When you’re doing something for the first time, it’s usually a good idea to learn as much as you can. That way, you’ll be better prepared for the next time.

That’s exactly what Continental Mills thought when they were asked by Albertsons to participate in a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) pilot program along with other leading grocery suppliers in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metropolitan area. The food products manufacturer wanted to meet the requirements set forth by Albertsons, and, at the same time, gain a better understanding of the RFID process for future partnerships with other retailers. And they knew they had just the logistics partner to help them achieve these goals: DSC Logistics.

We apply RFID tags to select SKUs destined for one of the three Albertson distribution centers participating in the pilot program. (RFID uses radio frequency transmissions on a tag to identify product at a case or pallet level.) The workstation is set up with hard copy examples, instruction booklets and a dedicated computer for RFID use only; DSC employees have been crosstrained to operate the system. After being tagged, the pallets pass through a RFID portal for scanning, where as much as 100 percent reads on the pallets have been achieved. This starts the RFID tracking process.

Then, upon receipt, Albertsons scans a pallet to determine the SKU # and case quantity. When individual cases are picked for a particular store, the RFID tags are scanned again. At the store level, the tagged cases are scanned upon receipt and again when they are brought onto the store floor.

The scanning of the RFID-tagged cases at each of these points allows both Albertsons and Continental Mills to have complete visibility for this product throughout the supply chain. Also, Albertsons can now track the inventory levels of this product on the shelf so they can be notified in advance when an item requires shelf replenishment, thus reducing shelf stockouts. And, we provide Continental Mills with stockout and transit time information.

Like Continental Mills, all of our customers benefit from our leadership role in adopting new technology. At DSC, we’re a thinking, learning organization, prepared to help our customers meet their goals.