Amy Zettlemoyer-Lazar

Wal-Mart has clout—there’s no doubt about that. When Wal-Mart speaks, people listen—especially its suppliers. The company created a real buzz for RFID a few years ago, when it announced that it was mandating the use of this technology from its suppliers. Although this effort has faded from the limelight and has been largely redefined in scope, RFID technology received more attention during a two-year period than it would have gotten in a decade. RFID technology still has a ways to go in terms of reliability and cost, but Wal-Mart’s initiative probably did a lot to advance its development.