In the early days of our RFID Journal LIVE! conference and exhibition, most of the speakers spoke about how they envisioned using radio frequency identification within their organizations. Much of the discussion was theoretical. Then, for a few years, there was a lot of talk about how to improve read rates and ensure the technology performed correctly.
Then companies started to present case studies about how they were using RFID to track work-in-process, finished inventory or assets. Now, businesses are beginning to move beyond the basics to those next-generation applications.
RFID Innovation in Retail
Macy’s Joe Coll, for example, will speak about how his company is using RFID to combat organized retail crime. The retailer is already employing RFID to manage in-store inventory and make more product available for sale online—core RFID applications. Joe, the company’s VP of asset protection, operations and strategy, will explain how Macy’s is taking the data from RFID to understand shrinkage, and how it is tying video images of theft to RFID data to provide law enforcement with actional information.
Blockstore and Ghop, two innovative startup retail operations, will speak about how they are using RFID technologies to enable stores that are open all the time and do not have staff members on the premises. Customers make purchases, and RFID tracks those transactions. Clearly, this is a next-gen application.
Manufacturing and Logistics
It’s not just retailers that are exploring new applications and achieving additional benefits. Corey Cook, the chief of logistics and sustainment for Lockheed Martin Advanced Technologies Concepts, will discuss how his company is integrating RFID with autonomous systems, augmented reality applications, holographic visualization tools and self-sensing platforms. If you’re a manufacturer, there is a lot to be learned from this session alone.
Professor Huanyu (Larry) Cheng will explain how a wearable sensor device developed by Penn State University researchers can be applied directly to an individual’s skin, like a temporary tattoo, to measure that person’s conditions, including temperature, heart rate and blood-oxygen levels. With a small wireless module leveraging Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID technology, it can transmit data to a user’s smartphone.
Moving Beyond Core Applications
These and other applications are extremely exciting and show RFID has moved beyond the core applications at some companies. Of course, if you are just starting to deploy RFID for asset tracking or inventory management, there are plenty of case studies that you can learn from during the event.
The exhibit hall will be filled with the leading solution providers, so you can find the right partner. But there are sessions that will give you inspiration for additional applications once you’ve achieved a return on investment from the initial applications. Don’t miss this opportunity. Register today.
Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal.
Exhibitors at RFID Journal LIVE! 2022 will offer tagging solutions for a variety of applications, including those in retail, logistics, manufacturing and other industries. To learn more, visit the event’s website.