How Inexpensive RFID Is Revolutionizing the Supply Chain: (Innovations Case Narrative: The Electronic Product Code)

Like the electric, water, and information networks most of modern society relies on, there is another network, one far less visible, that makes modern life possible: the global supply chain. Almost every physical product that is grown, manufactured, or packaged arrives at a store or at our home through a series of transfers involving ships, planes, trains, and trucks. In between, products may be aggregated into pallets and containers; moved with cranes or forklifts; stored in ports, warehouses, or on shelves; kept secure in armored vehicles or vaults; kept fresh in refrigerated storage or “reefer” transportation units; and packaged, repackaged, or finished before they get into our hands. Supply-chain management, which involves everything from the sourcing and procurement of materials to logistics, is a major part of the U.S. economy. In 2011, U.S. business logistics costs totaled $1.28 trillion and accounted for 8.5 percent of the GDP