Raising the bar (code) to create the first "intelligent" value chain

Auto-ID is the next generation of product identification and tracking -- a revolutionary advance that is on the verge of transforming the value chain. Auto-ID takes the Universal Product Code (UPC) to a whole new level with a cross-industry product identification system that allows you to track not just SKU-level data, but item-level data.

The Auto-ID Centre is an industry-funded research program headquartered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that was founded with the mission of developing the standards and technology infrastructure requirements necessary to effectively leverage Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology to create a system in which individual objects throughout the value chain can be automatically identified and tracked. The Auto-ID system is based upon the use of low-cost smart tags and readers, a unique object identification scheme, and a XML-based language designed specifically for the unique characteristics of physical objects to create a network of "intelligent" objects. This standards-based system provides an open environment that facilitates collaboration among business partners throughout the value chain.

Founded in 1999 by MIT, in conjunction with sponsors such as Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, The Gillette Company and the Uniform Code Council, the Auto-ID Centre has grown to include over 50 members across the global supply chain as sponsors. IBM Business Consulting Services has joined the Auto-ID Centre as a Technology Board sponsor and is developing near-term adoption strategies for the technology via the development of a series of business cases in conjunction with leading suppliers, manufacturers and retailers to help quantify the value of implementing the Auto-ID system. We are helping clients map out near-term business applications of this transformational technology -- and offering the industry a bold, visionary perspective of "First Wave Adoption."