7:00 am | Continental Breakfast
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8:15 am | General Session:
Welcome and Introduction
Speakers:
Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal LLC
John Seaner, President, Industry Development, EPCglobal North America
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8:30 am | General Session:
Where is EPC Adoption Today, and Where Is It Going?
For the past five years, EPC technology has been the subject of much hype, speculation and misinformation. In this session, members of EPCglobal North America's Board of Governors discuss the current state of adoption—what's gone right, as well as what's gone wrong—and where adoption is headed over the next two or three years. The audience will have the opportunity to ask the board their questions in this no-holds-barred session.
Moderator:
Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal LLC
Panelists:
Chris Adcock, President, EPCglobal Inc
John Seaner, President, Industry Development, EPCglobal North America
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9:15 am | General Session:
Taking EPC to the Limit and Beyond
Recent technology advances now emerging in newer EPC RFID devices are enabling new solutions and expanded applications for passive RFID systems. Breakthroughs in passive read range, new system architectures, passive tag sensitivity, BAP EPC tags and the application of EPC RFID to RTLS use cases are offering new possibilities and attractive economics in markets previously thought to be unsuitable for passive RFID. This session will showcase recent advances, and offer a glimpse of developments on the horizon as a new generation of EPC RFID systems emerges.
Speaker:
Ramin Sadr, Founder and CEO, Mojix
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9:45 am | General Session:
EPC Update: The Benefits Achieved by Early Adopters
It has been several years since the first wave of early adopters announced plans to improve supply chain efficiencies by deploying EPC technologies. Some reports have claimed the movement's leaders are backing off from those efforts. In this session, hear directly from several leading early adopters regarding the status of their EPC efforts, the benefits they are seeing today, the benefits their suppliers are achieving and how they are moving forward.
Moderator:
Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal LLC
Panelists:
Alan Estevez, Principal Asst. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Material Readiness), Department of Defense
Carolyn Walton, VP of Information Technology, Wal-Mart Stores
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10:30 am | Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall
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| 11:30 am—Breakout Session |
|  Manufacturing:
Saving Time and Money With Passive RFID
Last year, John Deere launched an EPC Gen 2 pilot in one of its factories, to monitor work-in-process (WIP) and ensure parts are at the right spot at the proper time. They also deployed an RFID system with their manufacturing execution system (MES) in another factory, to improve production efficiencies and accuracies. In this session, you’ll hear what happened over the last year since the project was put into place and what’s ahead in the future for Deere’s plan to implement an automated tracking system to monitor outbound logistics operations.
Speaker:
Mark Moran, Technology Architect, Deere & Company
Takeaways:
• Benefits of using an RFID-enabled WIP monitoring process in the manufacturing environment
• Understanding how UHF passive RFID systems can improve logistics and tracking |
| Supply Chain:
Using EPC to Synchronize Private-Label Product Data
Retailers and suppliers will explain the challenges they have faced synchronizing data regarding the movement of private-label products through the supply chain, and how these differ from synchronizing data about branded products. Learn what can be done today through the Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN), and what future enhancements are in the works to enable supply chain partners to share EPC data related to private label products.
Speakers:
Nadine Radomski, Manager, E-commerce Collaboration, Dean Foods
Michele Southall, Director of Community Development, EPCglobal North America
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| EPC in the Defense Industry:
DOD RFID Update—the Future Vision of Asset Visibility
The U.S. Department of Defense is now four years into its effort to transform its supply chain using EPC RFID technologies. In this session, get updated on the rollout's progress, insights into what is ahead and an opportunity to have your questions answered.
