ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE:

RFID Drives The Next Revolution In

Adaptive Retail Supply Chain Execution
Real-time Inventory Visibility Requires Greater Vigilance for Data
Accuracy and Global Data Synchronization
BY JOHN RADKO AND ALEX SCHUMACHER
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................3
RFID-Based EPC Will Fail in Supply Chains Built On Inaccurate Data. .....................................................5
RFID and EPCsThe Basic Technology ....................................................................................................6
How RFID Works As Part of the Supply Chain .........................................................................................8
Implementating RFID and EPCConsiderations ....................................................................................10
How GXS Can Help You Realize Value From RFID ................................................................................13
Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................15
page 2
Table of Contents
ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
page 3
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
John Radko, Chief Technology Strategist for Global eXchange Services, advises the GXS
leadership team on technology and coordinates and encourages technology advancement across
the GXS product lines. Mr. Radko is an active member of EPCglobal standards organization and
contributes to many publications on the topic of supply chain integration.
Alex Schumacher, Director, Retail Industry Marketing for Global eXchange Services, is
responsible for retail value chain development through collaborative commerce solutions.
Mr. Schumacher has been working in retail supply chain management for 12 years and has
contributed to the development of data synchronization solutions in the US and Europe.
Executive Summary
A number of mandates recently issued to suppliers by major organizations across several
sectors are proof that the real-time extended supply chain is now becoming a reality. Wal-
Mart, US Department of Defense, Metro Group, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Carrefour,
Albertsons, and Target Corp are all asking suppliers to use Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) to track goods as they move through the supply chain.
While much attention has been focused on testing the RFID equipment in
these environments, RFID tags and readers are hardly a new technology.
What is exciting is the ability of RFID to provide accurate data about the cur-
rent location and movement of products to business managers within min-
utes rather than hours or days. All this will be possible because RFID tags
will store electronic product codes (EPCs), 64 or 96-bit numbers whose for-
mat is based on serializing current numbering schemes like the Global Trade
Item Number (GTIN), governed by the international standards body
EAN.UCC. Each RFID tag will contain a unique EPC, allowing the item to
which the tag is attached to be tracked separately from all other like items.
However, simply tracking the item is only one part of the equation. The real
power of RFID will come from the ability to associate EPCs with product
data, so that business systems know that, for instance, a case of a particular
brand of toothpaste (and not, say, a case of shampoo) from a specific manu-
facturing batch and sourced from a specific supplier has just entered the warehouse
Additionally, in simple operational terms, RFID will speed the physical movement of goods.
RFID tags can be scanned more quickly than conventional barcodes because there is no
need to unload each item or box from the crate or pallet in which it has been packed for
shipping.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
RFID will fail without data accuracy
delivered by Global Data
Synchronization.
Any RFID project must include a
strategy for sharing data with your
partners using existing and emerging
technologies.
While the near-term value of RFID is
in reduced material handling cost, the
long term benefit will be derived
from improved inventory visibility.
For suppliers and retailers alike, the benefits of RFID could be significant:
Reduced supply chain labor costs as a result of greater efficiency in handling and
tracking items
Reduced inventory holdings (and therefore working capital requirements) as a
result of streamlining the supply chain and increasing visibility of products
Improved product availability and higher sales due to more accurate inventory
Easier recall of products in the event of a product defect
What is clear is that the capabilities of the RFID tags and readers will not be the stum-
bling block to successful implementations. RFID is a well-established technology with
roots going back more than fifty years. Hardware manufacturers have for many years
been working closely with a consortium of universities, including the AutoID Center at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to develop the technology for use in the sup-
ply chain and are now running numerous successful pilots. Major customer mandates will
only accelerate investment and development of robust and reliable tag and reader sys-
tems.
But there are major issues to be tackled in using RFID and EPCs to deliver the real-time
extended supply chain. This white paper will look at those issues and consider how sup-
pliers and retailers alike can implement practical solutions to meet their needs for real-
time supply chain information.
page 4 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
page 5 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
Delivering the benefits promised by RFID-based EPCs will only be possible if
trading networks also address the issue of inaccurate data that pervades todays
supply chains, especially in the retail sector. There is little point in knowing that a
case of goods with a particular EPC is speeding its way through the system if you
think it is toothpaste when it is actually shampoo. Since the EPC is a GTIN based
number, synchronizing the meaning of the GTIN during the order management
process is critical to ensuring accurate fulfillment of that order and downstream
supply chain processes based on EPC scanning.
