The global rush to adopt RFID technology, which many industry experts agree is at least a decade away from full deployment, is overshadowing existing technology solutions that offer suppliers many of the same benefits including electronic pedigrees, according to Secure Symbology Inc (SSI).

     According to SSI''s president, Ronald Barenburg, it should be possible to achieve significant enough savings using existing solutions for supply chain security to potentially fund the extensive capital investment that will be required to support RFID deployment further down the road. 116.30.147.133 This article is copyright 2004 UsingRFID.com.

     SSI developed its Electronic Sequence Code (ESC) - a serialised bar coding system currently being tested in the pharmaceutical industry by one of the big three US pharmaceutical distributors - to provide anti-counterfeiting protection and to enable supply chain track-and-trace facilities. The system uses bar codes carrying a unique serial number for every product, in much the same way as an RFID tag would.

     Barenburg points out that, although bar codes must still be read by line-of-sight, SSI''s system already offers an electronic pedigree at any packaging level, whether for containers, pallets, cases or individual product units. Bar codes also have the benefit of being trusted by consumers world-wide.

     The anti-counterfeiting benefit that SSI claims stems from the fact that each item - say a pharmaceutical product - is allocated a unique identification code, meaning that would-be counterfeiters could not anticipate valid serial numbers for their fake products.

     Each product can then be associated with a centrally held electronic pedigree that enables real-time product authentication, counterfeiting protection, validation of product returns, expediting of recalls, enhanced brand security and increased consumer safety.

     "All of these measures add up to increased traceability at every level of the supply chain for manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, hospitals and retail pharmacies," said Barenburg. "They provide precisely the advantages Wal-Mart, the Defense Department and the FDA are all seeking in RFID, but RFID at all packaging levels isn''t there yet. Bar codes can provide a bridge to RFID until the system is robust enough for global deployment and, when that time comes, it can also provide system redundancy."

 

 

 

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