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First printed in Checkout Magazine
Retailer hails RFID success
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is hailing as a success the results of an RFID, or electronic, tagging pilot scheme, which the retailer claims has driven up shop floor stock availability and lead to a near elimination of labelling errors.
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| Worldwide Fruit: RFID is removing human error |
The project, which has been running since April 2004 in six M&S stores, involved the tagging and tracing of men's suits from the firm's Neasden distribution centre.
David Albin, RFID business consultant for the retailer, told
delegates at last month's RFID Networking Forum that the
project would be rolled out to a further three stores after the pilot scheme showed improved stock availability on the shop floor.
As a result of the project, said Albin, sales of men's suits had increased at a greater rate in RFID-enabled stores than in non-enabled stores and are continuing to grow at a higher level.
The success of the scheme, which recently won an RFID Breakthrough Award, is likely to result in further expansion, with over 50,000 RFID tags set to be put into existing cardboard labels.
In a separate pilot scheme, also carried out in conjunction with M&S, fresh fruit supplier, Worldwide Fruit, has increased its labelling and delivery accuracy to almost 100% after implementing new tracking technology.
Dave West, operations manager for Worldwide Fruit, told delegates at the RFID Forum the supplier has used RFID systems to address the inadequacies of the barcode system and remove human error from the labelling process.
West said implementing the Vision Pick Verification (PAV) Module had increased accuracy from 99.50% to 99.98%.
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