N.C. cycle shop use RFID to streamline inventory tracking
05 January, 2010
category: RFID
Uptown Cycles, a bicycle retailer in Charlotte, North Carolina has successfully integrated an RFID inventory management system to track inventory and shipments.
In its stores, Uptown Cycles sells bicycles, apparel, safety gear, accessories and food. To regulate this amount of merchandise, managers looked to a system that would enable item-level RFID tagging for electronic article surveillance to increase inventory accuracy and improve store security.
To affix RFID tags to new inventory the store used the FLiP system, developed by Freedom Shopping. The FLiP system uses RFID scanners and a software bridge that syncs the RFID tag database with the POS system. The employees need only to scan the bar codes of the product, which then identifies that good in the POS system. When the product is properly identified using both systems, the information can then be sent to print.
For this the Uptown Cycles chose to go with Zebra Technologies’ RZ400 printer. Information can be sent wirelessly to the RZ400, which generates a master tag with an item description, bar code and encoded RFID tag.
Under the new system purchased items are flagged during payment, eliminating false alarms traditionally associated with non-intelligent surveillance systems. With this, employees are able to accurately identify and prevent real instances of pending theft.
To read more on how Uptown Cycles integrated its new system click here.