:

• How RFID is being used to encourage 24-hour sales at a retail location
• Using radio frequency identification to automate the sales process

Manufacturing/Operations:
Using RFID to Overcome Rugged Conditions

Schneider Electric, a global energy-management company headquartered in France, needs to know the status of its parts and equipment at all times. The company's products are placed in very harsh environments with high voltage and high current that prohibit the use of wired sensors. Its equipment is often installed in areas in which no wires can be added and no battery can be used. In this session, hear how the firm is developing a system that employs RFID tags, along with wireless and battery-less sensors, to reduce costs in challenging conditions.

Speaker:

Dr. Fabrice Roudet, Technical Project Leader and Wireless Communications Expert, Schneider Electric

Takeaways:

• How RFID can be used to gain a competitive advantage
• Insights into how this solution utilizes commonly available tags and readers

15:05

Safeguarding Your Data Center With RFID

Now more than ever, media security within a data center is critical. A data breach can cost a company millions of euros and cause untold business damage and legal difficulties. Businesses around the globe are adopting radio frequency identification to improve IT asset management, thus reducing risk, increasing reliability and improving efficiency. Join representatives from Motorola and Imation to learn how RFID is helping leading global companies ensure their data security.

Speakers:

Andy McBain, Senior EMEA Product Manager, Motorola
George Purrio, European Technical Manager, Imation

Passive RTLS: Next Generation RFID

Speaker:

Roelof Koopmans, Managing Director, Mojix

15:45

Afternoon Break

Manufacturing/Operations:
RFID in the Lufthansa Technik Group—UHF Technology for Logistic and Maintenance Processes

Lufthansa Technik, a leading provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for civilian aircraft, has implemented an RFID solution for tracking aircraft components through its maintenance processes. In this session, learn the latest information about the company's RFID initiative to use ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) technology permanently on parts.

Speaker:

Tom Burian, RFID Application Manager, Lufthansa Technik

Takeaways:

• Tag development and implementation status
• The business case for the deployment, as well as expected benefits

Retail:
How Retailers Benefit from Using RFID to Improve Inventory Accuracy

For the past several years, the University of Arkansas' RFID Research Center has been studying the impact various retailers have achieved by employing radio frequency identification to improve inventory accuracy and replenishment. The center has now aggregated this information, and plans to provide baseline data revealing the benefits the typical apparel retailer can expect to achieve with RFID. Attendees will also learn how the technology can be applied to improving inventory accuracy and reducing the out-of-stock problem that has long plagued retailers.

Speaker:

Dr. Bill Hardgrave, Dean and Wells Fargo Professor, College of Business, Auburn University

Takeaways:

• Baseline data and new insights regarding the ROI that apparel retailers can expect to achieve using RFID
• The requirements for applying RFID to out-of-stocks

Supply Chain/Logistics:
Sony Bridges the Supply Chain Gap With RFID Implementation

Sony has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of RFID in Europe, through its involvement in one of the business development work-packages in the prestigious EU project known as BRIDGE ("Building Radio frequency IDentification solutions for the Global Environment"). Through BRIDGE, Sony has implemented one of the first EPC RFID pilot infrastructures across its end-to-end supply chain. In this session, hear how the use of EPC RFID initiatives at Sony's production factory extends from warehousing and distribution, all the way to retail and consumer service operations. Using the Discovery Service software prototype, developed by a group of BRIDGE researchers, find out how Sony obtains data on the movement of goods along its supply chain, and predicts the likely destination for those items.

Speaker:

Wolfgang Schoenfeld, Senior Manager Logistics Europe, Sony Corp.

Takeaways:

• How EPC RFID infrastructure can be developed and deployed in the context of the operations of a European supply chain
• Deeper insight into the benefits that arise from enhanced data-sharing and item-level information

16:45

Day 1 conference program concludes

08:00

Continental Breakfast

08:30

Welcome and Introduction

Speaker:

Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal

08:45

Keynote Session:
Rewe Uses RFID to Improve RTI Tracking and Management

Rewe Group, a European retail and food group with approximately €50 billion in revenue, has installed a system that can read tagged returnable transport items (RTIs) at 105 dock doors in a distribution center that handles dry foods and perishable items. Learn how the retailer is integrating this system with its back-end systems in order to improve its RTI management. By individually identifying each item, Rewe can avoid the loss of RTIs and improve the process of accounting for them, thus saving money.