Speakers:
Dave Dias, Asset Visibility Division Chief, United States Transportation Command
Kathy Smith, Spec. Asst. for Cust. Support, Supply Chain Integration, U.S. Department of Defense
Takeaways:
• How the DOD is transforming its supply chain through the use of EPC RFID technology
• The tangible results from DOD’s closed-loop application of the technology
• The next steps in the DOD’s EPC RFID roll-out |
| Retail Supplier Implementation:
Understanding the Role of EPCglobal Standards in Supply Chain Collaboration
Standards are the grease that allows supply chains to operate smoothly and efficiently. EPCglobal has created a suite of standards enabling companies to employ RFID systems to track goods in open supply chains, and to share that data securely with business partners. With retailers basing their tagging requirements on these standards, this session will explain the basics of the Electronic Product Code (EPC), outlining the suite of EPC standards, how they are being employed by retailers and how they enable collaboration and drive benefits across the entire supply chain.
Speaker:
Sue Hutchinson, Director of Product Management, EPCglobal North America
Takeaways:
• How to track goods in open supply chains, as well as how to share the data securely with business partners |
12:10 pm | Lunch in the Exhibit hall
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2:15 pm | Sponsored Sessions:
Best Practices for Asset Management and Mobility
This session will explain how Hewlett Packard’s best practices can bring value to your operations using an integrated set of technologies, a proven approach and global delivery capabilities.
Speaker:
Guillaume Oget, RFID Solutions Manager, Manufacturing & Distribution Industries, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP)
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| Sponsored Sessions:
Item Tagging Is Ripe for 2009
From its foundation in case and pallet tagging, UHF RFID has expanded into a wide range of applications, including asset tracking, access control, manufacturing and work-in-process, to name a few. IC, tag and reader performance advancements have significantly improved in recent years, and—along with accelerated standards development—the industry has seen an infusion of technology and service provider offerings with integration support contributing to the global applications knowledge base. The time for item-level tagging is now ripe, and the value chain is aligning to support this rapidly growing opportunity. This presentation will explore the current state of item tagging, addressing reasons why you can expect significant forward progress in this area over the next 18 months.
Speaker:
Scot Stelter, Director, Product Marketing, Alien Technology
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| 3:00 pm—Breakout Session |
| Manufacturing:
Using Passive UHF to Track Vehicles in Production
One major auto manufacturer manually tracked thousands of vehicles each year as they were conveyed through facilities for various testing procedures, but the company sometimes lost track of vehicles or their status because of manual errors. Therefore, the company deployed a cost-effective passive UHF system to automatically track the vehicles, thereby reducing costs, improving visibility and achieving an ROI within a year.
Speaker:
Rajiv Sinha, Technology Manager, Ford Motor
Takeaways:
• How passive UHF systems can be used to track large assets in a production facility
• Methods for overcoming performance issues in a challenging RF environment |
| Supply Chain:
Monitoring and Authenticating High-Value Goods
eProvenance, a startup company, recently introduced a service that tracks, authenticates and monitors bottles of wine through the combined use of semi- active and passive RFID tags, as well as specialized ink. This unique method utilizes a temperature-tracking tag that is placed within each case of wine. In this session, hear how passive tags can be employed to identify and authenticate items and link them to particular temperature-tracking tags, as well as to the shippers, distributors or brokers handling them.
Speaker:
Liz Churchill, VP Solutions, eProvenance
Takeaways:
• The benefits of allowing supply chain partners to trace an item's chain of custody
• How to use RFID to identify problem areas, and to find ways to ensure products are stored and transported under optimal conditions |
| Retail Supplier Implementation:
Case Study: How Pacific Coast Producers Became EPC-Compliant and Discovered a Positive ROI
Pacific Coast Producers (PCP), a $450 million California-based private-label packer of premium canned fruits and tomatoes, was asked to tag the pallets and cases it ships to Wal-Mart. The company took a value-added, customer-focused approach and developed a scalable, analytics-enabled solution that improved business processes and supply-chain performance for its retail customers—and itself. PCP integrated the tagging on its manufacturing line and with its back-end system, yielding an unexpected return on investment. Learn how PCP became EPC-compliant (with a heavier-than-water product encased in metal containers) and improved its operations in the process.
