GS1 Releases European Guide for EPC/RFID Deployment
The adoption of EPC and RFID technology is expanding rapidly in different regions of the world, including in Europe. In order to use EPC and RFID efficiently, all companies involved need to agree on the basic specifications and standards needed to implement the technology. GS1, the global not-for-profit standards and solutions organization, develops a European guide to help companies plan and prepare their EPC/RFID deployments. Major stakeholders in the European retail environment including Carrefour, Henkel, Kraft Foods, METRO Group, Nestle, P&G and REWE Group have actively participated in this joint collaborative effort and agreed on the content of the European Guide.
The first version of the European Guide, available at www.gs1.eu/epcguidelines, is structured in a Q&A format providing answers to the most common questions raised in the market place. The guide is focused at business level to keep management better informed of the key issues related to the deployment of EPC and RFID technology as well as to provide access to relevant complementary information. The European Guide addresses common RFID questions such as; "what are the main benefits that companies are trying to achieve by using the technology?", "how can RFID help improve the consumer experience of products and stores?" and "what are the radio frequency usage rules in Europe?"
The European Guide is not a static document. Retailers and consumer goods manufacturers in Europe are invited to contribute to the guide in order to build on its foundations and improve its value to companies planning to use the technology. The second version, which is currently under development, will focus on the best ways to implement EPC and RFID technology in the retail environment as well as tools which allow the evaluation and measurement of adoption.
Jeff Bornino, manager of supply chain initiatives for The Kroger Company, and Beth Scheid, associate director of global business services for The Procter & Gamble Company, spoke on the GS1 Trading Partner Performance Management standards at the 2008 Consumer Goods Sales and Marketing Summit, June 9-11, at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC.
The first version of the European Guide, available at www.gs1.eu/epcguidelines, is structured in a Q&A format providing answers to the most common questions raised in the market place. The guide is focused at business level to keep management better informed of the key issues related to the deployment of EPC and RFID technology as well as to provide access to relevant complementary information. The European Guide addresses common RFID questions such as; "what are the main benefits that companies are trying to achieve by using the technology?", "how can RFID help improve the consumer experience of products and stores?" and "what are the radio frequency usage rules in Europe?"
The European Guide is not a static document. Retailers and consumer goods manufacturers in Europe are invited to contribute to the guide in order to build on its foundations and improve its value to companies planning to use the technology. The second version, which is currently under development, will focus on the best ways to implement EPC and RFID technology in the retail environment as well as tools which allow the evaluation and measurement of adoption.
Jeff Bornino, manager of supply chain initiatives for The Kroger Company, and Beth Scheid, associate director of global business services for The Procter & Gamble Company, spoke on the GS1 Trading Partner Performance Management standards at the 2008 Consumer Goods Sales and Marketing Summit, June 9-11, at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC.