RFID in the textile sector

In recent years, the textiles industry has suffered the effects of a recession due to the stagnation of domestic demand and the increasing toughness of competition, since the liberalisation of international trade in textiles products has meant a considerable increase in imports of low-cost products made in developing countries.

The evolution of the markets has demanded a new business strategy more focused upon the differentiation that brings added value to both process and product.

This strategic reorientation in the textiles sector is founded upon innovation regarding products, processes, distribution, organisation and so on, from a perspective of continual innovation, and upon encouraging internationalisation.

Furthermore, fierce competition within the sector, the constant erosion of profit margins and the available import and export facilities mean that the supply chain must be synchronised to perfection.

Radio-frequency identification technology, known as RFID, is an object identification system that uses radio waves for communication. The system is based on placing a tag on the garment or product to be identified. This tag can store information and transmit it to a reader by radio-frequency.

RFID enables information to be obtained on multiple products or articles fitted with an RFID tag at a distance of several metres, unlike current barcodes, which require a direct line of sight between the code and the reader, and which only permit products to be read sequentially.

The application of this new technology to the operational processes of businesses within the textiles sector enables garments and textile items to be read more quickly and accurately, as well as permitting a permanent control over merchandise and reducing human intervention, thereby reducing the likelihood of error.

RFID technology allows the whereabouts of the identified article to be known at all times, plus it provides additional information such as the processes to which it had been submitted and its location within the warehouse. This results in greater product traceability, making stock-taking easier and reducing losses, thefts and forgeries.

For textile stores, having reliable information on the articles in stock helps avoid sales being lost due to a lack of knowledge of the stock’s location in real time.

Without doubt, one of the sectors with the greatest potential for implementing RFID technology is the textiles and clothing sector, in which the automatic identification of products or articles provides multiple advantages within the various business processes. Below are some examples of successful implementation within textiles companies:

- Galerias Kaufhof (Metro Group), where RFID technology is being applied both on the circuit travelled by the garments through automatic portals and on the sales floor, through applications to aid the end consumer such as smart mirrors, interactive changing rooms, mobile readers and shelving.

- Throttleman, where this technology has been implemented at store level with the installation of a smart mirror that interacts with garments via the RFID tag.

- Marks & Spencer, where the advantages of tagging each textiles product at article level in various stores have already been proven (thereby providing information on the availability of any garment).

- Griva, a weaving and knitting firm, where an RFID solution has been implemented in its production plant, increasing the automation of its processes and providing greater product traceability.

- Yebane Española, an upholstery and decoration firm, where automatic radio-frequency identification has produced considerable improvements, such as the proper logistical management of textile articles (control of movement between warehouses), greater control over the entry and removal of articles, and quicker and more agile stock-taking.

The implementation of RFID solutions is currently experiencing slow but sustained growth, with an increasing awareness of it on the market as an established technology that offers real benefits.

Nevertheless, there are still a large number of companies that are unaware of the advantages of this technology and its applications, with a fear of change and the belief that it is costly acting as fundamental factors hindering its implementation.

It can be said that, particularly within the textiles sector, RFID technology is the perfect partner for logistical management and controlling product traceability and availability.

The future will undoubtedly see the integration of the supply chain through the use of this technology, with RFID projects no longer being restricted to in-house implementations. For this reason, it is necessary to define and publicise the specific electronic product code (EPC) standard for the textiles and clothing industry.

So, the future will demand greater competitiveness, in which technology and innovation will play a decisive role. Furthermore, the current economic crisis is also enabling an interesting opportunity for RFID technology to emerge, since it impacts on important aspects such as innovation, cost reduction, increased production and greater competitiveness.

 

 

By: Jorge Moreno Cantón

Technical Association of the Textile Industry: http://www.asociaciontit.com/

Guide to technical textiles: http://www.guiadetextilestecnicos.com/