This article was originally published by RFID Update.
September 19, 2007—Wealth and asset management firm Robert W. Baird & Co. has released its RFID Monthly for September. Baird has given RFID Update permission to reprint the Key Developments section (below), which offers the report highlights. For those wanting more detail, the complete 19-page document is available free here.
The standard matrix of primary RFID providers is on page 13, and following are the Key Developments:
- Pharmaceutical Distributors More Closely Looking at RFID. The distributor community has been more actively looking at ways to comply with California’s 2009 e-pedigree mandate with the formation of a committee that is exploring mass serialization of product. We understand that they expect to use RFID as a tool in this process along with 2D bar codes. Distributors are seeking to get ahead of additional e-pedigree legislation by other states and the federal government.
- AmerisourceBergen Unveils RFID-Based Specialty Drug Delivery Solution. AmerisourceBergen’s ASD unit announced a new solution that enables real-time tracking of specialty drug usage at hospitals with an RFID-enabled refrigerator. As drugs are removed from the refrigeration unit, an alert is sent back to ASD to enable rapid replenishment for low supplies. The system can also better manage unusual activity and help improve usage before drug expiration. ASD has equipped over 50 hospitals and plans to actively market (rollout) this solution. Blue Vector appliances provide the alerts and network management, and RF Code supplied the tags and readers.
- GlaxoSmithKline Still Moving Forward with RFID. On August 25, the London Times reported that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) was not seeing value out of RFID and was considering scrapping the program. Our RFID contacts in pharma have indicated that the article is “completely wrong” and that GSK is not only continuing its trial with Trizivir, but will likely announce one to two new additional trials in the next several months.
- Metro to Hold Apparel Press Conference. Metro will be hosting a press conference in Essen, Germany on September 20 to announce its RFID pilot program at a Galeria Kaufhof store. In the single store, all products in its menswear department have been tagged since July to enable customers to obtain information about the various clothing articles. The solution will also allow Galeria Kaufhof personnel better visibility into in-store inventory in a less labor-intensive way. Details on further store deployments to the remaining 142 Galeria Kaufhof stores have not been released. We believe the program will use near-field Gen2.
- DoD Pilot Programs Moving Forward. While funding is challenging in the DoD at this point, we understand a few RFID projects are moving forward. Such programs generally have a limited scope, and attempt to solve a specific logistics problem in the supply chain. Therefore, while these projects remain small, we are hearing stories of increased successes (i.e., labor efficiencies) and expect increased funding for additional projects during FY2008, which begins in October.
Download the full Baird RFID Monthly (pdf)
