During Marks & Spencer's trials of electronic smart labels, the TI tags reduced the time taken to read a stack of multiple trays by approximately 80%, compared to bar coding. A dolly with more than 25 trays can be scanned in a single pass through a portal in 5 seconds, compared to 29 seconds for conventional bar code scanning.

"We're implementing a faster, more cost-effective supply chain management system by electronically tracking our refrigerated foods all the way from production to purchase," said Keith Mahoney, logistics controller, Marks & Spencer. "The successful implementation of this system will not only improve our supply chain efficiency, but it will also cut administration costs, and give us about an extra hour's leeway to have goods delivered."

Intellident, a UK systems integrator that specializes in data tracking with bar codes and smart labels, is leading the 3-year effort to replace Marks & Spencer's bar code systems with RFID tags and portable and fixed multi-scanners/portals. Intellident also designed special multi-tag reading portals that can read complete pallet loads, dollies and stacked roll cages simultaneously and without line of sight.

Linpac Material Handling, Georgetown, Ky., is managing a 2 1/2 -year program to attach the smart labels to all chilled food trays as they are manufactured.

"For this application, international standards were important and we chose TI's Tag-it smart labels because TI has led the way with the industry's first fully ISO 15693 approved products," said Jim Hopwood, managing director, Intellident.

Marks & Spencer estimates the capital cost of an RFID system will be less than a tenth of the annual cost of using bar codes.