GS1 EPCglobal Launches Third Phase of Transportation, Logistics Pilot Program
December 24, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
| |
| Electronics & Telecom Docs |
IHS sells a full selection of standards documents & collections from the industry's top organizations.
To learn more, and for a free quote, please complete the form below. |
|
| |
EPCglobal Inc., a subsidiary of GS1, launched the third phase of its Transportation and Logistics Services (TLS) Industry Action Group Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Pilot Program.
The TLS 3 Pilot Program is designed to demonstrate how organizations across a worldwide supply chain can exchange real-time event data and track shipments from the third-party logistics provider in Japan to the distribution warehouse in the Netherlands.
Supply chain partners and customs authorities will have real-time access to information about products and shipments as they are shipped along the supply chain, said EPCglobal.
The TLS 3 Pilot Program focuses on testing the use of electronic product code information services (EPCIS) to track the progress of physical products in cartons, containers and pallets across the supply chain using the trade lane from Tokyo to Amsterdam.
EPCIS is a GS1 EPCglobal standard, which will provide a common set of data elements, a common language for communication and a set of defined messages for trading partners to use for storing, accessing and communicating data on objects moving in the supply chain, said EPCglobal.
The GS1 goods and services identification number will be used as the unique consignment reference in order to comply with customs identification requirements for shipments. The EPC tags will only be read by fixed readers.
The use of active EPC/RFID (extended conveyance asset tag) and e-seal tags on sea containers, as well as the application of active tags on the pallet level will also be tested within the framework of the TLS 3 Pilot Program.
These tests will help drive the development of standards for conveyance asset tags and passive e-seals, according to EPCglobal.
The TLS3 Pilot Program builds on the results of the successful completion of the first and second transportation and logistics pilot programs, said EPCglobal.
The first phase validated the use of both passive and active ultra-high frequency EPC tags for sea shipment of cartons and containers between Hong Kong and Japan and the second phase demonstrated the impact of GS1 EPCglobal standards on providing visibility of goods on a global level between source factories in China and distribution centers in the U.S., flowing through the ports of Shanghai and Los Angeles, said EPCglobal.
The partners participating in the TLS3 Pilot Program will include logistics, shipping, hardware and software providers such as Allumis, Canon Inc., Confidex, Marubeni Corp., Mighty Card Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., in collaboration with Alien Technology and IBM Japan, Motorola EMb, NEC Corp., Nippon Express, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., NYK Logistics, NXP, Oracle Corp., SATO (UPM Raflatac), Secura Shield, Toppan Forms, Toppan Printing and Vue Technology.
Additionally, participants supporting the TLS3 Pilot Program will be the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Nomura Research Institute, Monohakobi Technology Institute, the port authorities of Amsterdam and Tokyo, as well as the GS1 member organizations from Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. The customs of Japan and the Netherlands are official observers of the pilot program.
The first shipment of goods from Tokyo was scheduled to depart in December 2008. There will be 50 containers shipped to Amsterdam over a four-week period of time.
Source: GS1 EPCglobal Inc.