Since its first RFID pilot three years ago, Wal-Mart has learned a valuable lesson: RFID's ability to improve the supply chain is limited by business partners' willingness to participate. The giant retailer is now focusing its radio-frequency identification technology efforts primarily on in-store applications, while moving much more slowly with its distribution centers. "We initially thought we'd install [RFID] into distribution centers as we installed it in stores," acknowledged Simon Langford, Wal-Mart's manager of global RFID strategy. "Quickly we learned, along with our suppliers, that a lot of the initial benefits was at the store level."

Read More..