Therefore, prior to the implementation of RFID readers and tags, all retailers
and their suppliers must adopt the single global data synchronization (GDS)
vision being promoted by the Global Commerce Initiative (GCI) and EAN.UCC.
EAN.UCC, the standards organization for retail, has not only developed a single
standard for identifying products, the Global Trade Identification Number
(GTIN), but also an infrastructurethe Global Data Synchronization Network
(GDSN)to allow the retail industry to share data more easily. When fully
implemented, GDS will allow detailed data about products from any supplier
anywhere in the world to be accessed by any retailer anywhere in the world,
through a network of locally held databases of GTINs called datapools. More
information on GDS can be found in a companion GXS white paper, Suppliers
Guide To Defining A Data Synchronization Strategy.
RFID-Based EPC Will Fail in Supply Chains Built on Inaccurate Data
GTIN Based Data for Sync
Order Management
EPC Based Data for Reference
Logistics Visibility
GTIN : 065231 00010 6
Toms Soup
20 oz, Tomato Soup
Cost: $.50, MSRP $.99, UOM: EA
GTIN : 10 065231 00010 6
Toms Soup
Case of 24, 20 oz, Tomato Soup
Cost: $12.00, MSRP $0, UOM: EA
GTIN : 20 065231 00010 6
Toms Soup
Pallet 18 Case of 24, 20 oz,
Tomato Soup
Cost: $144.00, MSRP $0, UOM: EA
EPC: 16.3.065231.00010.0000000001
20 oz, Toms Soup, Tomato Soup
Date of Manufacture: 02152004
Factory GLN: 006523100001, Lot #: 349230Z
Line # 100, Expiration Date: 02152006
EPC: 16.3.1065231.00010.0000000001
Case of 24, 20 oz, Toms Soup, Tomato Soup
Date of Packing: 02152004
Factory GLN: 006523100001, Line #: 8663
EPC: 16.3.2065231.00010.0000000001
Pallet 18 Case of 24, 20 oz, Toms Soup,
Tomato Soup
Date Built: 02152004
Warehouse GLN: 006523100002,
Storage Temp: 10C
GTIN based information is used to synchronize the order management process while the EPC is used to provide inventory visibility to
support logistics management.
In this environment, EPCs will track specific instances of products identified by
GTINs. Yet, despite much publicity surrounding GDS many companies and
EAN.UCC member organizations are lagging in their implementation of GDS-
compliant solutions. Without accurate product data about items provided by
GDS, RFID and EPC implementations will fail to improve supply chain manage-
ment.
Moreover, retailers need to be clear that GDS and EPC are complementary to
each other, rather than alternatives that deliver the same goal. The aim of GDS
is to improve the accuracy of supply-chain data so that the process from sales
order to invoice payment becomes less costly and more efficient. EPC, by con-
trast, is about tracking inventory and improving the efficiency of the physical
processes of order fulfillment and logistics. It is the two systems working seam-
lessly together that will deliver the benefits of accurate inventory visibility allow-
ing the retail industry to implement more sophisticated inventory management
strategies such as vendor managed inventory (VMI), collaborative planning, fore-
casting, and replenishment (CPFR), and scan-based trading (SBT).
Smart players in the retail sector will see GDS and RFID-based EPCs as
inextricably linked and will implement EPC solutions that:
ensure their business systems take full advantage of the GDSN to source and share
product data with trading partners
extend GDS data stores to support EPC attributes and provide access to these
systems via EPC based queries; and
leverage existing B2B messaging technologies in order to reduce the cost of imple-
mentation.
In short, the retail sector must integrate the EPC Network, the Global Data
Synchronization Network, and existing EAN.UCC messaging standards into a single infra-
structure that recognizes the importance of data accuracy in supporting both process
optimization based on automating item and price management, and collaboration
between trading partners based on pervasive inventory visibility.