Speakers:
Jim Farmer, Director of Distribution Operations/Logistics, Pacific Coast Producers
Peter C Wtulich, CIO and Vice President of Information Services, Pacific Coast Producers
Takeaways:
• How to create an efficient system for tagging pallets
• Best practices for becoming EPC compliant while improving your operations |
| EPC in the Defense Industry:
Benefits Achieved through Navy RFID Implementations
The U.S. Navy has undertaken several major EPC RFID implementations that are already delivering significant supply chain benefits. In this session, learn how the Navy is working with suppliers, and where both are seeing improvements in efficiencies.
Speaker:
Lorrey Bentzel, Management and Program Analyst, United States Navy
Takeaways:
• Why the suppliers are also reaping the benefits of EPC RFID |
3:40 pm | Movement from Room to Room
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| 3:50 pm—Breakout Session |
| Retail Supplier Implementation:
Meeting Retailer's EPC/RFID Requirements: Tagging the Pallet
There are many questions companies are asking about putting EPC tags on shipments for their retail customers. What do I need to tag? When do I need to tag? Where do I need to tag? The first requirement is to tag pallets going to distribution centers or directly to stores. In this session, you will learn how to tag pallets to meet requirements and—produce valuable supply chain data.
Speaker:
Justin Patton, RFID Lab Director, University of Arkansas
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| Manufacturing:
Cisco Leverages EPC RFID Across the Extended Enterprise
Cisco Systems, the world’s largest manufacture of networking equipment, pioneered the complete outsourcing of manufacturing and service in the high-tech industry . Now, it is studying the use of RFID technologies to manage its virtual supply chain. Hear the results of recent work that quantifies potential benefits in cost and cycle time reduction, leading to the creation of increased competitive advantage. The company’s RFID leader will share the frameworks and tools the company used to determine the benefits and explain Cisco’s next steps.
Speaker:
Waseem Sheikh, Director, Internet Business Solutions Group, Cisco
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| Supply Chain:
The Benefits of RFID in the Steel Industry
ThyssenKrupp Steel, a major German steel producer, and Accenture, an international consulting and outsourcing firm, are leading an initiative to align steel industry players around a common effort to use RFID to help steel makers and customers streamline business processes, harness automation more extensively and reduce costs. Learn where RFID can provide real benefits to the steel industry, and how to overcome problems reading tags on metal.
Speaker:
Christopher Weirup, Senior Manager, Accenture - Mobile Solutions
Takeaways:
• The benefits RFID can deliver to all players in the steel industry
• How to use RFID to track large steel assets
• Insights into the emerging standards for RFID in this industry |
| EPC in the Defense Industry:
Business Improvement Opportunities from DOD's First Closed-Loop RFID Chain
Much has been written about the Department of Defense's use of EPC RFID in its open supply chain, but the DOD is also achieving benefits from its first closed-loop application of the technology. Learn what the DOD is tagging, where it is reading the tags and how the data collected is being employed to drive business benefits.
Speaker:
Bradley Cougher, Senior Consultant, Office of the Undersecretary, DOD
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4:30 pm | Conference Program Adjourns
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7:30 am | Continental Breakfast
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8:25 am | General Session:
Welcome Back Remarks
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8:30 am | General Session:
How EPC Creates Opportunities for New Ways of Working Together
New Ways of Working Together is an industry initiative with a new business approach, built on a strategic framework for collaboration, that enables retailers and manufacturers to focus on agreed-to plans while working together to eliminate supply chain disruptions and jointly grow their businesses. EPC, data synchronization and other standards allow this collaboration. In this session, leaders in the EPC standards movement will discuss how partners can employ these standards across a variety of sales channels to achieve a number of shared benefits, regardless of their industry.
