Post on 01-Jan-2016
description
Get Ready… Get Set… GO!
From Evaluation to ActionMoving RFID Projects Beyond the Pilot Phase
Professor Bill Hardgrave,Director RFID Research Center,University of Arkansas
Joe WhiteVice President, RFIDMotorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions
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RFID Evolution
• Closed Loop
• In-Company Value
• Beyond UHF, Beyond HF. . .
• Value Beyond Middleware
• Horizontal Asset Management
• Item-Level Benefits Before Supply Chain
• RFID Sensing Technology
Technologies
Value Beyond The Supply Chain
• Closed Loop Defining Factor• Proven Business Value/ROI• Unplanned, New Applications
• Gen 2 Success• Proliferation of Locationing
Technologies• Multi-Technology Integration
Industries & Applications
Where It’s At . . .
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Asset Management
Here and Now
2009 and Beyond
Aggressive Growth in Defined Markets
Retail Item Level Visibility
Supply Chain Management
Cold Chain - Perishables
Aviation/Baggage Tracking
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Leading Adoption
From Evaluation to Action
• Getting Ready• Education | Evaluation
• Getting Set• Deployment Definition
• GO!• When? How Deep?
Getting Ready
Education
Technology Evaluation
Management/Stakeholder Buy-In• Data Ownership
Business Process Analysis
GettingReady
The Technology Works!
• Validating the Application, Not the Technology
• Buying Solutions / Solution Sets, Not a Product
At The End of The Day, A Better Way To Count!
Business Process Analysis
•Will identify:• Needed Read Points• Data Flow• Low Hanging Fruit
•Output:• Determine Technologies• Identify Stakeholders• Target Areas of Benefit
Its a mandatory process that will determine your success or failure!
High Number of SKU’s
High Valued Items
High Velocity Items
Closed Loop
Reusable
Traceable
Tagging Logistics
Is RFID the Right Fit?
Technology Evaluation
Data Capacity
Capability
Asset Requirements
Range
Geography
Costs
Security
Environment
Industry Traction
Innovation Curve
The Right Identification Technology may be a combination of technologies
Range
Cost
EAS
UWB
UHF RFID
WIFI
Proxim
ity
Vicinit
y
Loca
l
Battery Assisted UHF
HF/NFC
Barcodes
Getting Set
Communicate Out
Clearly Defined Pilot
Set Measureable Goals
Avoid Scope-Creep
Site Surveys
Technology Selection• 100% Science, 0% Art
Ecosystem Build Out• SW, HW, Integration• Complete Solution vs. Ad Hoc• Industry/Deployment Expertise
GettingSet
Start Somewhere. . .
GO!
Validation• Expectations/Assumptions
Evaluate Lessons Learned
Adjustments
When to go Open Loop?
Prepare/Espouse Consumer Privacy Objections
Follow the Early Leaders . . .
GO !
RFID at AA
Overview
• In the beginning:• Wholesale clothing (t-shirts) began in 1998• Emphasize vertical integration, sweatshop-free, American made
products • Pro-labor philosophy• First retail store in Montreal in 2003
• Today:• Retail is composed of 240 stores
and growing• AA employs over 9000• Wholesale represents half of
revenue - approx. 65% of sales• One manufacturing facility located
in downtown L.A.
Getting Ready - Environment
• Closed-loop system
• Made in U.S.A.
• Quick Inventory turnover
• 26,000+ SKU’s
• Boutique sales floor
• Inventory management labor intensive
• Young, enthusiastic employees
Getting Ready
Pilot Goals
• Test RFID capabilities for accuracy, performance and adaptability.
• Increase visibility thru item level tagging• Effective management of inventory
• Improve accuracy/reliability• Decrease labor and margin for human error• Keep sales floor @ 100%
• Keep it simple• Low Impact
Getting Ready
Hardware
• Matching the appropriate hardware to solution.• Motorola/Symbol 9090 handhelds
for “cycle counting”• Motorola/Symbol XR440 Readers
w/ AN400 antenna’s @ Portals• IntelliPads @ Commissioning
Station
Software
• TrueVUE Essentials• Out of box functionality to address RFID goals• Test hardware• U.S. company• Location near factory
RFID Tags
• Avery Dennison AD222 hang tag and sticker tag
• Performance vs. form factor• Durable/reliable• Attach with existing price tag• Reusable
Location for Pilot
• Columbia University store in NYC
• Average sales comparably• Large stockroom• Dedicated staff• Location/resources• Exit strategy
Getting Set
Getting Set - Installation
• Hardware• Network• Portals/stairwells• Commissioning stations• Black boxes for POS/transfers• 2 Handhelds• Insulate metal shelving
• Software• Server• Commissioning• Handheld
• Testing• Accurate reads• Speed• Reliability• Staff acceptance
Getting Set - Preparation
• Remove unnecessary inventory
• Tagging• 100% of inventory
• Commissioning
• 4 stations consisting of:• IntelliPad• Barcode scanner• PC w/ VUE commissioning software
Getting Set
Inventory Management
• Scanning/counting• Sales floor – 1 Zone• Stockroom – 22 Zones
• Movement of product• Stairwell portals
• Between front and backroom
• Receiving new product/incoming transfers• Tag/commission• Cycle count to inventory
• Maintain 100% sales floor occupancy• Using all capture points w/ VUE
software• Real-time reporting
Results
Counting inventory using 2 handhelds
• Sales floor• 2 people, 2 hours
• Approx. 12,000 items
• Validations proved 99+% accuracy
• Stockroom• 2 people 3.5 hours
• Approx. 28,000 items
• Item counts proved 99% accuracy
Moving inventory through portals• Capturing items moving between backroom and front
• 80+% accuracy using traditional carrying methods
• 90+% accuracy with modified methods
GO !
Lessons Learned
Handhelds• Performance
• 90 degree rule• Lag/hesitation• Long range reads• Shadowing of tags
• Folded items: fluff tags with free hand• Hanging items: separate and shake
hangers
• Metal• Contact interference• RF barrier
• Hangers: orient handheld below hangers
• Fixtures on wall: spacers
Lessons Learned
Captures at portals• More product = lower accuracy
• Carry less items• Shake items in-front of antenna to expose tags
• Reads through walls and RF reflection• Create shielding• Adjust attenuation and angle of projection
Operations• Wrongly encoded tags• Flawed inventory data• Handheld misuse
It’s Going
• Enterprise system up and running• Source tagging at L.A. factory• Santa Monica Store
• Immediate sales increase of 15%• Removed over 60 hours of labor/week
• 20 stores in NYC RFID ready• Tagging At Manufacture
• Challenge: tagging store’s current stock• 700,000+ items in NYC alone• Store level tagging when receiving transfers
GO !
Toward Better Counting
• READY• Commitment• Definition
• SET• 1 Store• 40K Items
• GO!• 20 Store Roll-Out• 800K Items
4 Months
5 Months
6 Months
National Rollout => NOV• 225 Stores
Get Ready… Get Set… GO!
From Evaluation to ActionMoving RFID Projects Beyond the Pilot Phase
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Thank You!