RFID tags storing EPCs are a way to associate data with a physical product. Anyone han-
dling the physical item can (with the right technology) access the business data about that
itemeverything from its identity to which invoice it has been charged on. Each RFID
tag contains a microchip that stores identification datathe EPCand a wireless trans-
mitter and antenna that can broadcast that data to readers. Unlike the conventional bar-
code, readers do not have to be in line of sight of the tag.
page 6 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
RFID and EPCsThe Basic Technology

page 7 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
As with the barcode, a set of standards is emerging to govern the EPC data structure
stored on RFID tags, so that a tag attached to a pallet by a supplier can be read and
understood when that pallet reaches the customer. The format of EPCs is governed by
EPCglobal, an RFID standards development joint venture between EAN International and
Uniform Code Council. EPCglobal is also developing standards for the radio frequencies
at which RFID tags will operate to ensure global interoperability of tags and readers.
STRUCTURE OF EPC: GTIN 14 DIGITS
RFID tags can be active, passive or semi-passive. Active tags include a battery that pow-
ers the antenna to broadcast a signal to be picked up by the reader. Passive tags have no
battery but draw power from the reader, which sends out electromagnetic waves that
induce a current in the tags antenna. Semi-passive tags use a battery to run the chips
circuitry, but communicate by drawing power from the reader. Active and semi-passive
tags can be read up to 100 feet (30 meters) away while passive tags can only be read
from within 10 feet (3 meters). Active and semi-passive tags are also much more expen-
sive. This means they are economical for tracking high-value goods that need to be
scanned from a distance but are not suitable for tagging very low cost items.
Electronic Product Code
01 . 0000A89 . 00016F . 00169DC0
Header
8 bits
Indicator Digit
Determines
the structure
of the following
series of numbers
EAN.UCC Prefix Product Number Check Digit
Domain Manager
28 bits
Identifies the
company or entity
responsible for
maintaining the
subsequent numbers
Object Class
24 bits
Used to identify
an object class,
which represents
a group of products
Serial Number
36 bits
Unique object
identification
Decoding the number:
HeaderUsed by readers to determine the type of data contained on the chip, eg., 64-bit EPC vs. 96-bit EPC.
Domain ManagerEAN.UCC Company Prefix
Object ClassCombination of Product Hierarchy Indicator (00+UPC12, or 0+EAN13) and Product Number (balance of GTIN
minus check digit)
Serial numberConsecutive number for each item produced
NOTE: The GTIN check digit is not encoded in an EPC.

Chips in RFID tags can be read-write or read-only. Read-write chips allow the user to
encode the EPC on the tagor update itwhen the tag is within range of a reader, but
are more expensive than read-only tags. The EPC on a read-only tag is either set by the
manufacturer or can use a particular form of memory called EEPROM, which only allows
the data to be overwritten with specialized hardware.
Because of the costs involved, the majority of tags used in the retail supply chain, at least
initially, will be passive. These tags cost between ten and fifty cents US. With Wal-Mart
demanding suppliers to use field programmable tags (read-write)allowing suppliers to
write tags with EPCsthe more expensive read-write tags are likely to be adopted by
most suppliers. In the long-term, suppliers should be most interested in re-usable tags
that can support multiple reads and writes for pallet-level tracking, although such tags are
still under development and will not be commercially available for some time.
Putting RFID tags on pallets and cases is, however, only one step in the process of getting
business data to flow alongside the physical supply chain.
When an RFID tag is attached to a pallet or case, the manufacturer needs to either pro-
gram the tag with an EPC containing the relevant code for that product or capture the
pre-programmed EPC. In either case, the EPC needs to be associated with the appropri-
ate data describing that product.
This product data is stored using Physical Markup Language, a subset of eXtensible
Markup Language (XML), devised to allow the attributes of physical items to be
described in a standard way which can be interpreted by any PML-compliant application.
The PML standard is also managed by EPCglobal, drawing on work undertaken by bod-
ies such as Le Systme International dUnits (SI) and the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) in the US.
