Austria’s experience in radio frequency identification creates added value for industry and trade
On 16 January 2012, Bulgarian delegation visited the office of GS1 Austria as part of the mentorship program between GS1 Austria and GS1 Bulgaria. The structure of the national organization GS1 Austria was presented at the meeting together with the structure of its members, grouped by sectors and main activities in the various GS1 directions. The use of global GS1 identification numbers (GLN and GTIN) for waste management in industry and trade enjoyed huge interest. Significant progress was achieved in the implementation of the new GS1 DataBar symbols for marking of fresh products and products with variable weights. According to a survey held in 2011, 95-98% of the scanners used at the cash-desks in shops can recognize the new symbols. Within the ECR initiative between manufacturers and merchants in Austria, a regulation on the use of GS1 DataBar is being developed.
During the second day of the visit, the Bulgarian delegation attended a laboratory for testing of RFID technologies, established jointly by GS1 Austria and GS1 Slovenia. At present, the applications developed and tested in the laboratory are targeted at the needs of the textile industry. RFID labels and tags containing ID information in accordance with the GS1 standards are being placed on the clothes manufactured by famous designers. The tags and labels are placed at the factory where the clothes are produced and are used along the entire supply chain. This application helped achieve total traceability along the supply chain, improve the quality of delivery, better and more efficient inventory tracking and 99.9% correct data with regard to the stock available in stores.
The laboratory provides intelligent RFID solutions, expert technology consulting and successful project implementation based on proven software products. The product ensures rapid and effective implementation of RFID projects. Standardized processes in the areas of production, distribution and retail are supported by high-quality and market-proven RFID solution modules.
Visibility in the supply chain, efficient replenishment based on maximum inventory accuracy, acceleration and preventing of mistakes in stock taking processes, anti-theft and anti-counterfeiting are some examples of themes the laboratory works on. As developer of a powerful RFID Middleware and supported solutions modules the laboratory aims at creating added value for its customers and partners.
The products and services address the industries fashion, automotive, food and electronics. Especially in the fashion segment a leading market position could be achieved.