As introduced in this blog series, RFID Journal LIVE! 2023 conference and exhibition were held in May in Orlando, Fla.,, and announced the winners of its 17th annual RFID Journal Awards. The winners were selected in six end-user categories. For a complete list of finalists for each category, see Finalists Announced for 17th Annual RFID Journal Awards.
RFID Journal is the leading source of news and in-depth information regarding radio frequency identification (RFID) and other Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
Best Retail RFID/IoT Implementation
This year’s award went to Lojas Renner, which deployed RFID to improve its product replenishment from stock room to sales area, to optimize processes involving deliveries of up to 20,000 items per day at each store, and to boost inventory count accuracy and frequency. (see Lojas Renner Raises Customer Approval with RFID).
The Brazilian retailer has achieved higher inventory accuracy, enabled omnichannel sales, automated replenishment and provided faster self-checkout solutions.
Best Manufacturing RFID/IoT Implementation
This year’s award went to Pilkington Brasil, a car glass manufacturing company that uses returnable metallic racks to supply products to automakers. The company implemented RFID to determine how many active metal racks it had in its inventory, to manage the flow of those racks among customers, and to reduce container shrinkage and attrition (see Pilkington Brasil Tracks Product Packaging via RFID).
The company has attained supply chain benefits thanks to a solution from SmartXHUB, enabling it to visualize the transportation of goods.
Best Healthcare RFID/IoT Implementation
This year’s award went to Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, which implemented a multifunctional passive RFID architecture for its entire institution, as well as for collaborative use, allowing the same readers to be applied to different use cases, thereby reducing costs for future deployments (see Israelita Albert Einstein Hospital Uses RFID to Track Temperatures, Assets).
The Brazilian hospital says its deployment of AeroScout Wi-Fi tags and software helps it improve patient services, reduce labor and avoid spoilage of pharmaceuticals and tissues.
Best Logistics/Supply Chain RFID/IoT Implementation
This year’s award went to U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Command, which utilizes RFID technology to monitor a large inventory of diverse equipment, as well as to improve its inventory management and accountability, and to prepare for an imminent Department of Defense-mandated audit.
Best RFID/IoT Implementation (Other Industry)
This year’s award went to Avon and Somerset Police, for its Dementia Safeguarding Scheme, an IoT-based solution designed to reduce the number of people living with dementia who were reported as missing, while safeguarding them in public settings and allowing citizens to assist them by contacting next of kin (see Police Distribute NFC Wristbands to Bring Home Those with Dementia).
Avon and Somerset Police are providing citizens with the bracelets, each containing a unique ID number linked to data provided by caretakers or family members, so those with the disorder can be identified and their loved ones can be contacted.
Best Use of RFID/IoT to Enhance a Product or Service
This year’s award went to United Parcel Service (UPS), which transitioned from manual to automated scanning with wearable RFID technology, and which instrumented its vehicles with RFID readers that enable customer pickup scans as smart packages are loaded onboard, along with other visibility options.
Best New Product
This year’s award was presented to InPlay for its NanoBeacon Bluetooth Low Energy SoC IN100, which is designed to eliminate the need for software programming (see InPlay to Release Low-Cost SoC for Simple BLE Deployments).
The system-on-chip could cost as little as 20 cents apiece in large volumes and enable wireless Bluetooth Low Energy transmissions from sensors to a mobile phone or tablet, so that a real-time locating system could be deployed at minimal expense.
RFID Special Achievement
In addition, RFID Journal presented the 2023 RFID Special Achievement Award to Mark Roberti, the company’s founder and editor. In 2022, Mark retired after 20 years’ of educating companies about RFID and IoT technologies, so he could spend more time with his family. Since retiring, Mark has launched a consulting firm, RFID Strategies, to help end-user companies deploy RFID, and to assist RFID firms in marketing their products.
This year’s RFID JOURNAL LIVE! was held in Florida on the East Coast, but next year it will be held in Las Vegas for three days from April 9 to 11. I would love to visit the site next year.