When an RFID tag is read, the EPC code is sent to an Object Name Service (ONS) on a
local network or the Internet, which points to a server where comprehensive data about
the product can be found in PML format. That data can be retrieved and passed to a
companys inventory or supply chain applications.
Readers can be arranged and configured to capture RFID data in several
ways:
to conduct a scan of an area to identify everything in that area at that time. Such
scans could be continuous, scheduled on a regular basis or triggered by an event in
another system or by a person
page 8
How RFID Works as Part of the Supply Chain
ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
page 9 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
to continuously scan for tags passing through a narrowly defined area (such as the
doorway to a loading dock)
handheld scanners could be used to scan for tags on individual items.
However readers are configured, they will pick up a constant stream of EPCs. Many of
these will be duplicate readings of the same RFID tag. Existing business applications such
as ERP, Supply Chain Management and Logistics applications are ill-equipped to deal with
these high volumes of repetitive data. The reader therefore needs to pass the informa-
tion to a middleware application that can manage the flow of data.
EPCglobal has adopted a distributed software architecture called Savant to
manage data being generated from reads of RFID tags. Each Savant node
will work with the others to perform a variety of functions:
Savants attached to readers will perform data smoothing, ensuring errors in read-
ing tags are corrected before the data is passed on
One Savant node in a local network of readers will co-ordinate readings to elimi-
nate duplicate EPCs
Savants will only forward appropriate data to other Savants, to the ONS or to
business applications
Because current database technologies can only handle up to a few hundred trans-
actions a second, Savant nodes will be able to provide temporary data storage until
other applications are ready to receive it
Using the Global Registry in conjunction with the ONS Directory, a retailer will be able to synchronize product data
with their suppliers using the source data pool to facilitate ordering. The EPC Network will be used to request product
information from the source data pool via ONS for items that are mis-routed or subsituted during shipping.
SUPPLIER RETAILER

Savant nodes will also be able to monitor data and use EPC eventssuch as the
movement of the last case of a particular product from a certain areato trigger
tasks such as sending alerts to other systems.
Because EPCs identify a particular instance (a pallet, case or individual packet) of a prod-
uct rather than merely the type of product (GTIN), RFID-based EPCs allow specific
items or batches to be tracked through the supply chain. This will greatly simplify the
process of recalling a product in the event of a manufacturing fault or safety concern,
since the EPCs can be used to determine where the items or batches are in the supply
chain (which warehouse or store) and the RFID tags can be scanned to quickly identify
the physical product.
While much discussion of RFID has focused on the technology of the tags, attaching a tag
to a pallet or case is just one small step in the process, and the cost of tags, while signifi-
cant, is about equal to the cost of implementing and integrating the infrastructure to
make use of them.
If you are going to introduce RFID, you must tackle a number of practical
implementation issues. Not the least of which, is consideration of why you
are introducing RFID and EPC and what business goals you want to
achieve. Many manufacturers will adopt RFID and EPC as a result of man-
dates from retailers such as Wal-Mart. However, there are a number of
reasons why suppliers may want to invest in these technologies internally
even if they are not being pressed to do so by customers. For example,
RFID and EPC can:
reduce errors in processes that are labor-intensive and error prone, such as com-
plex picking operations. One UK-based company has been able to increase the
number of orders its associate can pick at any one time from one or two to 24, by
using RFID tags and EPCs to tell them whether items from a particular storage bin
need to be included in any of the orders they are picking
speed handling of goods. UK-based Marks & Spencer has cut the average time to
scan pallets of goods from 29 seconds using barcodes to five seconds using RFID
reduce waste and loss in the supply chain, by allowing products susceptible to
counterfeit, theft, or spoilage to be tracked more closely.
The business goals will determine how you use the EPC information you gather from
tags and that, in turn, will drive where you position readers and how often you take
readings. If you have extremely high turnover of stock (a good example would be milk
processing, where warehouse stock for bottled milk is turned over daily), you would be
page 10 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
Implementing RFID and EPCConsiderations
page 11 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
mainly interested in tracking goods on to and off of trucksbut not much concerned
about their location within the warehouseleading you to place readers operating con-
tinuously around loading bay entrances. If you have multiple lines of stock turning over at
different speeds, you may be more interested in running intermittent reads of the whole
warehouse to improve internal inventory management.
