Vendor Managed Inventory with RFID

Consumer expectations continue to change and evolve. Customers are demanding more personalized products and services, faster delivery and simpler ordering processes. The key to meeting – and exceeding – customer expectations is vendor managed inventory (VMI)     .

By taking responsibility for maintaining inventory control on behalf of distributors and retailers, the vendor greatly increases the advantage for their products. Not only are they less likely to lose sales due to out-of-stocks, they also can ensure the product is properly displayed and that retail sales staff are familiar with the features of the product line.

A prime example of successful VMI, Interstate Battery sells more than 16,000 different kinds of batteries through a network of 200,000 retail dealers and auto centers that display their products. Operating a supply chain that includes 300 wholesale warehouses, Interstate Battery takes full control of product inventory and requires a GSM network to communicate inventory changes.

An important tool to help suppliers implement effective inventory control is the RFID supply chain. For example, FEIG Electronics’ OBID^® i-scan^® UHF RFID readers are used by leading vendors for inventory management, simplifying pallet control and asset tracking for complete end-to-end supply chain management.

Using a single RFID Smart Label, along with OBID i-scan UHF reader technology, a tagged product can be traced throughout the entire supply chain from manufacturing through purchase — all the way to final disposal.

OBID i-scan readers are available as Proximity-, Mid Range- and Long Range devices with different interfaces and various UHF antenna options, making it easy to customize an inventory control system for a variety of products and industries.