Electronic Product Code (EPC) with RFID technology has the potential to revolutionize the supply chain by providing more accurate information about product movement, stock rotation, inventory levels and other management information. It also would be a significant tool for product recalls and theft prevention.

The EPC is the next generation of product identification. The EPC operates within a network that comprises the RFID tag as the data carrier, the RFID reader, EPC Middleware that gathering, managing and disseminating information that is broadcast by the readers at the local site, Object Naming Service (ONS) that enable users to find data related to a specific Electronic Product Code, and EPC Information Service that enables users to exchange EPC-related data with trading partners through the EPCglobal Network.

The EPC network will enable companies to be more responsive to customers and consumers¡¯ needs through more efficient supply chain operations. Companies such as Wal-Mart, the Metro Group, and Tesco have already requested their top 100 suppliers to deliver goods tagged with EPC identification by January 2005.