Why is there such a buzz surrounding RFID technology?
John Pulling: From a technical standpoint, RFID is a simple concept with enormous implications. RFID technology is expected to one-day replace bar code technology. How? Put an RFID tag, which is a microchip with a built-in antenna, on a case of products, and suddenly a computer can “see” it. Put tags on every can of Coke and every car axle, and suddenly the world changes. No more inventory counts. No more lost or misdirected shipments. No more guessing how much material is in the supply chain –or how much product is on the store shelves. Over the past year, a number of global retail product manufacturers like Gillette, Kimberly-Clark and Proctor & Gamble have conducted tests of RFID technology. On November 4, Wal-Mart outlined requirements that its top 100 suppliers would need to become compliant in RFID technology by January 2005, and in the process confirmed that RFID was an important business technology and not just a passing fad. WTN: Is Wal-Mart replacing bar codes? What s the di
