Fine wines are vulnerable to counterfeiting or fraud, in large part due to their high value. A single bottle of French Bordeaux, from Chateau Le Pin, averages $3,000 and can be priced at up to $10,000 or more, making the trafficking of forgeries lucrative for counterfeiters. Photocopied labels, for example, can be attached to bottles of counterfeit wine, which can then end up being sold to consumers"”often at auctions, or at any weak link along the supply chain.

Using an RFID-enabled inventory- and retail-management system provided by Nedap Retail, Dutch shoe retailer De Wolky Shop has significantly reduced its incidence of inventory errors. During the first two weeks of using the system, the company says that its stock accuracy jumped from 84 percent to 98 percent. Those accuracy gains, the company reports, led to fewer stock-outs and an increase in sales.

RWI, an asset-based 3PL specializing in temperature-controlled transportation, recently conducted a survey of shippers with cold supply chains to better understand their needs and challenges. Chris Taylor, director of sales and marketing, discusses the results.

When the molds used to manufacture aluminum engine blocks are built, visibility into the entire assembly process can help ensure that any defects are caught before the finished block is shipped to a customer. With that in mind, automotive components manufacturer Nemak has automated its work-in-process (WIP) tracking, with a radio frequency identification system supplied by Balluff Inc. that writes sensor data from automation equipment to ensure that any defects in the mold are caught before molten aluminum is poured into it.

Real-time monitoring already happens in intensive care healthcare settings, where patients' vital signs are constantly monitored. Now, use of the technology is being extended to less intensive settings, like remote at-home monitoring of the elderly or patients with chronic conditions.

Delta Air Lines is employing radio frequency identification technology to improve the visibility of oxygen generators installed within its aircraft in an effort reduce the amount of waste associated with discarding generators, as well as the time required to check the devices' expiration dates.