Speaker:

Sven Jürgens, Project Manager , REWE Group

09:30

General Session:
Using RFID as an Incentive to Good Health

More than 1 million Scottish citizens currently carry a National Entitlement Card (NEC), a contactless card solution that reduces the handling of cash and promotes the use of certain services. Each card contains a contactless chip encoded with a unique ID number linked to relevant data regarding the card's user, such as his or her name, and services that person can receive in a back-end database managed by the agency. In this session, hear how the city of Dundee has focused on health improvement and easy cash payment solutions by encouraging pregnant women to use their NEC cards to prove they don't smoke, enabling them to earn free food. The program, known as Give It Up for Baby, provides an NEC card to pregnant smokers who agree to attempt to stop smoking. Each woman is provided with an NEC card, and when she visits one of the 36 pharmacies participating in the program, she then blows into a device that measures carbon monoxide levels to determine whether she has been smoking. If the pharmacy finds her to be smoke-free, it directs that information to the Dundee Local Authority, which credits her card with money she can then use to purchase food at designated stores.

Speaker:

Sid Bulloch, National Entitlement Card Manager, City of Dundee

Takeaways:

• How the system has successfully aided pregnant women in kicking the smoking habit by allowing them to step out of the socially acceptable norm of smoking since they are getting paid to quit
• Future uses of RFID-enabled monitoring, plus incentive programs by local governments

10:15

Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall

Manufacturing/Operations:
RFID Helps Lavazza and Goglio Cofibox Track Shipments

Coffee manufacturer Lavazza has teamed up with packaging supplier Goglio Cofibox to tag packaging reels and set up an EPCIS network. The project, which launched earlier this year, is taking place at Goglio Cofibox's production site in Cadorago, near Como, Italy, as well as at Lavazza's packaging and production plant in Turin. All pallets manufactured by Goglio Cofibox are tagged with Gen 2 passive RFID tags complying with EPCglobal's standards, before being shipped from Cadorago and received in Turin by Lavazza. In this session, hear how advance shipping notices (ASNs) and the traceability data are automatically available via the EPCglobal network, for a seamless flow of information between the two companies.

Speakers:

Fabio Marzorati, Industrial Engineer, Product Development, Goglio Cofibox S.p.A.
Antonio Rizzi, Ph.D., Full Professor - Industrial Logistics and Supply Chain Management, University of Parma

Takeaways:

• How Lavazza has automated the receiving process through EPCIS querying, gained visibility into the status of its order processing and increased real-time access to traceability data regarding its packaging reels
• The benefits Goglio Cofibox receives by gaining visibility into stock levels at Lavazza, enabling the company to manage those levels in consignment mode

Retail:
Utilization of RFID in Logistics and Retail at GERRY WEBER

Gerry Weber International AG, a German fashion and lifestyle firm specializing in women's fashion, conducted an RFID pilot in 2003, in partnership with Kaufhof, a unit of the Metro Group. Following that initial trial, the company expanded its RFID activities in 2008 by employing the system throughout its supply chain and in its retail stores. In early 2009, six warehouses, as well as four Gerry Weber locations, were equipped with RFID in order to prove the technology's applicability and benefits under real conditions. In this session, hear how Gerry Weber employs RFID to enhance delivery quality and accelerate processes, while also applying the technology as electronic article surveillance (EAS).

Speaker:

Ralph Tröger, IT Project Manager, IT Projects (ITPR), GERRY WEBER International AG

Takeaways:

 • Methods for applying RFID to improve your business 
 • A practical evaluation of textile RFID tags and RFID-based EAS

Supply Chain/Logistics:
Using Passive UHF RFID to Create the Intelligent Facility

Large, complex infrastructures have diverse communications needs that include complex and often varying service requirements, traffic profiles and user expectations. The Intelligent Airport (TINA) is a three-year research project being carried out by a well-known university. In this session, hear how RFID can manage a wide range of fixed and mobile equipment. Uses for RFID in large facilities include information and entertainment services, security cameras, biometric sensors, and explosive and chemical detectors, as well as logistical support for retailers, facility services and operations.

