| In January 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense | | | | packages) and shipping containters still require Linear |
| (DoD) issued a mandate to its suppliers that each | | | | Code 3 of 9, or Code 39, barcodes for the National |
| item sold to them must be marked with a passive | | | | Stock Number (NSN) and, when applicable, the serial |
| radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The need | | | | number. |
| for this mandate arose from decades of logistical | | | | Identification Marking of U.S. Military Property: Military |
| challenges faced by the military with regard to the | | | | Standard 130L (October 10, 2003) |
| supply chain. Implementing RFID technology to | | | | MIL-STD-130L provides the item marking criteria for |
| enhance existing Automatic Identification and Data | | | | development of specific marking requirements and |
| Capture (AIDC) efforts will greatly improve inventory | | | | methods for identification of items of military |
| management, asset visibility and interoperability in | | | | property produced, stocked, stored, and issued by or |
| support of DoD business processes. Even if your | | | | for the Department of Defense. This standard |
| company is not a supplier for the DoD, you may | | | | addresses criteria and data content for both |
| benefit from using their mandate as a guide for | | | | human-readable information (HRI) and |
| implementing your own RFID application. | | | | machine-readable information (MRI) applications of |
| The main challenge observed at every node in the | | | | item identification marking. While this document does |
| DoD supply chain has been the lack of visibility of | | | | not explicitly say anything about using RFID, the MRI |
| logistics data. Using RFID technology has the potential | | | | criteria may assist you in deploying your RFID |
| to greatly improve not only asset visibility, but also | | | | application(s). |
| data quality, inventory management, and | | | | EPC Tag Data Standards Version 1.1 Rev 1.27: |
| interoperability in an end-to-end integrated supply | | | | EPCglobal (April 1, 2004) |
| chain. Furthermore, capturing data with RFID | | | | EPCglobal is the authority on how RFID tags should |
| frequently does not require human intervention, and, | | | | be coded with information. The data content of RFID |
| unlike barcoding, the data do not require a | | | | tags must be standardized for two key reasons: 1) |
| line-of-sight to be captured. For these reasons and | | | | so that all RFID readers are able to capture the tags' |
| others, RFID technology offers a promising solution | | | | data, and 2) so that the particular RFID |
| to the DoD's logistical challenges and supports | | | | implementation contains only unique tag identifiers. |
| long-term integration of Item Unique Identification | | | | This document from EPCglobal specifies the |
| (IUID) in the DoD supply chain. Specifically, the DoD | | | | acceptable formats for RFID tagging. These |
| RFID mandate is meant to achieve: | | | | specifications are the ones used by Wal-Mart and |
| - Near real-time, in-transit visibility for all classes of | | | | other major retailers. |
| supplies and material | | | | Timeline for DoD RFID Compliance |
| - "In the box" content level detail for all classes of | | | | The Department of Defense planned to roll out the |
| supplies and material | | | | compliance mandate in three phases. Phase I was |
| - Accurate, non-intrusive item identification and data | | | | initiated on January 1, 2005 and required that certain |
| collection | | | | classes of materials be tagged, but only when they |
| - Enhanced unit-pack level visibility | | | | were destined for certain locations. Phase II started |
| The DoD RFID standards are detailed in two | | | | on January 1, 2006, continuing the requirements of |
| documents published by the DoD, as well as a third | | | | Phase I and adding several more. The current phase, |
| document published by EPCglobal, which details the | | | | Phase III, began on January 1, 2007 and requires that |
| RFID compliance specifications used by Wal-Mart, | | | | any item shipped to any of the DoD's locations must |
| Target, Albertsons, and other retailers. The | | | | be identified with an RFID tag. |
| documents are summarized below. | | | | Thus far, RFID has proven to alleviate various |
| Military Marking for Shipment and Storage: Military | | | | logistical problems associated with the DoD supply |
| Standard 129P (October 29, 2004) | | | | chain. RFID technology, in combination with the |
| DoD suppliers that ship packaged materials to the | | | | Internet, allows the DoD to disseminate accurate, |
| government must comply with Revision P of | | | | real-time data to commanders worldwide so that |
| MIL-STD-129P, which requires the presence of both | | | | assets can be easily located and used according to |
| linear and two-dimensional (2-D) barcodes on all | | | | the Department's highest priorities. Whether you are |
| military shipping sabels. There are several | | | | required to comply with the DoD mandate or not, it |
| MIL-STD-129P label formats, of which the most | | | | may be beneficial to use these standards as a guide |
| popular are: unit, intermediate, exterior, unit move, | | | | for integrating the technology into your business |
| and cargo. Interior packages (unit and intermediate | | | | processes. |