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We are glad to announce a brand new microsite ( jewelry.innovez-one.com) for Enterprise Jewelry Software ( EJS 2.0 ). You can download EJS 2.0 for a free trial period of 30 days. There are several new features we incorporated into EJS 2.0 :

• Support for Single User if you are a Jewelry Startup or Multi-users versions
• “GOLD Formula Calculator” - allows you to create your own pricing formulas.
• Further support for Barcode or RFID technology
• More than 15 new business reports
• “1-Click EJS Installer” - makes it easy to install and register your license all in one application
• … and many more, check out the FEATURES section.

So if you have some time today, download EJS 2.0 and see for yourself.

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We have all heard about RFID tagging of animals and pets now chipping is happening to fishes.

RFID is certainly going places, recently in Singapore it has gone under water. The Singapore Underwater World recently announced the latest RFID enabled sea aquarium exhibit. Several species of fish - Arapaima, Alligator Gar, Flower Ray, Pacu, Redtail Catfish, Shovelnose Catfish and Walking Catfish are implanted with RFID. In the past, visitors would have to match fish by their shape and colour to static information wall panels to figure them out. After a couple of tanks, it gets too tedious to find which is which - I know because I was there too.

NOW, when a fish moves within the vicinity of the RFID reader, the information about the fish runs up on the touch-screen display. And of course the visitor can interact further with the device to learn more information about the fish - its really something!

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Yearly the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) recall its reserve force for what is known as the Individual Physical Proficiency Test or more famously known as IPPT. IPPT consists of five testing stations : (1) 50 metres sprint, (2) Standing Broad Jump, (3) Chin-up, (4) Sit-n-Reach, (5) 2.4 KM run. The last couple of years, we have seen initiatives to automate the testing procedures for each station using a combination of light sensors and RFID technology.

Particularly for the last station - a 2.4km run, each runner carries a RFID chip on their body. The RFID system will record the start time, number of laps, lap time, and end time for each individual run. The nice thing I like about it is when I complete a lap, it shows my own lap time/count on a huge display board nearby. It saves me the pain of looking at my watch everytime, counting my lap time mentally while busting my lungs for oxygen. At least for me, it is a huge improvement from the old manual system we used to have. I can stay focus on the run and keep the momentum going.

Similarly, same application is used for rollerblading. We’ll set up RFID gates at the start / end lines. Every racer carries a RFID chip, and when he zooms past the gates, the RFID system tracks his current lap count and lap time. On his last lap, when he races past the gates, the system captures his end time. Nice, and fuss free … pretty much everything is automated here.

In fact I just remembered I knew someone who worked for HS Sports in the UK, and they tagged race cars to automate lap counts, and time. I have not seen it for myself, but he did mention that they stick RFID tags at the base of a car, take an average of the several timing samplings for each lap as the car races past the line.

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Enterprise Jewlery Software implements a security feature using RFID. The solution approaches the problem with appropriate theft preventive measures and recovery.

Placing antennas into each display space, jewelry items are continously scanned real-time 24 hours. Thefts often happens at the counter when an enthusiastic sales person loses track of the items that are removed from the drawer while showing dazzling jewels to potential buyers. This is the opportune time for the attacker to strike, to conveniently drop off an extra item in his pocket.

Using RFID scanners built into every shelf, the EJS system will pick up if an unusual number of jewelry items are removed from the display. The system immediately alerts the store manager who tunes in to the activity and responds accordingly. EJS can be integrated with panning camera systems to observe any suspicious activity in the store.

This sharply contrasts a jewelry RFID system using handheld readers. A cheaper alternative, however the semi automated solution cannot implement the security feature described above. Missing items detected using a handheld RFID solution is often too late for item recovery.

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It is traditional to justify an investment in RFID technology far more superior than barcodes system. Often the key ROI is calculated in terms of operational productivity. While this is wonderful news to companies that are looking for systems that drive bottomline downwards, there are greater RFID treasures waiting to be uncovered. Today at a meeting with a director from Schimidt Electronics, he painted his vision of RFIDed solutions in various verticals. He was literally going in circles about creating efficient inventory channels for various applications.

Lets fast forward backend supply chain RFID usages to the heart of retailing. The question I am more interested is exploring how can RFID help drive revenues through enhanced customer experience? Could RFID enable in-store products that connect with shoppers emotionally? RFID can define new personalized customer interaction. RFID is an investment for a remarkable experience, that differentiates itself from other stores offering similar products. RFID ROI figures for customer centric usages makes up equally well if not better than backend supply chain management stories.

• This is another story about how RFID is used to create a novel feature that resulted in a sold out. When Star Wars Episode I was released, Hasbro, a toy manufacturer produced models of Darth and other SW characters with embedded RFID tags in them. Using an accompanied RFID reader, it will recognize its character based on the tag and plays a cool liner dialogue from the movie. It was a runaway success, driving increased sales for the toy company. That was quite a connection RFID helped achieved with customers.
• A possible scenario in the jewelry retail. The service staff removes a tagged piece of jewelry from the showcase, places it on a RFID tray and offers it to the customer. During this time, the RFID integrated media system detects the presence of the tag via the RFID tray, retrieves its information and plays a relevant video of a model wearing the jewelry on the nearby plasma screen. The system also remembers the number of times the jewelry product has been requested. It gets more interesting when product sales is compared to its actual display placements.
• The same idea can be adapted for a fashion store. As the shopper walks into the changing room to try on the new clothing, the RFID reader detects the tagged clothing and plays a personalized promotional video of the product. In UK London, Marks and Spencer rolled out RFID trial stores over 9 stores. By 2006, the number of Marks and Spencer stores participating will extend to 42. The application was intended to ensure optimum on-shelf product availability for their customers. I would think the application can easily be extended to include product marketing within their stores.

