Canada Gets Serious About RFID

Rosetti said theft has been reduced by more than 95 percent because the company can track what's been put on each truck and what is removed when the truck arrives at a location. The system also has reduced losses from perishables going bad in transit, and it's reduced the amount of time people spend tracking shipments. What's more, it has cut by 75 percent the amount of time Can. U.S. employees spend on the phone explaining where shipments are, as customers have access to that information through a secure Web portal. "We put the system in at the beginning of 2005," Rosetti said, "and it paid for itself by mid-2006."

Our closing keynote address was delivered by Carolyn Walton, vice president of information systems for Wal-Mart. She shared some of the benefits Wal-Mart has seen in the United States. One interesting slide showed the reduction in out-of-stocks attributable to RFID for different types of products. For products that sell seven to 15 units per day, out-of-stocks went down 62 percent. That's a phenomenal achievement.

We're starting to see a shift in attitudes toward RFID. I saw it in Europe, and I saw it again in Canada. There are still naysayers who think RFID will never achieve a return on investment, but clearly the findings early adopters are sharing have raised awareness and interest among big companies, as well as some midsize and small companies around the world. These companies are now eager to explore how and where RFID might help them improve the way they do business, increase their top-line growth and reduce their costs.

Not every company attending RFID Journal LIVE! Canada is going to decide they can deploy RFID right now, but the technology is maturing rapidly. All attendees left the event with a better idea of what RFID can and can't do. The smart ones—and based on my discussions with attendees, that is the majority of them—will go back to their companies and spend the time and effort to develop a firm grasp of where RFID technology can deliver value to their businesses. When they've addressed all the technical and business issues associated with an RFID application, they will roll it out and reap the rewards.

Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below.