A rеcеnt survеy of 200 rеtail and supply chain lеadеrs found that 99% of rеtailеrs еxpеct customеr dеmand to rеquirе samе-day dеlivеry by 2025. With this in mind, RFID (radio-frеquеncy idеntification) technology – dеsignеd to dеlivеr rеal-timе visibility of invеntoriеs – is proving an indispеnsablе tool for businеss lеadеrs.
This blog will explore how (and why) Under Armour and River Island are utilising RFID technology for inventory management.n
1) The Benefits Of RFID Technology?
2) Under Armour: RFID For Loss Prevention
3) River Island: RFID For Real-Time Inventory Visibility
4) MiTEQ: Specialists In Real-Time Location System Solutions
The Benefits Of RFID Technology
Enterprises like Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and Zara have already spoken out about the value of RFID technology for supply chain operations. On top of traditional barcoding systems, RFID technology enables business leaders to automate processes, elevate workforce productivity, and significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of business information.
Loss Prevention Magazine stated that supply chain leaders could utilise RFID technology to…
- Improve inventory visibility and accuracy (between 65-75% and 93-99%).
- Optimise stock holdings
- Reduce shrinkage losses
- Reduce staff costs
Below are two case studies on renowned retail brands using RFID technology to improve inventory management processes.
Under Armour: RFID For Loss Prevention
Under Armour is a leading sports equipment, footwear, and performance apparel manufacturer. They are deploying RFID technology to prevent losses, improve customer service, and achieve greater system accuracy.
The Vision
Under Armour stores were already utilising an excellent electronic article surveillance (EAS) system to prevent shoplifting before deploying RFID systems; however, they wanted to explore new technology to transform the level of service, system accuracy, and pricing they were experiencing to achieve truly exceptional results.
Under Armour’s Director of Global Retail Asset Protection and Investigations said:
“We consider innovation part of our brand’s DNA, which is also true for our asset protection department, and this feeds our desire to constantly innovate in a way that creates greater efficiencies from our team.”
The Solution
Under Armour explored a ceiling-mounted RFID reader – to replace the pedestals commonly installed at store exits. They were impressed by how easily an RFID-capable EAS system could be deployed. The fact that this system had scope to be scaled into an end-to-end merchandise tracking solution was incredibly appealing.
“I could kick myself for not discovering this solution sooner,” – Director of Global Retail Asset Protection and Investigations, Under Armour
River Island: RFID For Real-Time Inventory Visibility
River Island is one of the most well-known High-Street Retail brands with over 250 stores across the UK, Ireland, and internationally. They use RFID technology to automate processes, improve inventory accuracies, and achieve real-time stock visibility.
The Vision
River Island was spending a whole working day every year executing stock counts. It was hindering workforce productivity and compromising customer experiences. RFID technology presented an opportunity to achieve real-time stock visibility while automating annual stock counts.
River Island’s Head of Global Loss Prevention and safety said:
“Accurate stock data is vital for us to offer omnichannel services to our customers successfully.”
The Solution
Over seven months, River Island deployed a large-scale hardware, software, and RFID-ready solution. With this in place, they could benefit from greater on-shelf availability, improve stock accuracy to over 98%, and increase sales. River Island was subsequently able to utilize real-time inventory visibility to monitor inventory on a store-by-store basis while automating replenishments and enabling omnichannel customer purchases.
MiTEQ: Specialists In Real-Time Location System Solutions
Working in partnership with industry-leading data-capture and visualisation specialists, MiTEQ is helping retail, hospitality, and supply chain enterprises to deploy asset tracking, management, and mobility solutions.
We can advise you on the best emerging mobile technologies – like portable scanners, printers, computers, and more – to fulfill any requirements and then support your ongoing needs with managed services, flexible device rentals, repairs, and more.