Case Study of Gant, Technowave Group

GANT

RFID based easyTRACK- Inventory Management System

Introduction

When Liwa Trading, Abudhabi based retail giant became aware of the shrinkage in inventory in several of its stores, they started searching the best option available to control the situation. They looked at their technology partner for many years, Technowave International for a solution. To counter this problem Technowave offered them the smartest way of RFID based inventory tracking solution called “Easy Track Inventory Tracking System”. In consultation with Technowave, this retail giant, with more than 200 stores across the Gulf region decided to go for pilot run and then a roll out for its exclusive brand GANT with 19 stores across the region.

The Problem

Despite of robust anti-theft system, GANT stores were facing problem of high shrinkage of inventory. The stock counts were carried out once in a year. It used to be very laborious job, performing inventory count on regular interval was not possible. Liwa would deploy a team of ten people armed with barcode scanners to perform the inventory count. The team would take time of 60 to 90 minutes to complete the count of the inventory having an average of 3000 items per store. Though the cause of the shrinkage was unknown, the management suspected employees who left the organization in between stock taking cycle. This manpower intensive approach was symptomatic of similar logistic process across Liwa’s supply chain.in the daily or weekly transfer of goods from warehouse to store, the barcodes were individually scanned at point of origin before each carton was sealed- an intensive manual procedure that slowed the speed of the operations.

The Solution

With over 70 Auto ID professionals spread across the Middle East and India, Technowave International is a UAE based system integrator with more than 15 years in barcode, mobility and RFID based solutions. Technowave team, who was well acquainted with Liwa’s operations, was quick to offer the solution. The company carried out a very successful one week pilot run involving RFID in one of GANT stores in Sahara Centre, Sharjah and submitted ROI statistics associated with the pilot along with their proposal. On receipt of the green signal from Liwa management, Technowave assembled the components of the complete solution. Technowave’s own in-house software development team created and implemented RFID middleware that fitted seamlessly with the retailer’s enterprise resource management system.

For RFID tags, Technowave selected a reusable RFID pin tags that carry a barcode in addition to RFID information. The smart pin is attached to each item of clothing & merchandise. This smart pin linked an RFID code to the item product code with a simple scan at the warehouse level. Impinj Speedway Revolution reader with Farfield antennas are installed at the warehouse to read the cartons and its contents which allowed seamless dataflow to the ERP during the dispatch and the same is reconciled at store. The smart pin integrated nicely with the retailer’s existing anti-theft tags & helped them decrease the internal lifting by adding more intelligence to the security system. Once the Smart pin barcode is scanned at checkout, the Smart pin is unlinked from the database for reuse. For mobile reading purpose, Technowave trusted their strategic partner Nordic ID, using their PL 3000 mobile cross dipole RFID Handheld terminal. It is not only easy to use but also is capable of reading tags in any orientation.

The Result

The reduction in manpower required to perform logistical tasks was tremendous. The time consumption reduced from 10 to 15 man-hour to 25 minutes for counting folded as well as hanging items with 100% reading accuracy. It increased stock visibility, helped to maintain 100% sales floor stock levels, decreased labor cost and human errors associated with inventory and above all it achieved its goal of reduction in shrinkage to a great extent. Technowave has since begun to roll out RFID based Easytrack inventory tracking system in other GANT stores and also few more brands across the region.

With GANT’s successful roll out to its kitty, Technowave has fine-tuned its RFID middleware to add value for its retail client base with ease of install, ease of use, real-time inventory capability and back end integration providing unmatched inventory accuracy and accountability.

Asset Management Services

Since 1999, Technowave Group has been at the forefront of revolutionizing asset management across the Middle East and India. As we approach our 25th year of operation, our commitment to innovation and excellence in asset management remains unwavering. Our comprehensive service offers a robust solution to track, manage, and optimize your assets efficiently. Leveraging state-of-the-art RFID and barcode technology, we ensure precise tracking and easy management of assets, reducing losses and improving operational efficiency. Our tailor-made solutions are designed to cater to the unique requirements of various industries, ensuring that your assets are always under control and contributing effectively to your business goals.