Antonio Rizzi, University of Parma

What are your areas of research that relate to RFID and consumers?

We started the RFID Lab in 2005 and 2006. We’ve been addressing issues related to the application of RFID technology in business processes. This is a broad subject that covers different processes, such as supply chain management, logistics and operations management. But we also address processes such as retail or public administration.

The idea is to help companies and consumers exploit the potential of RFID and to allow them to find the value that this technology can deliver.

Your lab recently carried out a study on the ROI of RFID in fashion department stores. What were the major findings?

Consumers are at the final stage of the supply chain. I think that the benefits for the consumer are in a better shopping experience. Manufacturers will be able to improve the delivery of products to the consumer. Consumers will find the right size, the right style and the right color of what they’re looking for. With RFID, consumers will not waste time looking for the right products. They will be sure when entering a store that the products are available on the shelf.

In addition, RFID enables consumers to know that they are buying authentic products rather than fakes. As a consumer, I believe that being able to know if the product is real or not will make a difference.

Your lab is one of the founders of the GRFLA – the Global RF Lab Alliance (GRFLA), which was created in 2007. Has the international collaboration proven successful?

GRFLA is a network of eight RFID labs around the world that have been studying the application of RFID in the business process. They have similar business models. The idea behind the alliance is that with full collaboration, we can enhance each other’s research. It stems from the idea of sharing research results, resources and know-how to enable the exchange of researchers between labs.

We have founded a scientific journal called the International Journal of RF Technologies: Research and Applications. It is dedicated to the application of RFID technologies in the real world. It publishes papers that pinpoint clearly the benefits of the technology.

What significance do international standards, such as the EPC, hold for the future deployment of RFID?

We believe that standards are paramount, especially when considering RFID on a globally integrated scale. Right now, there are many closed-loop RFID applications in which standards are not yet so important.

However, in the near future, when applications are open and companies need to share information about the supply chain, it will be paramount in my opinion to adopt universal standards. From this point of view, I believe that EPCglobal is in first place for delivering both universal coding schemes and systems for exchanging data. Both of these issues are very important.

Organization:
Located in Parma, in the heart of the Italian “food valley” and near the seat of the European Food Safety Authority, the RFID Lab at the University of Parma aims to offer RFID vendors and end-user companies fully equipped facilities for developing their RFID deployments and products.

Links:

• www.rfidlab.unipr.it
• www.grfla.org