Consumer Goods Manufacturers helped fund and form the Auto ID Center at MIT. This center was instrumental in the development of the Electronic Product Code (EPC) and exploration of the commercial viable use of RFID technology. Since its early days the Auto ID Center has been split into a non-profit organization named EPCglobal, Inc. and the Auto ID laboratories that remain at MIT. Recently the Class 1 Gen 2 EPCglobal specification adopted in January 2005 was ratified as ISO 18000-6c by the ISO committee making it a global specification. While this organization explored the use of RFID technology the US DoD and other commercial entities began to realize the potential benefits of using it to augment visibility and efficiency in their own supply chains. As a result membership grew. One of the biggest retailers in the industry (Wal-Mart) joined in the efforts and determined that they could use the technology so (to) streamline their own supply chain. In conjunction with their contributions and involvement in EPCglobal, Inc. they devised and implemented the first RFID compliance mandate for the consumer goods industry. In the period between January 2005 and March 2005 Wal-Mart had received over 636,000 tagged cases and over 23,000 tagged pallets in three (3) distribution centers and a handful of stores in Texas. The numbers of tagged objects and the number of suppliers required to comply with the mandate are growing according to a rolling implementation schedule. There are over 600 suppliers already using RFID technology as it relates to the mandate and some are leveraging it for internal purposes. The next group of distribution centers and stores has already been targeted for RFID infrastructures and installation is under way. The promise of increase visibility and efficiency in the supply chain has prompted other retailers to begin implementing their own RFID compliance mandates. Commercial entities such as Sam’s Club, Target, Best Buy, and Albertson’s have already introduced their plans. Other entities considering similar mandates include Home Depot, the US FDA and the US Customs Service.
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