EPCglobal has announced that the Transportation and Logistics (TLS) Industry Action Group has initiated an RFID pilot programme. The Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry (METI) in Japan is an active participant in the TLS Action Group and is providing extensive support for the pilot.
The plan is to complete the first phase of the pilot in February 2007 and will assess the use of both passive and active UHF EPC/RFID tags for sea-shipment of cartons and containers between Hong Kong and Japan.
The Hong Kong EPC Network developed by GS1 Hong-Kong will be used to communicate with other EPCIS networks in Japan. The second phase is due for completion in September 2007 and will be handled between Shanghai and Los Angeles.
"This truly multi-industry, multi-stakeholder initiative is a significant step toward standardizing RFID data," said Chris Adcock, president of EPCglobal Inc.
The first phase aims to:
- Demonstrate interoperability among multiple trading partners and service providers in a global supply chain;
- Utilize EPC Information Services (EPCIS)/RFID technology components and EPCglobal standards;
- Enable visibility at critical events across the supply chain;
- Test and develop requirements for Active RFID and integration with associated technology;
- Identify standards opportunities for transportation and logistics providers;
- Create an environment of open results and sharing best practices with the EPCglobal member community.
The second phase aims to:
- Reinforce the EPC Information Services dimension. Information will be exchanged between potential end users, such as customs administrations for automatic customs clearance.
Pilot participants include several hardware and software companies, government bodies, and global supply chain providers including DHL, Maersk, NYK, Schenker and Schneider National.
Update July 2008
EPCglobal announced the completion of phase two of its Transportation and Logistics Services (TLS) Pilot Program. The pilot's second phase followed two shipments from a Chinese manufacturer through ports in Shanghai and Long Beach, California, and on to at a warehouse in Janesville, Wisconsin. Phase two began on Dec. 1, 2007, and concluded five weeks later, in January of 2008. During this phase two shipments of tires were sent one week apart from an unnamed manufacturer in Shanghai.
For both shipments, the pallets, shipping containers and tractor trailers were tagged, using a combination of passive and active RFID tags. Pilot participants applied EPC Gen 2 UHF passive tags to the pallets. To identify the containers and trailers conveyance asset tags (CATs) were used, also complying with the EPC Gen 2 UHF standard, as well as one 2.4 GHz and one 433 MHz active tag, serving as extended conveyance asset tags (XCATs).
As the containers and trailers moved from Shanghai to Janesville, data generated from RFID reads was stored in EPCIS-based applications in China and the United States. In-transit visibility and chain-of-custody information could be accessed by the tire manufacturer, logistics providers and consignee, using a password to log on to a Web-based accessing application. The application transmitted e-mail alerts to authorized recipients when the shipment's status changed—for instance, when the cargo arrived at a location such as the sending or receiving port.
The successful completion of the pilot's second phase, Escott says, triggered plans to launch the Transportation and Logistics Phase 3 Pilot Program. This third phase will involve the active participation of additional organizations and corporations in the transport and logistics industry, as well as a greater number of parts and finished products, and more regions.
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