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GS1 Singapore, a division of the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation, and SPRING Singapore have launched a pilot project to tag cartons with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.
The pilot project will involve retailers and their small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) suppliers in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry for the implementation of the Electronic Product Code (EPC). The application of RFID technology will improve the efficiency in the supply chain, lower costs and improve the competitiveness of the retail industry.
"Our retailers, wholesales, suppliers, manufacturers and logistics providers can expect significantly improved productivity from the successful implementation [of the EPC] in Singapore. Ultimately, this will result in cost savings for the FMCG industries," said Mr Loh Khum Yean, Chief Executive of SPRING.
Support for this Standards Implementation for Productivity (SIP) project will be provided through SPRING's Domestic Sector Productivity Fund (DSPF). This is one of 36 SIP projects facilitated by SPRING to date.
The application of RFID technology is increasing internationally and Singapore's retail sector must not lag behind. Retailers Wal-Mart and Metro require its top 100 suppliers to adopt RFID technology while Gillette, Hewlett-Packard and Neptune Orient Lines are implementing pilot trials on Generation 2 Standard for RFID product identification systems.
EPCglobal Inc. introduced the improved Generation 2 Standard in December last year. To encourage international adoption of the standard, EPCglobal has submitted the Generation 2 Standard to the International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission for international harmonisation. Once approved, worldwide implementation will certainly help to facilitate market access. | 
