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‘Slap and Ship’ Workstation
One method to approach mandated RFID compliance is with a solution
known as ‘Slap and Ship’. Slap and Ship is a minimal volume approach
that involves placing RFID tags on cases and pallets in a distribution
center for those goods being shipped to customers with an RFID
mandate. Although Slap and Ship is often viewed negatively as a
reactive, default solution, the reality is that many companies will
have to start with this approach due to time constraints and capital
limitations. Although it is not an ideal approach, careful planning
can minimize cost and mitigate risk.
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Advantages |
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Process Flow |
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Slap and Ship will provide the RFID compliance
necessary to retain RFID-mandating customers.
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It has a lower initial cost than a full-scale
integration and will have a significantly lesser affect on a
companies business processes, and technology than a full-scale,
strategic RFID integration.
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Slap and Ship can provide a barometer of the
usefulness of RFID applications in warehousing and inventory
management.
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Slap and Ship can provide experience utilizing RFID,
which can then be applied to a full-scale RFID implementation.
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The Slap and Ship approach will allow technology
standards to mature. As a result, the cost will decline and accuracy
of the technology will increase.
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Shipments to mandating RFID customers are manually broken down, and
RFID tags are produced
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The
RFID tags are then applied to the outbound cases
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Verification of the RFID tags is accomplished by re-reading the RFID
tags, and re-assembling the pallet for shipment.
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The
RFID tag data is then downloaded from the work station for
re-processing into outbound ASN (Advanced Shipping Notification) EDI
documents.
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