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News Release from: The RFID Networking Forum
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 21 September 2006
RFID summit goes online
Online summit features 150 of the world's RFID thought-leaders debating the technologies key issues.
The RFID Online Summit, an online gathering of global RFID thought-leaders, began on Monday 18th September and will run until Friday 22nd September The summit sees around 150 of the industries key thinkers coming together to discuss a range of RFID issues, based on two sections: "Out of the starting blocks" and "Hurdles to overcome"
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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On the first day of the summit, delegates discussed a range of uses for the technology, and the business justifications that can apply in each case.
Delegates noted that there has been much attention on the use of RFID in supply chains, particularly in the retail sector, where Wal-Mart has mandated its use by suppliers.
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"While end customer mandates are important, they ultimately focus on the narrow interests of the end customer and not necessarily the supply chain".
"Upstream supply chain members have little to gain from complying with these mandates save the 'honour' of continuing to do business with these customers", suggested Rod Franklin, Vice President, Product Development, Kuehne + Nagel Management.
There are also many RFID applications in asset management and security, noted Tim Butcher, Lecturer in Operations and Project Management at the University of Hull.
"But track and trace needs a different business case", he suggested.
"Hence, what users are telling me is that RFID for asset management is the first step, followed over time by a phased rollout to different degrees of track and trace", he said.
Roger Lewis, Director of not-for-profit company Governance and Compliance Organisation argued for hard-headed realism when assessing the business case for RFID.
In particular, he warned potential customers against being swayed by sales jargon.
"ROI calculations can be easily manipulated to suit the user's purposes, and the result can be expressed in many different ways".
"When using this metric, make sure you understand what inputs are being used", he said.
In the "Challenges to overcome" section of the forum, members discussed privacy and civil liberties concerns relating to use of RFID, where the question of consumer ignorance over the capabilities of RFID and its legal implications was thrown out to debaters.
The question of allaying fears surrounding deployment and use of RFID arose.
Senior Guidance and Promotions Manager of the UK Government's Information Commissioners Office David Evans wrote: "The less people know about these technologies, the more likely it is that they will believe [untrue] stories about the chips".
"Openness is the key".
On the topic of responsibility for allaying fears, one member wrote it is the responsibility of the RFID industry while another believes it to be the responsibility of the Press to report accurately on RFID initiatives.
The debate is set to heat up over the coming week.
The topics of management challenges, including the impact of RFID on customer services as well as skills and training were under scrutiny by some of the key players in the global RFID field.
"To develop new and innovative applications, we need people who ask new questions of the data", wrote Lecturer in Operations and Project Management at the University of Hull, Tim Butcher.
Although it was highlighted that other employees operating RFID technology such as warehouse staff, should not be left by the wayside when it comes to training.
The RFID Online Summit will form the basis for a range of panel debates and discussion groups at the forthcoming RFID Networking Forum, which will be taking place on 9th November 2006 at the Olympia 2 Conference Centre in London.
This event will also see the launch of the RFID Online Summit Report which will provide the summit debates in full.
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