In addition, several manufacturers are discovering that the position of the tag on a case
especially a passive tagcan affect how easily it can be read when the case is stacked in
the center of many others. The optimal position will depend on the contents of the case.
Its also worth remembering that the standards for RFID tags and readers
are not settled, as certain radio frequencies are unavailable in some countries
and tags manufactured by different suppliers send data in different ways.
Retailers will almost certainly require multi-protocol readers. Suppliers may
be able to use tags and readers from a single vendor, but may experience dif-
ficulties if they want to extend RFID to in-bound processing of raw materials.
Beyond the tag and reader technology, you need to implement software
solutions to handle EPC data. At the low-end of the market, you are likely to
be able to buy plug-in modules to packages that provide the basic functions
for Savant nodes. Providers of high-end enterprise resource planning (ERP)
solutions are already starting to launch RFID-enabled offerings for ware-
house and logistics divisions.
Installing the software is only the start, however. Savant nodes will need to
be configured to work with readers and integrated with business applications
at the process level as well as the technical level. For instance, they must
also be set up to trigger appropriate actions when specific events occur.
Determining how you want to adapt your business processes to achieve the
best ROI from RFID will be a critical first step in any RFID implementation.
In practical terms, EPCglobal also believes that each company may need to
maintain its own local ONS server to allow it to retrieve data quickly, since
the volume of requests to the ONS will be much higher than requests to
comparable services such as the Internets Webs Domain Name Service.
Clearly, the ONS needs to be resilient, with built-in redundancies, to allow
data to be retrieved even if the ONS server usually used by a particular
Savant node crashes.
The need to maintain multiple copies of ONS data, whether locally or globally also raises
the issue of data synchronization and how RFID will be linked to existing programs to
FIVE STEPS TO
GETTING STARTED
1. Build Your Team: Identify RFID project
goals and identify executive sponsor-
ship and project owner
2. Get In Sync: Complete necessary
steps to clean-up internal data and syn-
chronize it with your partners
3. Tag the Merchandise: Determine in
what phase of manufacturing/distribu-
tion you need to apply the RFID tag
and choose the appropriate solution to
meet your needs
4. Manage the Data: Identify what
instance level product data is required
by you and your partners and develop
a means to capture it
5. Communicate with Your Partners:
Identify processes where you can use
the additional inventory visibility to bet-
ter manage your business and ensure
that your partners can provide access
to that data
share data more effectively between suppliers and customers. As noted earlier, RFID
efforts must mesh in particular with the GDS program currently being driven forward by
EAN.UCC.
Companies must also consider how they will maintain the product data held on EPCISs
(and again, how this will link to other data synchronization activities). EPCglobal suggests
manufacturers maintain these files. However, running a Web server (which again must
offer resiliency to allow business processes to be maintained in the event that the pri-
mary EPCIS is offline) is not an easy task and suppliers are likely to look at managed and
hosted services for this aspect of the process.
Companies will need to think clearly about where to store the data they need to support
RFID-based processes and how to effectively maintain, share and access it. Some data
may be best held in existing enterprise systems. Other data may demand the installation
of new solutions, such as product catalogues, in-house or organizations may prefer to
work with a hosted service provider especially where the prime objective of storing the
data is to allow others to access it.
The industry must also tackle consumer fears about privacy. Trials of item level tagging by
Benetton and by Tesco and Gillette have been suspended following pressure from con-
sumer privacy groups over how EPC data on individual items might be used. Privacy con-
cerns are of much less concern when implementing RFID tagging at the pallet or case
level, since the tags will only be used and read within the factory or customer ware-
house, or in transit. At the consumer level, Marks & Spencer, Metro and Wal-Mart are
now all demonstrating best practices by developing privacy policies that communicate to
users exactly how data from RFID tags will be used or which commit to removing or de-
activating tags before the item leaves the store.
