Supply Chain

When I recently tried to reminisce about favorite "Love Boat" episodes with a co-worker who is about 10 years younger than me, I received a look of bewilderment.

In the May 2004 issue of Consumer Goods Technology, we reported on a developing story about the Pharmaceutical Industry RFID Group.

No question about it: Wal-Mart's RFID initiative is one of the biggest technology news stories of recent years.

Even though the growth of supply chain software has cooled significantly since the hey day of the explosive growth seen in 2000, there is still a huge opportunity for vendors to adjust offerings to better suit the needs of clients, according to a 2004 AMR Research report.

Supply chain execution software has re-entered the investment spotlight as supply chain partners face heightened pressures.

The past year was one of struggle and experimentation in consumer goods companies' use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), with lingering standards, product immaturity, cost and return on investment issues clouding the ability to reach Wal-Mart's January 2005 mandate.

Last month, AMR Research humbly pointed out that its prediction in RFID spending for Wal-Mart's Top 100 suppliers was off its mark.

There is no doubt that 2004 proved to be a more than challenging year for consumer goods (CG) companies.