There are probably a dozen and more innovative retail uses for RFID. I think I will add to this list as I learn more. If you have other ideas or heard of others, feel free to leave a comment and I will update the list.

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I am not sure if it has happened, but I am sure it can. In reality, as RFID makes its way into retail stores it is fairly trivial to built systems that recognize customers, record shopping behaviour and recommends alternate purchases etc. In 2003, MetroAG opened the “Store of the Future” that showcased RFID among other technologies. The system uses a combination of pallet level tagging and itemized level tagging for its entire supply chain. The part of the story that interests me the most is how it uses RFID within retail spaces. Metro AG employs a form of “proxy” tagging of customers. Customers are not tagged directly, however each shopping cart is RFID tagged. The shopper scans his ID card via a computer screen attached on the cart, and WALA he automatically places himself under the scope of “marketeers”. The system will be able to record his shopping behaviour as he pushes the RFID-ed cart about. So why will he do that? Well, a compelling benefit to any shopper is when he can save himself from long queues while the cashier takes his time barcode scan one item after the next and chats with his next hop neighbour. At “Store of the Future” by the time the shopper pushes his cart alongside the payment counter, he is immediately greeted for payment. This is because all the items are already scanned, recorded and sent wirelessly to the counter before he was even halfway through his shopping list. There are various other “niceties” to the RFID system as a shopper at “Store of the Future” but I guess I have only mentioned the ONE benefit that I will be suckered into.

There has been many debates surrounding privacy. More has to be done on the issue of privacy surrounding RFID. Part of the privacy problem may just be resolved with a formulation of an open protocol, agreed on by an international standards committee. This protocol can empower the user to give “grants” to the extent of information the system can use of his credit card, identity card, passport, buying history, and anything one can think of that inflict on privacy of the individual. This way the system places the power of choice back into the hands of its users. Let the users decide how much of their information will be known. At the end of the day, to enable RFID systems to make intelligent recommendations (or guesses) for purchases, alert dangers, advise alternatives it has to know something about the shopper. Lastly I must add it is our right to privacy as it is equally our right to useful technology that could add quality into our lives.

Anyway that said, this is worth a few laughs …

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For me, integration of technology stops at the point where it transgress my human form. It disturbs me alittle to know there are willing volunteers who choose to embed foreign tracking devices into their body while it is not absolutely necessary. The link here takes you to x-rayed photos showing RFID implants of Amal Graafstra.

This is a video that shows a real life RFID chipping. Please do not try this at home.

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RFID has alot of possibilities for retailing which we only dream about in the 90s. For example, RFID enables retailers to track customer shopping behaviour, and essentially deduce how well the shop real estate space is maximized. Having this data which was traditionally difficult to acquire in the context of a store that displays thousands of products, has enormous potential at enhancing sales revenue. Ultimately what this means is the company is rewarded with greater profits for successfully enabling RFID in its operations. In the past, retailer relied on guesswork or historical data to predict product trends. With RFID-ed stores, the retailer is empowered with real-time marketing information that is associated with each product. The retailer could know the “shelf-life” of the product, the number of times the customer has viewed the product relative to the product physical positioning, and the number of remaining product items in the shelf. Based on real-time information dynamic pricing strategies may be implemented to further enhance sales results.

Using RFID for consumer data collection and analysis, far outweighs the cost benefits of using the technology solely for inventory management. Of course combining the applications of RFID will most certainly enhance the entire business performance.

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As a RFID solution provider, one of the first things we do is to understand what customers like RFID do for their business. The final outcome of the design rest on several variables such as the tracking velocity requirements, reading distances, tag sizes, antenna size, frequency of monitoring, the volatile environment. Often there are some tradeoffs between them, depending on the project requirements.

To illustrate an example of tradeoff, I will share on a common requirement I hear often. In the jewelry industry context, the RFID tags have to be very small. Understandably, the aesthetic features of the displays are the keys to healthy store sales. Absolutely nothing must obstruct or disrupt the view jewellery in all its “glaring” beauty. Most people only SIN when they look at the object of their desire long enough, or should I say lust. Haven’t you realized jewelry stores always install spot lights? Its like a hypnosis going on in there Anyway, to satisfy that requirement, the choice of tag sizes are retricted to 15mm x 32mm or 30mm (diameter types), small enough to tuck the tag into the jewellery holder or under a flap. The tradeoff is at those sizes the antenna read distance strinks to between 5cm - 15cm depending on the effects of attentuation. Usually this is not a problem if the requirement is only to optimize inventory. However in order to maximize IT investment, store owners like to have RFID lookout for possible thefts, via RFID Gate Antennas. With that read distance, it is not going to happen. The good news is there are more than one solutions to most problems. Our team had designed a jewellery software system that aims to prevent thefts at the operations level, way before anyone gets a chance to snatch a jewelry piece and make a dash for it. Come on guys, it will be too late by then. And if they are seriously comtemplating on robbery, they will come with their grenades, M16, GPMGs! No system in the world can save your jewelry, we have the cops for that.

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I apologise for the poor video quality. It was done by one of the engineers…Give some time and we will redo this. This video basically shows a standard desktop antenna that reads about 20 jewellery items. With a specially made antenna, we could scan hundreds of jewelry items in the store all at the same time. Cool!

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