A new survey of retail sector customer support employees has found that reward schemes are more effective than financial incentives when it comes to boosting employee motivation.
Retail Data Capture Technology News
Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) refers to the process of automatically identifying and collecting data about objects/goods, then logging this information in a computer. The term AIDC refers to a range of different types of data capture devices. These include barcodes, biometrics, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), magnetic stripes, smart cards, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and voice recognition. AIDC devices are deployed in a wide range of environments, including: retail, warehousing, distribution & logistics and field service.
Reward schemes and regular feedback more effective motivation than financial incentives
Mar 02, 2020
Operating in a disruptive market
Mar 02, 2020
By David Patek - founder and CEO of Neeco Global ICT Services.
Knowledge is power, so the saying goes, and we are living in an age where knowledge has never been more democratic or accessible. Technology has opened up international markets bringing indiscriminate opportunity to businesses, whether small or large.
Optimising store inventory and fulfilment with RFID
Feb 26, 2020
The demand for flexible fulfilment is growing. Consumers expect inventory availability information and flexible fulfilment options that support their busy lifestyles, whether it’s shopping online with a view into local store inventory, selecting to pick up their online purchases in-store or opting for same-day delivery to meet an immediate need.
Payment Pain Points – a fraction is too much friction for shoppers
Feb 26, 2020
With demand for friction free payment transactions, such as contactless payments, using cards and digital wallet, are predicted to grow by 300% globally over the next five years1, retailers need to diversify and reimagine the traditional point of payment in-store and online, RetailEXPO’s latest report suggests.
Ingenico Enterprise Retail collaborates with 3C Payment to deliver new technology and enhance security for merchants
Feb 12, 2020
Ingenico Enterprise Retail, part of Ingenico Group, the seamless payments solutions provider, and 3C Payment, an independent Global Payment Service provider, have expanded their relationship, to bring to market two new terminal solutions which process payments through the 3C Integra Payment Gateway with Ingenico’s DESK/5000 & MOVE/5000 payment terminal devices.
Contactless payment transactions to reach US$6 trillion globally by 2024, fuelled by increased card use
Feb 12, 2020
New data from Juniper Research forecasts that global contactless transaction values will reach nearly $6 trillion in 2024, up from $2 trillion in 2020. It found that this increase will be driven by significant growth in OEM Pay and contactless card transaction values, especially in the US.
Omni-ID announces new range of IoT devices
Feb 07, 2020
Omni-ID, the developer of passive industrial radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that are relied on by major global organisations to provide information on the location and identity of assets, has announced the launch of a new range of, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Long Range (LoRa) - enabled devices.
Made for safer machinery and AGVs - Discover the innovative capabilities of the Laser Sentinel Enhanced from Datalogic
Feb 05, 2020
Datalogic has completed the LASER SENTINEL family with the introduction of new ENHANCED models. The new Laser Sentinel Enhanced is a single solution for the safety of both machinery and automated vehicles.
Datalogic unveils new end-to-end solutions for supply chain and store management at EuroShop
Jan 30, 2020
During Euroshop in Düsseldorf, Germany, from February 16th to 20th, Datalogic will present its ultimate solutions for accurate data collection to support retailers in flawlessly fulfilling customer’s expectations.
Finding value among the clutter: how to harness unstructured data
Jan 28, 2020
By James Adie, Vice President EMEA Sales, Ephesoft.
Unstructured data, the term used for information that doesn’t sit neatly (or at all) in conventional databases, is a looming shadow for many businesses today. Rapid growth of technology – and the implications these innovations have had on our working lives – has meant that our ability to create information has vastly outpaced our ability to store and use it in effective ways.
Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC)
Technologies typically considered as part of AIDC include:
- Barcodes
- QR codes
- Radio frequency identification (RFID)
- Biometrics
- Magnetic stripes
- Optical character recognition (OCR)
- Smart cards
- Voice recognition
AIDC is used in a wide variety of applications, including:
- Inventory management
- Shipping and logistics
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Retail
- Transportation
- Security
Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) refers to the methods of automatically identifying objects, collecting data about them, and entering that data directly into computer systems (i.e. without human involvement). Technologies typically considered as part of AIDC include bar codes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), biometrics, magnetic stripes, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), smart cards, and voice recognition. AIDC is also commonly referred to as “Automatic Identification,” “Auto-ID,” and "Automatic Data Capture."
Barcoding has become established in several industries as an inexpensive and reliable automatic identification technology that can overcome human error in capturing and validating information. AIDC is the process or means of obtaining external data, particularly through analysis of images, sounds or videos. To capture data, a transducer is employed which converts the actual image or a sound into a digital file which can be later analysed. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is relatively a new AIDC technology which was first developed in 1980’s. The technology acts as a base in automated data collection, identification and analysis systems worldwide
In the decades since its creation, barcoding has become highly standardised, resulting in lower costs and greater accessibility. Indeed, word processors now can produce barcodes, and many inexpensive printers print barcodes on labels. Most current barcode scanners can read between 12 and 15 symbols and all their variants without requiring configuration or programming. For specific scans the readers can be pre-programmed easily from the user manual.
Despite these significant developments, the adoption of barcoding has been slower in the healthcare sector than the retail and manufacturing sectors. Barcoding can capture and prevent errors during medication administration and is now finding its way from the bedside into support operations within the hospital.
Radio-frequency identification (RFID)
RFID is the wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data. Unlike a bar code, the tag does not necessarily need to be within line of sight of the reader, and may be embedded in the tracked object. It can also be read only or read-write enabling information to be either permanently stored in the tag or it can be read-write where information can be continually updated and over-written on the tag.
RFID has found its importance in a wide range of markets including livestock identification and Automated Vehicle Identification (AVI) systems and are now commonly used in tracking consumer products worldwide. Many manufacturers use the tags to track the location of each product they make from the time it's made until it's pulled off the shelf and tossed in a shopping cart.
These automated wireless AIDC systems are effective in manufacturing environments where barcode labels could not survive. They can be used in pharmaceutical to track consignments, they can also be used in cold chain distribution to monitor temperature fluctuations. This is particularly useful to ensure frozen and chilled foods have not deviated from the required temperature parameters during transit.
Cost used to be a prohibitive factor in the widespread use of RFID tags however the unit costs have reduced considerably to make this a viable technology to improve track and trace throughout the supply chain. Many leading supermarket chains employ RFID insisting that their suppliers incorporate this technology into the packaging of the products in order to improve supply chain efficiency and traceability.
Overall, AIDC is a powerful technology that can be used to improve efficiency, accuracy, and traceability in a wide variety of applications. However, it is important to weigh the costs and benefits of AIDC before implementing a system.
Here are some examples of how AIDC is used in different industries:
- In the retail industry, AIDC is used to track inventory levels, scan barcodes at checkout, and prevent theft.
- In the healthcare industry, AIDC is used to track patient records, identify patients, and prevent medication errors.
- In the manufacturing industry, AIDC is used to track parts and products, automate assembly lines, and prevent counterfeiting.
- In the transportation industry, AIDC is used to track cargo, track vehicles, and prevent collisions.
AIDC is a rapidly growing field, and new applications for AIDC are being developed all the time. As AIDC technology continues to develop, it is likely to become even more widespread and have an even greater impact on our lives.
