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Abstract
This document describes a feasibility study conducted by the University of Arkansas’ RFID Research Center with participation from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals CSCMP, the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions VICS Association, Dillard’s, and Procter & Gamble, wherein passive Ultra High Frequency UHF Gen 2 RFID tags were applied to a variety of clothing and footwear items, generally offered for retail in the apparel/footwear industry, and tested for read rate success using various test scenarios. These test scenarios were compiled with a view to emulate, as practically as possible in a laboratory environment, normal store operations within the apparel/footwear industry. Overall, the purpose of the initial phase of this project was to explore the feasibility of RFID for apparel/footwear item level tagging. The project followed the general steps of: 1 identify the use cases where RFID may offer the most benefit; and 2 set up prototypes in a lab environment to investigate the feasibility of RFID for each use case. The major use cases investigated included product lifecycle management, inventory management, loss prevention, dressing room management, and point of sale.
Summary
These test scenarios were compiled to be as close to normal store operations as possible within the apparel/footwear industry. Overall, the purpose of the initial phase of this project was to explore the feasibility of RFID for apparel/footwear item level tagging.
The project followed these general steps: 1. Identify the use cases where RFID may offer the most benefit; and 2. Set up prototypes in a lab environment to investigate the feasibility of RFID for each use case. The major use cases investigated included product lifecycle management, inventory management, loss prevention, dressing room management, and point of sale.
The tests involved bringing tagged items through an RFID reader “portal,” which is a pair of antennas set up like an anti-theft checkpoint. The tagged items would be brought through in different scenarios, like being hung from a Z-Bar or being inside a box on a cart.
The tests showed positive results. Read rate percentages for tags in each test generally stayed above 90%, with certain problems such as Tag Shadowing (RFID tags being pushed together extremely tight and being unreadable) being pointed out as occurring occasionally.
