Retail and Distribution Industry

〈 Industry Case Studies 〉

Retail and Distribution
Industry

In the retail and distribution industry, from raw material procurement to supply chain management, goods, data, and management of financial flows requires improvement from existing operations. As one of the solutions, the application of RFID technology is attracting attention. In recent years, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and convenience store companies have announced the “Declaration of 100 Billion Electronic Tags at Convenience Stores”and the "Drugstore Smart Declaration" with Japan Chain Drugstore Association.

Issues in the Future

In recent years, the shortage of labor due to the declining birthrate and aging population is becoming more serious, and there is also a need to respond to soaring labor costs and diversifying consumer needs. There are many businesses in each layer of the supply chain (manufacturing, storage, delivery, sales, etc.), but now that mass marketing of mass production and consumption is reaching its limits, it is important to improve the efficiency of each business and necessary to create new added value.

Solution

[Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency]

By attaching RFID tags to all products from the product manufacturing stage, all information related to logistics and commercial distribution is visualized, and shared across all areas of the supply chain, where and how many products are available can be accurately identified in real time.

One of the benefits of information visualization is inventory optimization. In addition to reducing sales opportunity loss due to shortages, it is also highlighted that overproduction and inventory can be avoided. In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about reducing waste such as food loss, but the excessive production, distribution, and disposal of products not only impair corporate profits, but also lead to environmental burdens. Realizing inventory optimization is expected to improve corporate profits and reduce environmental costs, so it is attracting a great deal of attention from both industrial and social perspectives.

RFID can also be used locally at each layer of the supply chain. For example, inventory, receipt / issue manage and location information management in distribution warehouses and retail stores have led to overwhelming efficiency gains compared to operations using conventional barcodes. It can also be the best solution for resolving labor shortages and reducing labor costs, which are issues for the entire industry, and the resulting improvement in productivity should stimulate the creation of new added value.

Products Handled

Types of RFID Tags in the Retail and Distribution Industry
Various types of Labels (Small/Large Size, Removable, Moisture Resistant and Metal Compatible etc.)