- Exclusive: Following in Wal-Mart's footsteps, the U.S.
Department of Defense plans to ask its top 100 suppliers to put RFID tags
on shipments.
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- RFID Journal has learned that the U.S. Department of
Defense plans to ask its top 100 suppliers to put RFID tags on pallets,
cases and big-ticket items. The military intends to spell out its plans
in detail sometime next summer, but it is believed that tagging could begin
in 2005.
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- A tag on every case by 2006?
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- Sources say that Alan Estevez, the assistant deputy under
secretary of defense for supply chain integration, will inform the top
100 suppliers of its intentions by the end of this month. Estevez was unavailable
to comment.
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- RFID Journal's sources say that the military intends
to be an early implementer of EPC technology. But Ed Coyle, head of the
IT enterprise integration group at the Defense Logistics Agency, told the
Journal: "We are definitely endorsing RFID tags, but it would be premature
to endorse EPC until [AutoID Inc.] releases their specifications."
AutoID Inc. is a joint venture set up by EAN International and the Uniform
Code Council (UCC) to commercialize EPC technology.
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- Sources say that the Department of Defense (DOD) has
been in touch with senior executives at Wal-Mart to learn what the retailer
is doing and how RFID technology can be applied to the military, which
has the largest supply chain in the world. It's not clear whether Estevez
will set a specific date for tagging, but one source says: "If Wal-Mart's
top 100 suppliers can do it within 18 to 24 months, then we don't see why
our top 100 suppliers can't."
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- The military is already one of the leaders in using RFID
technology. Currently all pallets sent to the Gulf and Afghanistan are
tagged. Containers are tracked around the world using active (battery-powered)
tags from Savi Technology. The DOD would apparently like to have suppliers
tag not just pallets and cases, but also put active tags on containers
and eventually GPS devices on all shipments to provide perfect visibility.
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- There is some concern in the military about whether EPC
technology can be used in the military supply chain. One issue is whether
EPC will become a true standard. The military wants to ensure complete
interoperability between products from different vendors. AutoID Inc. has
set up an Implementation Task Force to formulate standards. But Mike Di
Yeso, the UCC's chief operating officer, says that its too early to say
when standards will be finalized (see Code Warriors: Driving EPC Forward).
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- The DOD suppliers are among the largest companies in
the world. The top 100 would include Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed
Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. If the military does endorse EPC
technology for tracking goods in the military supply chain, it could help
spread EPC technology throughout the manufacturing sector because military's
top 100 suppliers also have divisions that make commercial airplanes, electronic
components, trucks, ships and other products.
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- ©2003 RFID Journal Inc.
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- http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/576/1/1/
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