Speaker:

Sithamparanathan Sabesan, M.Phil., Ph.D., Junior Research Fellow, Girton College, Cambridge University

Takeaways:

• Improving efficiency and security through the active tracking of visitors and employees, by using RFID tags to aid in the detection and identification of possible intruder threats
• How RFID can be utilized in airports to locate checked-in passengers who are either missing or late, thereby facilitating the reduction of passenger-induced delays and speeding up aircraft turnaround

12:00

Lunch in the Exhibit Hall

Manufacturing/Operations:
Logwin Uses RFID to Optimize Tire Logistics

Logwin, an international logistics company, is employing RFID tags to identify and record incoming and outgoing goods at its tire logistics center near Vienna. The company produces up to 41,000 complete wheels every month. During the production process, RFID tags are attached to assembled complete wheels, with each tire receiving its own unique identification number. Scanning devices at various stages of the logistics chain automatically detect these ID numbers. In this session, learn how RFID ensures that the company's stock levels are continuously updated, and that outgoing goods are guaranteed to leave according to the "first in, first out" (FIFO) principle.

Speaker:

Michael Peschek, Director of Operations, Logwin AG

Takeaways:

• Why RFID tags outperform bar codes at manufacturing facilities 
• How radio frequency identification has simplified Logwin AG's handling process and can reliably display the movements of goods

Supply Chain/Logistics:
Iveco Relies on RFID to Support Customer Service Operations

Iveco, an international manufacturer and supplier of commercial trucks, parts and diesel engines, in collaboration with logistic partner Kuehne + Nagel, is employing RFID technology to identify and track spare parts at Kuehne + Nagel's 190,000-square-meter facility in Turin, Italy. The PARTS.iD project, developed in collaboration with Alfaproject.net, tracks the physical flow of the spare parts from the company's main warehouse to its dealers. In this session, hear how every unit is tagged and identified, enabling each spare part that exits the warehouse to be unique and given a "personal passport," thereby certificating its origin.

Speakers:

Alessandro Dandolo, CEO and Managing Partner, Alfaproject.net S.r.l.
Stefano Fantini, Customer Service Supply Chain Manager, Iveco
Paolo Guidi, Sales and Marketing Director, Kuehne+Nagel

Takeaways:

• How RFID has improved the efficiency of the company's overall warehouse-management processes, resulting in fewer shipping errors
• Future uses of the system to improve parts availability at the user level

Retail:
NP Brings RFID to Its Shoppers

At its store in Finland, women's clothing designer Naisten Pukutehdas (NP) has extended its existing RFID system to the sales floor. The company—which sells women's fashion at 500 retail locations in Scandinavia and Russia, as well as at 10 of its own stores—has created what it believes to be a smart store, employing RFID sensors in its dressing rooms and on its shelves to provide customers with improved and more personalized service. Previously, NP installed RFID readers at its distribution center, reducing errors and time previously spent manually checking garments to ensure the correct products were sent to the proper locations. In this session, learn how NP expanded its RFID system to fitting rooms, store shelves and sales counters, thereby improving customers' shopping experience and speeding the payment process.

Speaker:

Markus Rosendahl, Founder and President, SENSO

Takeaways:

• How RFID stimulates sales when customers select items they would like to try on with a garment they have already carried into a dressing room
• Opportunities to streamline the inventory process with radio frequency identification

Retail:
Manor's RFID Deployment Yields Greater Efficiencies at DC’s and Stores

Manor, Switzerland's largest retail chain, rolled out an RFID system that is increasing inventory visibility, cutting labor costs and shortening replenishment cycles. The company is currently using the system to automate the processing of goods at two distribution centers and speed up the receipt of goods at five of its 80 stores. Manor is using about 140,000 EPC Gen 2 tags attached to reusable plastic crates and 1 million tags attached to disposable cardboard boxes each year, in one of the largest RFID rollouts in the country. In this session, hear how Manor has increased its outbound shipping accuracy since fewer bar-coded labels must be scanned and is enjoying quick ROI.

