Eugene, Ore. -- PSC Inc., a global provider of integrated data-collection solutions for next-generation retail supply chains, today released the results of a survey conducted at the recent Electronic Product Code (EPC) Symposium in Chicago. The survey revealed that manufacturers and suppliers plan to significantly increase deployment of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. While two-thirds (67%) of survey participants revealed that they are not currently using RFID in their supply chain, 100 percent indicated that they plan to utilize or pilot the technology within the next two years and nearly half (47%) plan to do so in the next year.
The survey was conducted among the 1,208 attendees during the three days of the EPC Symposium, which is co-produced by Advanstar Communications Inc. and the MIT Auto-ID Center of which PSC is a sponsoring member. Survey participants included senior executives, and operations, supply chain and IT managers of leading manufacturers and suppliers worldwide.
When asked to identify the role handheld readers will play in the industry as RFID adoption increases, 67 percent of survey participants indicated that handhelds will continue to be used for exception handling and 32 percent that they will be used as inexpensive "test" or "starter" kits as an alternative to fixed-position readers.
Two-thirds (67%) of respondents indicated that they will add RFID capability to their fleet of forklift trucks and vehicle-mount terminals and 92 percent anticipate achieving this addition through the use of handheld readers.
The survey also revealed that three-quarters (75%) of manufacturers and suppliers anticipate that RFID tags will not completely replace bar codes, and that the two technologies will coexist.
"This study validates market indications that RFID will have an important impact on next-generation supply chain technology and will coexist with traditional bar codes into the foreseeable future," said Clarke McAllister, RFID Solutions Manager for PSC Inc. "Handheld reader technologies can provide a key, cost-effective bridge as companies integrate RFID into existing supply chains."
The EPC Symposium formally launched the first platform of the EPCTM Network developed by the MIT Auto-ID Center. The Symposium provided manufacturers and suppliers with specifications and detailed elements on how they can incorporate the EPC Network into their supply chains. Attendees were educated on how products with EPC tags interact with each other, the manufacturer, and the retailer to form an optimally efficient cycle of direct, real-time supply and demand.
PSC provides integrated data-collection solutions for next-generation retail supply chains. To learn more about PSC, visit http://www.pscnet.com or contact us at 1-800-695-5700.
