Future-Proofing Your Supply Chain: A Guide to RFID Compliance in Retail
The following is a sponsored article from our partners at DLS.
If your clients provide products to major retailers, you might have encountered the increasing demand to incorporate radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagging on their merchandise. The prevalence of retailer RFID mandates is growing, making it imperative to grasp the fundamentals and ensure compliance for your clients. This comprehensive guide will take you through the essential steps to meet retailer RFID mandates.
Step 1: Evaluate Retailer Requirements
Before delving into implementation, check if multiple retailers share similar RFID requirements. Ideally, aim for an RFID label that aligns with the criteria of all retailers your clients engage with. Retailer mandates typically have common elements, facilitating streamlined compliance efforts. Retailers should provide documentation outlining their specific RFID requirements, covering aspects like:
- Acceptable label dimensions
- Approved label materials (facestock, adhesive, etc.)
- Authorized RFID inlays by product type
- Information and barcode(s) to be printed on the label
- RFID encoding scheme to use (often GS1's "SGTIN-96")
- Requirement to permalock encodings
- Guidelines for label placement
- Label approval process
For any missing or unclear information, reach out to the retailer's designated point of contact for clarification.
Step 2: Begin With One Product Type
Retailer mandates are typically organized by product types or terms like department or category. Your clients can initiate the process by focusing on a specific product type to thoroughly understand the requirements. Once they grasp the essentials, replicating the process for other product types covered by the mandate becomes more straightforward.
Step 3: Obtain and Encode Sample Labels
Whether your clients opt for pre-printed and encoded labels from a service bureau like DLS or choose to print and encode them in-house, it's crucial to ensure labels comply with the physical requirements specified by the retailer. Use software such as BarTender, NiceLabel or CODESOFT in conjunction with an RFID printer to design, print and encode sample labels for internal review.
Three key considerations when encoding RFID tags:
- Use the proper numbering system (SGTIN-96 is commonly used)
- Ensure each serial number generated is unique
- Permalock the encodings to prevent data tampering
Step 4: Validate Encodings
After printing and encoding the labels, it's essential to verify that the data is correctly formatted and matches the corresponding UPC/EAN number. Utilize an RFID reader to check the hexadecimal values and decode them using GS1's online decoder tool for confirmation.
Step 5: Obtain Retailer Approval
Your clients will need to follow the documented approval process outlined by their retailer, which may involve submitting sample tags and photos of label placement on products. Retailers will provide step-by-step guidelines for this stage.
Help Your Clients Meet Retail RFID Mandates With DLS
For suppliers, understanding the requirements for complying with retailer RFID mandates is vital for sustaining business relationships and remaining competitive. This guide has summarized the key steps to successfully navigate this evolving landscape. Additionally, rely on the expertise of RFID printing and labeling professionals at DLS. They can assist with:
- Stock RFID labels in sizes commonly required for retail mandates
- Service bureau printing/encoding services
- Industry-leading RFID printers/encoders from TSC Printronix Auto ID
- RFID label training
By DLS