Finally, companies must be aware that introducing RFID poses a significant project
management challenge, because it requires companies to work with partners from
the outset. Most technologies can be introduced internally in a relatively controlled
environment, but RFID based EPC, by its nature, demands collaboration with trading
partners. Companies should not underestimate the project management effort and
change management challenges involved and should budget resources appropriately
for these activities.
page 12 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
page 13
How GXS Can Help You Realize Value From RFID
ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
At GXS, we understand the importance you place on sharing data with your supply chain
partners and EPC is no different. We have extensive experience in implementing and
operating integration solutions to enable our clients to communicate more effectively
with their trading partners while lowering costs. We can support and integrate with a
wide range of protocols, including AS2, which offers EDI capabilities over public net-
works such as the Internet, and XML. Both can be used to push data to trading part-
ners or data pools. GXS is also developing web services capabilities that are based on the
kind of pull solutions that will be needed to connect to ONS and other EPCISs.
In addition, with its specific solutions, GXS will enable organizations to
tackle the four data challenges associated with EPC:
Maintaining accurate static data such as GTINS through GDS
For suppliers, GXS can offer three levels of solutions to meet the needs
of any size of business:
- GXS Global Product Cataloguea hosted data pool solution to manage
the process of synchronizing data with all of your trading partners.
- GXS Quick Connectmeets the needs of medium-sized enterprises
by integrating with existing applications, such as an ERP, to extract the
necessary data, cleanse and normalize it into the appropriate formats
and then upload it to a datapool
- GXS Product Information Managera full catalog management solution
that can aggregate data from multiple internal sources, create a data
repository that can be managed centrally and used to deliver data for
a number of uses, including to datapools.
For retailers, GXS can provide a retailer-specific version of its Product
Information Manager solution that allows them to hold very large catalogs
of data sourced through their datapool from multiple suppliers. This solu-
tion provides retailers with a suite of tools to allow them to integrate and manage that
data to meet their internal item management process requirements.
For EAN.UCC member organizations looking to develop country data pools, GXS
can offer its extensive experience running existing data normalization and synchroniza-
tion services. We already deliver these as managed services to EAN member organiza-
tions in countries such as Canada (ECCC) and Australia (EANnet).
Maintaining accurate instance-specific data such as manufacturing batch number, manu-
facturing location, and expiration date. The capabilities of our Product Information
If CPG companies ever want to truly shift
gears from push to pull, data synchroniza-
tion is crucial. It will be the foundation of
a two-way flow of product, promotion,
and sales data and the enabler for true
collaboration and emerging technologies
like RFID. The end result will be a
Consumer-Connected Supply Network
within which manufacturers and cus-
tomers will be able to forecast promotion
lift, predict consumer demand, and identify
the profitability of products and channels
more accurately.
Kara Romanow, AMR Research
Data Synchronization Has Simply Become
a Cost of Doing Business, April 2003
Management solutions are being extended to manage the attributes that make items
unique. Not only does this solution provide management of the data, it can also make it
available to other processes like product recall.
Capturing and maintaining historical item movement data based on reads of RFID tags as
products move through the supply chain. GXS can offer a logistics visibility solution that
integrates EPC scan data to provide insight to shipment status and facilitate supply chain
event management.
Providing access to associated data to give process context to RFID scan information
such as purchase orders, shipping documents, invoices, and other supply chain docu-
ments. GXS connection and monitoring solutions will provide the capability to associate
RFID scan information with other processes in the supply chain.
GXSs Advanced Ship Notice barcode printing solutions can be used to label cases
or pallets with RFID tags
GXSs range of EDI and AS/2-based messaging services will allow EPC data to be
shared with trading partners, leveraging widely adopted messaging processes with
the network of ONS and EPCISs to provide a single Business to Business integra-
tion architecture
If you want a hosted service, GXS offers a number of solutions. If you want to run your
own RFID solution, we can provide consulting, implementation services and a variety of
software components and connectivity services to allow you to build a system that meets
your needs.
Global eXchange Services has over thirty-five years experience serving
the needs of the retail industry with a full suite of global retail solutions.
