First ever apparel RFID solution centre opensPublished on 15 May 2007  ADT, Salpomec and UPM Raflatac have announced the opening of a unique Apparel Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Solution Centre. This new facility demonstrates how RFID can significantly enhance supply chain management and in-store retail operations for garment manufacturers, brand owners, retailers and logistics providers.
"Optimisation of the supply chain is a vital competitive factor for both apparel manufacturers and retailers alike," says John Smith, Vice President of Retail Sales for ADT Europe, Middle East and Africa. "Brand owners want to prevent counterfeiting, manufacturers want to save time and money by streamlining their processes, while retailers seek to improve their in-store and point of sale activities. The whole supply chain has to be transparent and effectively managed to truly help reduce out-of-stock situations and increase sales." The Apparel RFID Solution Centre, based in Lahti in Finland, is the first facility of its kind anywhere in the world. It is a joint venture between ADT, Salpomec and UPM Raflatac, three world class companies that have been pioneering RFID implementation with early adopters in a number of countries. The Centre brings together all the elements of an RFID enabled apparel supply chain to demonstrate a complete end-to-end solution. This includes source tagging, automatic goods reception, an RFID-based sorting system, replenishment and store inventory management and point of sale analytics and security. According to Jarkko Kuusisto, Chief Executive Officer of Salpomec: "In increasingly global supply chains, apparel manufacturing often takes place on one continent with the goods being sold in an entirely different location. This increases the demand for up to date and accurate information throughout the entire supply chain. RFID can deliver this by offering increased levels of information and control." "By hosting customer visits to the Centre, we can demonstrate that the most advantageous point in the supply chain to attach an RFID tag to a garment is the manufacturing stage," explains Samuli Strömberg, Vice President of Marketing at UPM Raflatac. "This way, it can include information for the whole supply chain right from the beginning, bringing value to all participants in the chain. In addition to tracking and tracing capabilities, RFID offers a means of brand protection and enhanced marketing opportunities." The Apparel RFID Solution Centre opened to visitors at the beginning of May. In its first year of operation, it is expected to host visits by up to 100 garment manufacturers, brand owners, retailers and logistics providers. | 
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