RFID Is Back! And It's the Key to Supply-Chain Visibility

Decades after its debut, radio frequency identification technology is finally poised to realize its potential in the retail sector. The key is item-level RFID – something that hasn't been possible up to now, thanks to high tag costs and the reluctance of many retailers to expend limited resources on its development. Finally, though, there's real progress being made – Macy's, Kohl's and Marks Spencer are just a few of the major retailers to have taken big strides toward the adoption of item-level RFID. Joining us on this episode to tell the story is Joseph Andraski, former supply-chain executive with Nabisco and founder of Collaborative Energizer LLC. He talks of his groundbreaking efforts in this area, including work on a new paper that outlines, for the first time, the benefits of item-level RFID for suppliers. The goal: timely access to accurate information all along the supply chain. ''That's coming,'' Andraski says. ''I'm absolutely convinced of it.''