One of the more aggressive retail RFID backers in the world, Germany's Metro Group, announced Nov. 9 that it is moving its pilot to the second phase and adding 70 more suppliers in China and Vietnam.
The program, which Metro calls "Tag It, Easy," is intended to better track products through Metro's global supply chain. The first phase of the program, launched in May, used 30 Chinese suppliers. The second phase was launched at "a kick-off event for suppliers today in Hong Kong" and will start to ship the first tagged products by December, Metro officials said in a statement.
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As products move from Hong Kong to the company's Unna, Germany, facility, the serial shipping container code is repeatedly read, delivering to Metro "an electronic advance shipping notice detailing the contents of each shipment and the suppliers receive automatic proof-of-delivery notifications," the Metro statement said.
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