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As Retailers Seek Greater Inventory Visibility Will RFID Take Off?

retail associate holding pos system
Real-time inventory visibility is inarguably one of the most critical factors in achieving omni-channel success. Supporting this claim is the majority of retailers who were surveyed for the recent RSR benchmark report, Omni-Channel 2014: Double Trouble.

According to the report findings, 93% of retailers perceive system-wide inventory visibility as the most valuable capability in executing an omni-channel fulfillment strategy. Yet, currently, only 37% of those retailers have actually implemented an enterprise-wide inventory visibility solution.

But it appears that there might be an uptick in this statistic over the next twelve months, as more and more high-profile RFID rollouts make headline news.

Aside from the impressive results published by big box retailers, such as Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, Chico’s recently announced impressive results from their pilot program. Their current RFID initiative allows Chico’s stores to maintain 90-95% accuracy every day so associates can easily fill in needed merchandise. The benefits of RFID technology have also provided greater insight into loss prevention—something that has become a significant drain on the retail industry.

I’ve said before that RFID technology has a lot to offer retailers, and now that low-cost tags have become more viable, many analysts agree that RFID adoption will continue to gain traction.

One of the ways we’re helping our customers achieve omni-channel success through greater inventory visibility is by partnering with RFKeeper. RFKeeper offers solutions that are completely scalable—from a single store deployment to tracking inventory across the entire supply chain. Most importantly, these solutions can be achieved with minimal integration effort to existing systems, which we know is a big concern for many our customers.

So, we want to know: do you think that high-profile roll-outs and low-cost tags will spur greater RFID adoption? Join our LinkedIn group to share your ideas or chat with other industry experts about what it takes to be a Level 10 in the retail IT industry! We’re always online, so if you’d rather just stay up-to-date on the latest developments in retail/hospitality technology, you can connect-with and like us on Facebook.