Getting the Business Case Right for RFID in Retail
Each of the more than 100 RFID retail programs worldwide is driven by business conditions that are as unique as the companies themselves. In this session, learn how a flexible simulation-based approach can help you see RFID's impact on your business. The speaker will demonstrate a range of retail profiles in specialty, mass-market and mid-market apparel for replenishment, as well as fashion-oriented categories. By rapidly exploring different deployment scenarios, you can understand the connection to quantitative business results. For example, the presenter will show how factors like handheld and fixed read points, or weekly vs. daily inventory counts, contribute to on-shelf availability for your customers. These examples will help you gain insight into the best way to incorporate RFID into your operations.

Speaker:

Larry Arnstein, VP of Business Development, Impinj

Using RFID to Improve Order Management and Inventory Accuracy
Liverpool, a Mexican department store chain, is receiving tagged shipments from more than 2,300 suppliers who send their products in tagged plastic totes to the company’s main distribution center, where passive (UHF) tags are read. The data is used to confirm receipt and ready goods for distribution to retail stores. In this session, hear how 200 suppliers that ship goods in single-use cardboard cartons are also tagging their shipments, thus enabling the firm to leverage its RFID infrastructure for all incoming products at the DC.

Speaker:

Oswaldo Romero Martinez, Logistic Department Project Leader, Liverpool

Takeaways:

• How the DC is now able to process receipt of 230 cases or totes per minute—up from 60 per minute using a bar-code scanner to identify each one
• How the use of RFID to count inventory takes 89 percent less time than doing so manually

Improving Inventory Accuracy and Reducing Labor Costs With RFID
Florida shoe retailer Peltz Shoes has saved approximately 1,500 man-hours in the past year by applying a passive UHF RFID tag to every box containing a pair of shoes at each of its four stores, and by employing an RFID-enabled cart to manage its inventory. The system, which delivered an ROI in less than a year, provides an up-to-date list of available merchandise to online customers, allowing the family-owned business to increase sales. Hear how the system was designed, and what additional functionality is being considered.

Speaker:

Gary Peltz, VP/CEO, Peltz Shoes

Takeaways:

• How to use RFID to manage store inventory
• Strategies for deploying RFID in smaller retail chains

How Gerry Weber Is Using RFID to Reduce Theft and Boost Efficiencies
Gerry Weber International, a German manufacturer of women’s fashions, is applying EPC Gen 2 RFID tags to the 25 million garments it produces annually. The company also plans to roll out RFID technology at 150 of its company-owned retail stores in Germany and abroad. The application is designed to improve the efficiency of its incoming goods and inventory processes, and to function as an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system.

Speaker:

Christian von Grone, CIO, GERRY WEBER International AG

Formulating a Scalable RFID Source-Tagging Strategy
Major apparel suppliers are asking two things as they put large-scale RFID tagging programs in place: What is the most efficient and cost-effective way to apply and encode RFID tags, and what value can be extracted from a tag within a supplier's domain? This session will explain the interdependence of these two questions, and analyze the full range of RFID source-tagging implementation options in that context. From service bureau to bulk-encoding, there are several proven approaches with different strengths. The goal of this session is to help apparel suppliers ask the right questions as they determine how to implement a competitive RFID strategy.

Speaker:

Larry Arnstein, VP of Business Development, Impinj

How Retailers and Suppliers Can Create Coexisting RFID Programs
The University of Arkansas’ RFID Research Center has conducted extensive work to confirm that RFID tags on individual retail items can significantly improve inventory accuracy. A vast body of research supports the need for data standards compliance. This session will focus on how suppliers to multiple retail partners can make sure they do not have conflicting tagging requirements. Learn how to manage use cases and avoid conflicting tagging programs.

Speaker:

Justin Patton, RFID Research Center Managing Director, University of Arkansas

Adding Value Through RFID
German apparel retailer s.Oliver Bernd Freier GmbH & Co. KG explored RFID's effects in the retail environment by performing a proof-of-concept project in selected stores. The initiative's main focus was to determine the technology's benefits within a store environment. In this presentation, learn how the system was implemented, and hear the important lessons learned. The presenter will discuss the project's results, and show a video detailing the implementation.

Speaker:

Dr. Martin Gliesche, Senior Consultant, TAILORIT GmbH