After two years of trialing and then deploying an inventory-tracking RFID system for a large European apparel retailer, sister companies IER and SDV are now marketing a solution based on that deployment. The offering, known as iD by SDV, combines SDV's software and logistics services with IER's RFID tags and readers, enabling users to track goods from the point of manufacture to the point of sale.

While browsing through shoe displays at 32 of Bon-Ton's U.S. department stores, shoppers can use their near field communication (NFC)-enabled phones to learn more about each style, as well as whether a specific size and color is available at the store"”and, if not, how they can most efficiently acquire the shoes they are seeking.

There will be a surge in next-generation advanced data collection devices, which will intelligently edit and communicate data and play a critical role in providing improved business analytics, or Big Data, according to a Datalogic survey.

Valio, a Finnish company that manufactures dairy consumer products, as well as powdered milk and other ingredients for the food industry, is piloting an automated solution for monitoring products as they move through packing and shipping processes, via RFID-enabled wheels on carts, also known as trolleys, that transport the goods.

While mobile reigns among the hottest topics of discussion, its adoption at the supply chain operation level may be surprisingly less widespread than expected, according to a survey from TAKE Supply Chain, a division of TAKE Solutions.

With RFID, return on investment derives from automated, accurate, real-time inventory tracking, says McLeod Williamson, RFID business development manager at Zebra Technologies. He provides an update on RFID applications in retail supply chains and describes how other industries are starting to leverage the technology.

Xplore Technologies Corp. has teamed up with blank-t to create a customized tablet for operators of heavy machinery in warehousing and distribution environments.