Climbing the Plateau of Productivity

Looking at previous new technologies can help draw a few important lessons that can be applied to manage RFID rollouts.

Like most mew technologies, RFID too is not immune to riding the turbulent looking waves of the Gartner Hype Cycle. The hype around RFID is evident from the mass of written word there is on RFID. A quick google for RFID yields 57,200,000 results. The RFID vision is compelling especially so for the FMCG sector, now often referred to as the CPG or Consumer Packaged Goods sector. RFID promises to make the entire supply chain transparent. RFID also promises closer collaboration between all players in the supply chain. And as a result will lead to benefits like reduced stock-out situations, reduction in the amount of goods that are not fit to be sold either because of expiration, perishability or any other cause. The peak of inflated expectations has been scaled.

However the first few big-ticket implementations have clearly shown that the initial economics of such projects are far from favorable. Widespread standards governing the use of RFID and the sharing of data among collaborating partners have not emerged. A host of technical issues like package design, tag placement and readability continue to nag. Its not before long that the pundits and the soothsayers start to talk of doomsday and about the good money that has been burnt during the days of ascent to the peak. The number of takers for the technology will fall rapidly and those that have implemented will go slow on expansion. These are signs of the trough of disillusionment.

Making RFID Work
Before looking at the ways to scale the plateau of productivity, lets understand the lessons that previous technology evolution cycles have taught us. Even when the technology implementation has been perfected, rollouts and deployments usually take longer than expected and it is impossible to get to cent percent compliance by all in the industry.

Let’s first look at what we have learnt from new technologies that have gone up and down the Gartner hype cycle before focussing on how to make RFID a success.

One, new technology implementation is not about technology. It’s about building a robust business case (See Planned Success.) It’s not about what the RFID tag or the reader can do; it’s about what business issues will stand resolved with the implementation of RFID.

Two, measure results. An associated learning from building a business case is the measurement of results, both short-term and long-term. So it is imperative to set milestones and measure results thereof. To set short term and long term goals and then measure the RFID initiative results against them will be the only mechanism to reconcile RFID economics.

Three, be realistic about costs and benefits. And as a note of caution, it is very important for the management to be realistic about the costs and the benefits that come out of a project.

Four, instill flexibility. The driving objective to manage the speed of rollout of a technology should always be the benefits and not the speed of the roll out itself. Therefore, it is important to adopt a flexible approach. A flexible approach using best practices and technologies will yield maximum benefits and long-term viability.

Managing the Rollout
For FMCG companies to successfully manage the technology rollout and reap benefits there are several aspects that must be addressed.

One, understand drivers of benefits. Over the next several years the focus must be accelerating the benefits. This will require a deep understanding of the supply chain from the point of production to the point of sale, including aspects like replenishment and stock rotation to warehouse and delivery. The effort should be driven towards the capture of pallet and case level data and thus efficiently use the captured data.

Two, adapt business processes. An RFID rollout will lead to generation of data that had never been captured before. This will open up a host of opportunities for better inventory management, product management and even recall of products and its management. This data will also create opportunities of better management throughout the supply chain. But the opportunities can be realized only with a substantial change in the business processes of both the supplier and the retailer.

Three, data standardization. In order to completely reap the benefits of new data that is generated, companies have to drive standardization of data formats. Many companies have been slow to adopt the data formats for products as maintained in a global registry under UCCNet. As a result a lot of data reconciliation is manual, something that can and must be avoided.

Four, drive industry wide adoption. For RFID be really successful, or rocking as some of you might say, it is necessary for the entire retail industry to adopt it. That’s when the supply chain will become truly transparent. More so, for most manufacturers, one retailer (no matter how large) will not be enough to justify the expense or generate the benefit.

Five, leverage existing infrastructure. The building of RFID infrastructure should be driven by the dictat of leverage. Not only should the existing infrastructure be leveraged, (See Emulate the Internet) but other applications and uses of product tracking information must be explored. Can the information be used for merchandising opportunities, for instance, or for tracking and tracing recalled products? Considering the large initial investment in the RFID infrastructure of tags, readers, middleware and application, it is only prudent to explore new applications as that will also help reduce the pay back period.

And finally, consumer is king. Despite the best efforts, many initiatives can be hijacked due to poor communications and misunderstandings. A coordinated and active approach is required to address some of the important consumer issues and privacy concerns. For instance, addressing RFID’s ability to be a practical tool to manage counterfeits in the pharma industry will instill confidence in the consumers. Another application could be easier redressal of returns and warranty will only further the confidence.

This is fifth and last piece on RFID for Dataquest