The RFID Research Center at the University of Arkansas - in partnership with the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals - is hosting a two-day forum on item-level RFID (radio frequency identification) tagging on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 9-10.

"Item-Level RFID Forum: The Road to ROI" will be held at Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development on the University of Arkansas campus. Sessions each day runs from 8:30 a.m. till approximately 3 p.m. The first day includes demonstrations at the University of Arkansas RFID Laboratory. The cost is $350 for members of each hosting organization or $450 for non-members. Participants may register at http://cscmp.org/events/rfid/sept-agenda.asp. For more information, call (479) 575-5291.

The RFID Research Center is part of the Information Technology Research Institute, which is housed in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas.

"We received such an excellent response from the forum we held in January that we are offering another item-level RFID tagging forum, albeit different from the first," said Bill Hardgrave, professor of information systems and executive director of the Information Technology Research Institute. "Participants can expect to receive hard data and new insights into the return on their investment in RFID. We will provide a unique, hands-on real-time RFID laboratory experience as well."
Hardgrave will present the results of a three-phase project to investigate RFID's feasibility, utilization and potential return on investment. The research indicates greater RFID benefits can be derived from item-level tagging and was undertaken by the RFID Research Center with the combined efforts of the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, Procter & Gamble and Dillard's Inc. The major use cases and feasibility results of the study were presented in the initial forum to representatives from major companies such as the Clorox Co., Wal-Mart Stores Inc., American Apparel Inc., the J.M. Smucker Co., Avery Dennison Corp., General Mills Inc., Macy's and Hewlett-Packard.

The first forum last January left the attendees asking such questions as what is item-level tagging's potential impact on ROI; to what extent should individual businesses implement item-level tagging; how can RFID improve inventory accuracy, locate products and prevent loss; what are the advantages of RFID over barcodes; and how does item-level tagging benefit the supply chain outside of the store.

"The upcoming forum takes up where the one in January left off," said Hardgrave. "It addresses these RFID concerns and more with an examination of its ROI through the benefits and costs studied in real-world settings. Discussion will cover using RFID - as an electronic article surveillance to prevent loss and locate items; for more frequent, efficient and accurate inventory counting; to reduce out of stocks; to determine shipment/delivery accuracy and efficiency; and to examine more useful information to benefit both company and customer."

Other forum speakers include representatives from Dillard's, Sam's Club, Vue Technology, OAT Systems, Retail Solutions Inc. and Rider & Associates.

The RFID Research Center officially opened its laboratory in the Fayetteville Industrial Park in June 2005. The laboratory primarily conducts research into the most efficient use of RFID and other wireless and sensor technologies throughout the supply chain. It is the first and only academic research laboratory accredited by EPCglobal Inc., a global not-for-profit standards organization commercializing the Electronic Product CodeT and RFID worldwide.

The Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association has enabled companies in the retail and consumer-focused industries to eliminate billions of dollars of waste and delay. By creating voluntary guidelines, often referred to as "standards," Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association has created new best practices that lead to lower costs and better availability of products for consumers.

Founded in 1963, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals is the preeminent association for individuals involved in supply chain management. The council provides educational, career development, and networking opportunities to its over 9,000 members and to the entire profession.