Speaker:

Markus Wyss, Vice Director, Head of Supply Chain Development, Manor

Takeaways:

• How to use RFID to reduce shrinkage by compared goods received with goods ordered
• How RFID enables Manor to continually update the DC's "ready to ship" and "shipped" status

Manufacturing/Operations:
“Made in Italy” Protection and Logistics Management Improvement with RFID at G&P Net

Garment manufacturer G&P Net is employing RFID at its four distribution centers in Italy to control distribution channels and combat gray-market sales. When a retailer authorized to sell one product also sells another that is unauthorized—sometimes in another country—that practice is known as gray-market sales. Not only does this practice tarnish the image of a product intended for a limited group of retailers, but the cost to European businesses from unauthorized sales at unsanctioned prices can be millions of euros every year, both in reduced product value and in litigation fees, as manufacturers attempt to identify and stop such sellers. In this session, learn how G&P Net adopted RFID solutions to optimize logistics processes, in order to protect its trademark and track a specific item's shipment route. This procedure enables the manufacturer to maintain a record as to which retailer received each item. Hear how, in the event that G&P Net learns of an unauthorized seller, the company can scan the RFID number on a garment's tag and immediately determine who previously had possession of that product.

Speakers:

Otello Azzali, Vice President, Aton SpA
Luca Isidori, ICT Manager, G&P Net

Takeaways:

• How G&P Net thwarts gray-market sales, as well as how RFID helps the company track its own shipping cycles and collect updated information regarding which products have been shipped, to whom and when
• How radio frequency identification is producing a quick ROI for G&P Net

Supply Chain/Logistics:
Increasing Airline Satisfaction at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol With RFID

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handles between 120,000 and 160,000 items of baggage on a daily basis. In order to handle those numbers more cost-effectively and at a higher level of quality, Schiphol and home carrier KLM are employing RFID labels attached to a portion of checked-in baggage. In this session, learn how the RFID system is being used in the baggage halls at the airport, ensuring more efficient and faster handling of baggage.

Speaker:

Mark van Gaalen, Strategic Consultant, Baggage Logistics and Innovation, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Takeaways:

• How RFID is being used at the airport to make sure the airline has the correct bag, at the right place, at the proper time, enabling the swift movement of baggage and reducing manual handling
• Future uses of RFID at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM's "70 MB Programme" which, in the long term, plans to have the capacity of handling 70 million pieces of baggage each year

Manufacturing/Operations:
RFID Helps Maintain Factory Infrastructure at ZF Friedrichshafen

ZF Friedrichshafen, a manufacturer of automotive transmissions and chassis, is employing radio frequency identification to improve the maintenance of motors that run its production machinery at its factory in Saarbruecken, Germany. After having a good experience using passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tags to improve the management of parts at another plant, the company tagged the 6,000 motors that run its production machinery and conveyor systems. These motors must be maintained and serviced at regular intervals—usually, every two to three months—to ensure that production equipment continues running. In this session, hear how workers use RFID to identify and record the motors' repair histories.

Speaker:

Jurgen Kusper, Manager Business Solutions, TRICON

Takeaways:

• How RFID reduces overall maintenance costs by decreasing the amount of time workers must search for the proper motor to repair, as well as the related maintenance histories
• The importance of employing tags that can stand up to wear and tear from handling and cleaning in a harsh industrial environment

Supply Chain/Logistics:
Managing Risk in RFID Projects

The application of emerging technologies within an organization carries considerable risks, which are compounded in RFID projects in which users are faced with technology-selection risks along with project risks. This session will discuss how an organization can minimize risks and increase the probability of success for RFID projects.

Speaker:

Pankaj Sood, Founder, McMaster RFID Applications Lab

Retail:
The Business Case for RFID in Retail Apparel

RFID Journal has conducted extensive research to understand the business case for RFID in apparel retail, and to create metrics that companies in that sector can use to determine the likely return on investment they could achieve by employing the technology to manage store inventory. In this session, we will explain the data used, and walk attendees through the financial model. Those in attendance will receive a copy of the report on which the presentation will be based, as well as an interactive spreadsheet they can utilize to explore the benefits they can expect to receive, based on their own store size, number of units, margin, labor costs and other inputs.

Speaker:

Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal

15:50

Conference Adjourns