Moderator:
Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal LLC
Panelists:
Ann Dozier, Vice-President, Collaborative Customer Capabilities, North America Retail Sales, Coca Cola Company
Mark Pollock, Director, Global EPC/RFID Initiatives, Kraft
Milan Turk, Jr., Managing Director, Global Customer eCollaboration, Procter & Gamble
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9:15 am | General Session:
The Value of an EPC Standard For Data Centers
Research indicates that using EPC RFID technology can reduce costs and improve the management of data center assets significantly. The Financial Services Technology Consortium has been developing a standard for having all assets pre-tagged by manufacturers of data center hardware. In this session, you’ll get an update on the standard, hear the benefits of using EPC to manage IT assets and learn how this standard will impact every company that manages a data center.
Speakers:
William Conroy, Head of Enterprise Architecture Division, Bank of America
John Fricke, Chief of Staff, Financial Services Technology Consortium
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9:45 am | General Session:
Printed Silicon Electronics – A New Paradigm in Item-level Intelligence
Recent breakthroughs in printed silicon electronics – the combination of silicon inks and graphics printing – are enabling a new paradigm in building intelligence into everyday things. This advancement enables the manufacturing of silicon devices on low-cost flexible substrates at a fraction of the cost of conventional technology – making item-level intelligence affordable. Printed silicon electronics is also significantly more green and resource-efficient than conventional technology.
In this session, Kovio will highlight key advances in printed silicon electronics and its applications in item-level intelligence. Kovio will also feature the world’s first live demonstration of its printed tags.
Speaker:
Amir Mashkoori, CEO, Kovio, Inc.
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10:15 am | Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall
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| 11:30 am—Breakout Session |
| Manufacturing:
HP Brazil Extends Use of EPC/RFID to Improve Manufacturing
In 2007, HP Brazil won the RFID Journal Award for its innovative use of EPC technology to track production of printers. In this session, the company will discuss how it has extended that deployment to use EPC/RFID to improve inbound
operations in its warehouse and to manage industrial assets in its manufacturing operations.
Speaker:
Marcelo Pandini, Sr. Manager, Operations Strategy Development & Mfg Logistics, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP)
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| Supply Chain:
Case Study: Using EPC/RFID to Cut Costs for Reusable Transport Packaging
The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) is conducting the largest, most widely supported industry field test to determine if multiuse tags on reusables can provide greater asset tracking and financial benefits. This project, supported by Frontera Produce, Georgia-Pacific, Stemilt, Tanimura & Antle, Wal-Mart and others, traces perishables from fields in Washington and California, where they are subjected to mud, varying weather conditions and rough handling, to Wal-Mart distribution centers, where produce is cleaned and containers and tags are subject to washing, handling, refrigeration and storage before being sent to stores. Hear the results of extensive laboratory tests conducted prior to the field test and an update on the field test itself.
Speakers:
Patrick Kennedy, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, The Kennedy Group
Bob Klimko, Corporate Sales & Marketing Manager Norseman Plastics and Vice President, Reusable Packaging Association
Takeaways:
• How multiuse tags can be the financial catalyst to driving RFID technology integration, as opposed to one-way transport packaging
• The potential to employ RFID tags in other industries beyond perishables, including automotive, beverage and pharmaceuticals |
| EPC in the Defense Industry:
EPC RFID from the DOD Supplier Perspective: Beyond the Mandate
Suppliers are able to achieve real benefits from EPC RFID. In this session, Lockheed Martin, one of the DOD's largest suppliers, will discuss how it met the department's tagging requirement while also using the technology to achieve new levels of efficiency.
Speaker:
Denton Clark, AIT Manager, Lockheed Martin
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| Retail Supplier Implementation:
Alternatives for Managing the Cost and Complexity of High-Volume Tagging
Tagging large numbers of sellable units means investing a significant sum in tags and managing the complexity of a high-volume tagging operation. In this session, industry experts will examine how to leverage a variety of resources, such as third-party packagers, overseas contract manufacturers, third-party logistics providers and tagging service bureaus to manage the tagging operation. The presenters will also outline strategies for containing costs and improving business processes.
