When Wal-Mart Speaks

Wal-Mart is a behemoth. When it moves, lots of things move with it, and these usually include many of its more than 100,000 worldwide suppliers.

Wal-Mart made a big splash back in 2003 when it announced it would require RFID labeling on pallets and cases supplied to its stores starting in 2005. The announcement initiated much development activity throughout the supply chain, and most likely advanced the development of RFID in these applications by a notable degree. However, the overall program became a shadow of the original goal because of significant cost and technological issues.