EPC in Action - The GS1 EPCglobal Transport and Logistics RFID Pilot

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1 EPC in Action - The GS1 EPCglobal Transport and Logistics RFID Pilot

2 Use of EPCglobal Standards in the pilot will explore a wide range of opportunities Through the use of existing and developing EPCglobal standards like UHF Class 1 Generation 2, Reader Protocol, Application Level Events (ALE) for Filtering & Collection and EPC Information Services (EPCIS), the transport and logistics companies, interested governmental agencies and others that are authorised will be able to track events throughout the supply chain. EPCIS is the draft EPCglobal standard which will provide a common set of data elements, a common language for communication, and a set of defined messages for trading partners to use for storing, accessing, and communicating data on objects moving in the supply chain. It is a critical link to providing the supply chain visibility the pilot is set to achieve. The pilot will also test the use of active EPC/RFID tags on sea containers and will serve to drive the development of those standards. It brings together EPC software and hardware standards as well as GS1 identification standards. The pilot will help the EPCglobal community and the Transportation and Logistics Industry Action Group drive standards for interoperability among multiple trading partners in Global supply chain management. The work of the EPCglobal community to encourage and push forward standards in this exciting technology area really can help Schneider and our customers get the most out of EPC and RFID. says Doug Olson, Schneider.

3 The EPCglobal Transport and Logistics (TLS) Industry Action Group launched a pilot programme utilizing the Electronic Product Code (EPC ) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in October This pilot is a multi-industry, multi-stakeholder initiative using EPCglobal standards to enable transport visibility across stakeholders, countries and continents. The Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry (METI) in Japan is an active participant in the TLS Action Group and is providing extensive support for this important initiative. The main focus of this brochure is on phase one of the pilot. Phase two will include more trading partners. It will begin in March 2007 and will end in October EPCglobal Standards connecting trading partners across the global supply chain With the creation of EPCglobal Standards, it is envisioned that global trading partners can achieve supply chain visibility at unprecedented levels. The combination of RFID and Internet supply chain visibility technologies when using EPCglobal Standards, will provide significant advancements to product identification in the supply chain. EPCglobal Standards provide for a network where information is captured and shared in a manner that gives real time product movement data for individual items (pallet, case or individual unit) to authorised users. This pilot will provide the complete shipping history for EPC-tagged items. Data availability at such a great level of granularity provides unparalleled up-to-the-minute tracking information (ie. where is an item?) as well as detailed tracing information (ie. where has the item been?) that can be accessed by supply chain visibility tools.

4 Phase One The first phase of the pilot demonstrates how EPC/RFID can be applied in transportation and logistics from a terminal port in Hong Kong to a port in Japan. This phase will assess the use of both active and passive UHF EPC/RFID tags for sea shipment of cartons and containers between the two regions. Associated data will be exchanged through EPCIS. The Hong Kong EPCnetwork developed by GS1 Hong Kong, will be used to communicate with other EPCIS networks in Japan. Completion of the first phase of the pilot is expected in February Goals of the first phase include: Demonstrating interoperability among multiple trading partners and service providers in a global supply chain Utilizing EPCIS and standard based RFID technology components Enabling visibility at critical events across the supply chain Testing and developing requirements for active RFID and integration with associated technology Identifying standards opportunities for transportation and logistics providers Creating an environment of open results and information sharing for the EPCglobal member community. Phase one of the pilot will use EPCIS to track the progress of physical products in cartons and containers across the supply chain between Hong Kong and Japan and will involve reading active and passive EPC/RFID tags at many different organisations and locations. Container RFID Tag Commissioned Container arrives at Hong Kong Warehouse Carton Tags are Commissioned Cartons Arrive at the Hong Kong Warehouse Cartons are Loaded into the Container Cartons are Aggregated/Associated to the Container Container is Closed; Mechanical Seal is Applied Loaded Container Departs the Hong Kong Warehouse Container Arrives at the Hong Kong Container Terminal Container Arrives at the Japan Container Terminal Container Arrives at the Japan Warehouse Active tag read Passive tag read R= Read Event. The data shared for each event provides WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and WHY of each event.

5 Phase Two The second phase of the pilot will demonstrate interoperability among multiple trading partners and service providers in a global supply chain. The EPCIS dimension of phase one will be more widely deployed. Information will be exchanged between end users, such as customs administrations for automatic customs clearance. The trade lane to be used in this phase is Shanghai to Long Beach, via ocean container. Air transport will be part of phase two. Goals of phase two include: Utilize EPCglobal Standards based RFID technology components Enable visibility at critical events in the supply chain Test and develop requirements for active RFID and integration with associated technologies Identify standards opportunities for transportation and logistics providers Open results and information sharing for the EPCglobal member community Value delivered This pilot project will validate the value of EPC standards and technology. The programme will demonstrate how organisations across a global supply chain can exchange real time event data and track shipments from point of manufacture through the final point of distribution. Supply chain partners will have real-time access to information about products and shipments as they travel along the supply chain. The pilot programme allows unprecedented process insight which assists in standards development and drives multi-industry collaboration creating a host of new opportunities for our community. EPC technology and the EPCglobal Network are allowing businesses to run with more precision and accuracy.

6 EPCglobal Transport and Logistics Industry Action Group RFID pilot programme partners The partners involved in this pilot represent GS1 Organisations, Government, Users and Solution Providers. EPCglobal Inc is supporting and coordinating the Pilot efforts. METI Maersk Logistics Schneider National, Inc. APL DHL NYK Logistics GS1 Hong Kong IBM BEA WhereNet Symbol Toppan Savi Allumis NRI Oracle IIJ NTT COMWARE Monohakobi Technology Institute VeriSign Schenker METI Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry About GS1 EPCglobal GS1 EPCglobal supports the global adoption of the Electronic Product Code as a global standard to enable accurate information and visibility about products in the supply chain. More information about EPCglobal Inc can be found at About GS1 GS1 is an organisation dedicated to improving the efficiency and visibility of supply and demand chains, globally and across sectors. GS1 operates in more than 20 industries and sectors in 104 countries, and addresses all aspects of the supply chain, enabling a million companies of all sizes to execute more than five billion transactions a day. For more information, visit