Speaker:
Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal LLC
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12:10 pm | Movement from Room to Room
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| 12:20 pm—Breakout Session |
| Manufacturing:
Dow Corning Monitors WIP with RFID
Dow Corning faced a major challenge when it decided to replace its manual process for monitoring bulk materials as they were produced and pumped down to finished goods in another area. An RFID solution enabled it to minimize the materials’ accumulated time outside of cold storage, raise alerts at various points and gain visibility into the process. In this session you’ll learn how Dow built the solution, the challenges they faced, the benefits realized, the next steps and the key takeaways. Critical elements of discussion will include using passive tags with metal drums, monitoring work-in-process (WIP) and operating RFID in a chemical manufacturing environment with cold storage.
Speaker:
David Zuwala, Senior Analyst, Manufacturing Systems IT, Dow Corning
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| Supply Chain:
EPC's Role in Loss Prevention
EPC technology is all about providing visibility into the movement of goods from manufacturing to the retail store. With visibility comes new opportunities to prevent theft, diversion and other problems. In this session, you will hear about a study into EPC’s potential to reduce theft in the supply chain and in retail stores, and you will get an update on standards being developed by EPCglobal for the use of EPC as a loss prevention tool.
Speakers:
Tim Fisher, Director of Loss Prevention and Safety, Best Buy
Bill Hardgrave, Director, RFID Research Center, University of Arkansas
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| EPC in the Defense Industry:
Informal Q&A With Key Defense Industry RFID Leaders
The DOD's EPC RFID effort is all about working more collaboratively with supply chain partners to achieve efficiencies across the supply chain, to ensure that goods and materiel are where they're supposed to be, when they're needed. In this session, presenters from the Defense Track will answer your questions about DOD implementations, supplier requirements and the next stages of the EPC RFID rollout.
Moderator:
Mary Ann Wagner, President, XIO Strategies
Panelists:
Bradley Cougher, Senior Consultant, Office of the Undersecretary, DOD
Dave Dias, Asset Visibility Division Chief, United States Transportation Command
Kathy Smith, Spec. Asst. for Cust. Support, Supply Chain Integration, U.S. Department of Defense
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| Retail Supplier Implementation:
What to Do With Data from Your Retail Partner
The point of placing EPC tags on shipments in the supply chain is to be able to track the goods as they move through each node. This session will reveal the types of data you will receive from your retail partner, the format in which it will arrive and how you can use that information to improve replenishment, reduce safety stocks and achieve other benefits. It will also include an explanation of the EPC Information Service standard, and how it facilitates data sharing securely and cost effectively.
Speaker:
Ken Traub, Consultant, Standards Strategy, EPCglobal Inc
Takeaways:
• What kind of data you can expect to receive from your retail partner and how to use the data to your advantage |
1:00 pm | Lunch in the Exhibit hall
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| 2:30 pm—Breakout Session |
| Manufacturing:
Reducing Manufacturing Costs With RFID
In this session, get the latest insights into how Northrop Grumman continues to reduce manufacturing costs by identifying damaged composite parts with the latest in RFID technology. Hear how this enables composite design structures to perform their intended function with the required level of confidence, and at a lower cost.
Speaker:
George Bullen, Principal Engineer, Western Region., Northrop Grumman
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| Retail Supplier Implementation:
How New Zealand Fruit Company Cut Costs with EPC
EastPack, a firm that packs, stores and ships more than 12 million trays of kiwifruit annually to locations worldwide, has rolled out EPC technology across its entire operation. The company has reaped significant benefits during the first season of operation. Compared to last season, EastPack has already shipped 2 million additional trays this year through increased efficiency in tracking and tracing its pallets of kiwifruit. At the same time, the cost for failing to deliver in full, on time and in spec was reduced by 60 percent; fruit loss for gold kiwifruit has been halved; and the number of forklifts required at the firm's largest site was lowered by 30 percent. Learn how the company achieved these hard benefits, and some additional soft benefits as well.
Speaker:
Erik Sundermann, Senior Professional Services Consultant, EastPack
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3:15 pm | Conference Adjourns
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Who Should Attend