To learn more about how our solutions can help your business meet
the challenge of RFID, please contact us at www.gxs.com or call us at
800-560-4347 or outside the U.S. at 1+301-340-5000
page 14 ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
page 15
Glossary
ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODE: RFID DRIVES THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADAPTIVE RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTION
AS2a standard that allows EDI data to be sent over
the Internet using the http protocol.
Datapoola GDSN-compliant mechanism for trading
partners to share and synchronize data. As well as stor-
ing product data, a datapool provides the necessary
functions and workflow to communicate with the
GLOBALregistry and with other datapools.
EAN.UCCthe global bodies regulating data standards
for product description in retail.
EPCElectronic Product Codes: a 64- or 96-bit num-
ber whose format is governed by EPCglobal, a sub-
sidiary of the EAN.UCC international standards body.
Each RFID tag will contain a unique EPC.
EPCglobal, a subsidiary of the EAN.UCC international
standards body that governs the format of EPCs.
EPC Information Service (EPCIS)standardized
web services interface to data stores that provide
information related to RFID tag reads
GDDGlobal Data Dictionary: an EAN.UCC standard
that allows all the potential attributes of an item to be
defined. These attributes may include size, brand infor-
mation, logistical information, and so on.
GDSGlobal Data Synchronization.
GDSNGlobal Data Synchronization Network: pro-
vides a framework that allows all datapools to interop-
erate and all trading partners to share data seamlessly.
GCIGlobal Commerce Initiative: a global industry
user group which works to identify issues which are hin-
dering the performance of supply chains and suggest
potential global solutions for data, messages, processes,
and associated requirements. These are offered to stan-
dards body such as EAN.UCC for adoption.
GLNGlobal Location Number: a unique way for com-
panies to identify themselves and even specific locations
within their sites, down to the warehouse or delivery
dock level.
GLOBALregistryprovides an index for companies
looking for product data held in local datapools, while
ensuring datapools are fully complaint with EAN.UCC
standards and that each product has a unique Global
Trade Identification Number (GTIN).
GPCGlobal Product Classification: a standard way of
categorizing products that provides a means of linking
different company classification systems and offers a
common language for collaborative business processes.
GSMPGlobal Standards Management Process: the
governing body for the development of global data syn-
chronization standards within the EAN.UCC frame-
work. Open to all industry participants and solution
providers, the GSMP provides the process for develop-
ing business requirements and global standards for tecni-
cal implementations.
GTINGlobal Trade Item Number: a unique identifier
for each product.
ONSObject Name Service, a directory, similar to the
Domain Name Service, which allows applications to get
the web address where comprehensive data about a
product can be found in PML format.
PMLPhysical Markup Language: a subset of eXtensible
Markup Language (XML) devised to allow the attributes
of physical items to be described in a standard way that
can be interpreted by any PML-compliant application.
RFIDRadio Frequency Identification: a technology that
allows data held on a microchip to be broadcast using a
wireless transmitter. Data from the RFID chip can be
read even when the chip is not in line of sight.
Savanta software architecture developed by
EPCglobal to manage the high volumes of data being
generated from reads of RFID tags that deals with read
errors, multiple reads of the same tags and so on before
data is passed to business systems.
NORTH AMERICA
AND GLOBAL
HEADQUARTERS
100 Edison Park Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
U.S.A.
Tel: +1 800-560-4347
Tel: +1 301-340-4000
Fax: +1 301-340-5299
EUROPE, MIDDLE
EAST AND AFRICA
1 Station Road
Sunbury-on-Thames
Middlesex TW16 6SU
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1932 776047
Fax: +44 (0)1932 776216
ASIA PACIFIC
25th Floor, Shell Tower
Times Square
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2884-6088
Fax: +852 2513-0650
www.gxs.com
2004 Global eXchange Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About Global eXchange Services
Global eXchange Services, Inc. operates one of the largest B2B e-commerce networks in the world,
managing 1 billion transactions annually for more than 100,000 trading partners. With over 35 years
experience, Global eXchange Services provides supply chain services and software to 60 percent of
the FORTUNE 500. Global eXchange Services is headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD and is a direct
subsidiary and indirect subsidiary of GXS Corporation and GXS Holdings, Inc. respectively.