Are you a retailer looking for
computerized solutions to maximize the efficiency of your operations
whilst minimizing the money and time spent? If you're dealing with the
apparel industry, then a recent technological development might be of
interest to the successful running of your business.
Radio-frequency identification isn't a
new concept, but the application of
this technology in the apparel industry is a recently emerging trend.
It's a system that allows the transmission of electronic information
wirelessly between a tag and a reader.
Dubbed
RFID, the technology allows for the
collection, storage and utilization of item-level inventory information.
The benefits are multi-faceted: from the manufacturing process to the
point-of-sale. With RFID-enabled tags (unlike barcodes), items are able
to be more easily accounted for in the inventory process as
line-of-sight isn't required for the transmission of data. This in turn
means that staff hours to complete stocktaking procedures are reduced,
granting more time to interact with customers. The time spent restocking
is minimized and shelf level accuracy is increased. Back room operations
are enhanced, and it's even possible to locate items that may have been
stashed out of immediate view. The figures given from RFID retail
studies indicate a 98% increase in inventory accuracy and an average 90%
decrease in the time taken for the daily inventory count.
RFID once again differs from
barcode technologies through the
assignment of a unique serial number to each item, whereas barcodes are
issued individually to multiple items. There is only so much a retailer
can do to implement improved measures under the previous system. The
RFID model does admittedly call for an overhaul of existing procedures,
but it ensures greater levels of product accountability and security in
the long run.
COMPUTER TIPS