How robots unlock RFID’s true potential

Robots address the key challenges of RFID implementation: consistency, frequency, and coverage. By automating the RFID scanning process, retailers can harness the full power of this technology for inventory accuracy, massively improved efficiency, and better customer experiences across all retail channels.

Accurate inventory management is more critical than ever in today’s fast-paced retail environment. As customers seamlessly blend online and in-store shopping experiences, retailers face mounting pressure to provide real-time inventory visibility across all channels. One technology has emerged as a game-changer in this arena: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). When combined with robotics, RFID becomes an even more powerful tool for enhancing retail operations.

RFID: The foundation of modern inventory management

RFID technology uses radio waves to identify and track tags attached to objects. In retail, these tags are affixed to individual items, allowing quick and accurate inventory counts without direct line-of-sight scanning. Unlike traditional barcodes, RFID tags can be read in bulk and from a distance, revolutionizing how retailers manage their inventory.

Where and why RFID is helpful to retailers

RFID technology offers several significant advantages for retailers. Daniel Hoffman highlights some key capabilities: “With RFID, you can see effectively through things. If you have five pairs of jeans stacked up and each pair of jeans is tagged with an RFID tag, you can count the number of jeans much easier than you can with computer vision. You can approximate where a specific tag is, which helps with localization. And you can map those tags to actual products, turning them into actionable insights like ‘we have five pairs of jeans left on the sales floor and we need to restock.’”

These capabilities can translate into tangible benefits for retailers:

1. Profit improvements:? Traditional inventory scanning’s 65% inaccuracy rate reduces profits by 10%, and misplaced items account for 3.4% of all SKUs, leading to a 25% profit loss. RFID technology improves upon these figures, directly impacting a retailer’s bottom line.
2. Improved accuracy: RFID can achieve “greater than 95% inventory accuracy” compared to the 65%? we just mentioned.
3. Omnichannel enablement: Accurate inventory data across all locations supports seamless online and in-store shopping experiences.
4. Loss prevention: RFID tags help retailers track items throughout the supply chain, reducing shrinkage and identifying potential theft points.
5. Improved customer experience: With accurate inventory data, retailers can better meet customer expectations and provide reliable product availability information.

The benefits of RFID in inventory extend beyond the shelves and into the supply chain, improving product availability and overall logistics efficiency.

The current challenges with collecting RFID data

While RFID technology offers significant potential, its implementation in retail environments faces several hurdles:

1. Physical limitations of manual scanning: Traditional RFID scanning requires staff to maneuver handheld devices physically, often bending and stretching to capture tags at various angles. This process is time-consuming and physically demanding, limiting the frequency and thoroughness of inventory checks.
2. Time constraints: Manual RFID scanning can take hours daily, making it challenging for retailers to maintain up-to-date inventory data without significant labor investment.
3. Inconsistency with scanning: The quality of manual RFID scans can vary depending on the diligence and technique of individual staff members, leading to inconsistent data collection.
4. Not enough frequency of scans: Due to the labor-intensive nature of manual scanning, inventory checks are often not performed as frequently as needed for real-time accuracy.
5. Insufficient coverage: Ensuring complete coverage of large retail spaces is difficult when relying on human operators, as it’s easy to miss tags or entire sections.
6. Data inaccuracies: Many retailers face a significant discrepancy between their system’s inventory data and the actual stock on hand, a gap caused by infrequent data collection, theft, damage, misplaced items, and human error.

How robots address RFID challenges

This is where robotics enters the picture, offering solutions to many of the challenges associated with RFID implementation:

1. Consistency in scanning: Robots provide unwavering consistency. Daniel Hoffman explains: “The robotic solution is autonomous, which brings several benefits. The first one that comes to mind is consistency. The robot doesn’t get tired, ensuring consistent performance every time it runs.”
2. Frequency of scans: Hoffman adds, “You can run it once a day or multiple times a day, at a much greater frequency than assigning someone to walk up and down every aisle manually scanning products with handheld scanners.”
3. Coverage: Robots can be programmed to systematically cover entire store layouts, ensuring no areas are missed, even in large retail spaces.
4. Data processing: Advanced AI algorithms paired with robotic systems can process RFID scan data in real-time, identifying patterns, predicting trends, and flagging anomalies.
5. Integration with existing systems: Many robotic solutions, like those powered by Brain Corp’s BrainOS?, are designed to integrate seamlessly with existing inventory management systems, streamlining the adoption process.

The impact of robotic RFID on retail operations

By combining RFID technology’s power with robots’ consistency and tirelessness, retailers can achieve unprecedented inventory accuracy and operational efficiency.

Key benefits of this powerful combination include:

1. Operational efficiency: By automating inventory counts, staff can focus on higher-value tasks like customer service and merchandising.
2. Cost savings: Robotic RFID scanning can reduce long-term labor costs.
3. Scalability: Robotic solutions can easily grow to meet the needs of expanding retail operations, giving a sense of assurance and trust in the investment.
4. Real-time inventory visibility: Robotic RFID solutions provide constant, accurate stock data, bridging the gap between system records and actual shelf inventory.
5. Improved accuracy: By eliminating human error and increasing scanning frequency, robotic RFID solutions can push inventory accuracy even closer to 100%.
6. Profit improvement: Robotic RFID solutions dramatically reduce the losses introduced by traditional manual scanning by providing near-perfect inventory accuracy and real-time item location data, directly boosting the retailer’s bottom line.

These benefits are just the beginning. There are even more ways that robots and AI can enhance inventory management that retailers might not have considered.

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, the combination of RFID and robotics offers a powerful solution to the challenges of modern inventory management. By leveraging these technologies, retailers can achieve unprecedented accuracy, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Daniel Hoffman emphasizes Brain Corp’s unique position in the market: “We have a lot of experience based on data, based on actual operation in public spaces, that goes into every one of our products. I think that’s our differentiator that makes us stand out compared to other options.”

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