World First Success: EPC/RFID Passes Sub-Zero Test
Press Release
27 July 2006
Download the press release here...
Patties to Montague pilot leads way for fresh produce
Melbourne - 27 July 2006
The Patties to Montague EPC/RFID pilot – case study was released this week at the Impetus 2006 conference. The case study summarised a trial proving Gen 2 RFID and the EPC Network can be successfully rolled out in a sub-zero production environment.
Patties General Manager – Purchasing and Supply, Joe Rettino, said Patties became involved because they saw enormous benefit from EPC/RFID technology, particularly the visibility of bringing new products to market. “However there hadn’t been much done in freezers so we wanted to see what worked and what didn’t,” he added.
As local custodians of the EPCglobal standards which support the EPC Network™, GS1 Australia managed the pilot for Patties Foods, Montague Cold Storage, Matthews Australasia, and VeriSign.
John Hearn, General Manager – Business Development & Professional Services, GS1 Australia said: “We saw this initial EPC/RFID pilot project as a great opportunity to gain valuable implementation experience with these new and emerging standards in the frozen goods section.
“Based on the international momentum EPC/RFID was gaining a key objective was to use this pilot as a foundational learning, which we could then leverage and share with our many GS1 members and professional service clients.”
The pilot, a world first, tested the EPC/RFID standards in a low temperature environment characterised by sub-zero temperatures, frozen product, frozen water and condensation.
The project trialled all facets of the EPC Network: the primary objective being to determine the reliability and ease of integration of RFID Class 1 Gen 2 EPC technology (recently approved by the International Standards Organisation) into a production environment, in a true business to business setting.
Phillip Biggs, National Sales and Marketing Manager, Matthews Australasia said, “The pilot was a great success. It proved that the current EPC Gen 2 standard is very robust and is ready for supply chain improvement projects. We are very pleased that our IDSnet software solution was well suited to this important application.”
Patrick Leckning, Information Services Manager, Montague Cold Storage said, “Beyond the RFID Pilot project, we have identified key areas within our business to apply this technology in the future: Occupational Health & Safety, Efficiencies, and Asset Tracking.”
Rettino said the pilot trial has given Patties an insight into RFID so they will be ready for it. “When your introducing new technology it’s very important to involve stakeholders as early as possible – both your internal associates and your supply partners,” said Rettino. “Definitely contact GS1 Australia to find out what’s been done with other businesses and plot a way forward with their Professional Services team and Alliance Partners.”
Click on the link below to find out more information.
Patties to Montague EPC/RFID Pilot - Case Study
download [format: pdf - date: July 2006- size: 589kb]
