RFID technology from Murata ID Solutions has helped Italian fashion brand Liu Jo strengthen its protection against the grey market while improving the efficiency of its supply chain. The company's distribution centers employ RFID technology to improve product traceability, reduce the complexity of logistics operations, and shorten product shipping times.
"RFID in retail is known for its advantages at the store level, but it also brings significant advantages for manufacturing and distribution," said Antonio Rizzi, vice President, Murata ID Solutions. Most importantly, there is great value to be gained from using it to combat the grey market. When fully leveraged throughout the supply chain, it can prove to be a real game changer with a return on investment of months or even weeks. We are very excited to work with Liu Jo on this project."
Solutions adopted include Murata's RFID Tunnel door and RFID software suite ID-Bridge 4.0, an advanced Web-based platform that facilitates end-to-end management of RFID systems of any size. A tunnel is set up on the conveyor belt of the distribution center for automatic and rapid identification and verification of all products in and out of the process. Through integration with the software, the tagged products are automatically compared with the expected tag list as they move through the conveyor system. Only products that match the list will show a green light to continue. With fast and accurate automatic readings, the system greatly speeds up the logistics process and improves the accuracy of inventory.
The two companies work together to determine which RFID tags are best suited for the solution. Each tag has a unique serial number and is distinguished by advanced security features. This makes RFID a key tool in fighting fraud. RFID tags are attached to each product, allowing Joe Liu to track each product with the highest accuracy to ensure its authenticity.
Carlo Del Stabile, Coo of Liu Jo SpA commented, "We are implementing RFID to enable smarter, leaner operations in our distribution centers. Today's global and omnichannel markets require constant supply chain improvement. RFID will help us improve the efficiency of our distribution logistics process, while also enabling us to better combat the grey market and product counterfeiting, both of which pose a growing threat to our brand value and trust."
