Apparel Solutions - MSM Solutions

The Advantages of RFID in Retail: From Manual Inventory Management to Automated Inventory Tracking Part One

Nowhere is inventory more complicated or critical than in retail. From apparel and jewelry to tools and electronics, the sheer volume of inventory exchanging hands is staggering. In 2021, retail sales in the U.S. alone were estimated at $6.523 billion. Surprisingly, studies have found that approximately 46% of small and mid-size businesses still rely on antiquated manual inventory management. This tedious and time-consuming practice requires team members to manually update stock levels and inventory locations. The end result is unnecessary...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Retail, RFID

Still Using Windows Mobile? The Time to Switch to Android is Now

Many companies have delayed a move from Windows mobile to Android because they’ve been busy trying to keep up with day-to-day operations, and/or worried about the cost, time and effort needed to move to a new mobile operating system. For most, the clock is running out when it comes to using Windows OS. There are simply too many significant risks, costs, and potentially negative business impacts for companies to keep using Windows mobile. Here’s why:

By Lee Ann CapogrossiApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Blog Posts, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing, Omnichannel, Zebra Mobile ComputersAndroid, Apps, barcode, warehouse, Zebra

Surviving the Supply Chain Crisis

Over the years, the global supply chain industry has made great strides in providing a reliable service that delivers products on time and in good condition. It was so effective that it was mostly an afterthought for those businesses that depended on it for survival. The only thing that caused it to slow down or deviate from everyday operations was the occasional act of Mother Nature. However, the global pandemic changed all that. Massive cargo ships that once crisscrossed the...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing, Omnichannel, PortalTrack, RFID

How RFID Helps You Create a Digital DNA for Unique Object Identity

Identity is a hot topic these days. Did you know that objects need an identity? Establishing individual object identities is an essential tool to streamline your daily operations. It’s more than just assigning an Electronic Product Code (EPC). It’s creating Digital DNA that enables you to identify, track, count and manage items in your inventory in real-time. Creating Object Identity through Digital DNA While barcodes and QR codes are great for identifying entire shipments of products, individual object identity is better...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Blog Posts, Distribution and Logistics, Healthcare Solutions, Omnichannel, PortalTrack

What Suppliers Need to Know When Meeting RFID Requirements

While RFID tagging in the retail industry has been around since the mid-2000s, we’ve recently seen a shift in tagging not only apparel items but hard and home goods as well. We’ve also seen other retailers begin mandating that RFID tags be placed on certain merchandise. A report from McKinsey & Company highlighted a couple of reasons for the spike in use: Individual RFID tags have dropped to approximately $0.04. RFID readers have dropped by 50% compared to a...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions

How Retailers’ RFID Tag Mandates Will Impact Suppliers

In January, Walmart issued a new mandate requiring suppliers in certain departments to begin providing RFID tags on specific home and hard goods inventory. The mandate, which goes into effect September 2, was established so Walmart can ensure on-time replenishment and maintain the proper stock levels at each store. While Walmart’s mandate made headlines in the retail industry, they aren’t the only company to utilize RFID technology for inventory tracking. In the past two decades, other retail companies - Target,...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions

What to Expect in 2022 – The State of the Global Supply Chain

It’s no secret that the current supply chain is broken, and we already know what’s to blame. The COVID-19 pandemic created disruptions in the global supply chain beginning in early 2021 that continue to linger despite multiple vaccines and fewer daily cases. To understand where we are and what we can do to cope with this enormous problem, we need to understand how we got here and the challenges we continue to face. Manufacturing Delays In the world’s biggest manufacturing hubs like...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Healthcare Solutions, IoT, Manufacturing, PortalTrack

Three Challenges Plaguing Today’s Retail Industry

The U.S. retail industry has seen unprecedented growth in the last two years, fueled by a pandemic that forced consumers to embrace online shopping and then return to brick-and-mortar stores once a vaccine was available. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 2020 saw a huge increase in sales versus the previous two years: 2018 - $3.635 trillion in total sales ($520 billion in eCommerce)2019 - $3.780 trillion in total sales ($598 billion in eCommerce)2020 - $4.040 trillion in total sales...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Blog Posts, PortalTrack, Retail, RFID

Choosing the Right Label for Your Barcode Application

Many organizations are trying to keep production moving with fewer employees working per shift and order volumes rising by the day. Selecting the right label solution has never been more important to the success of your business.

By Justin JohnsonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Barcode, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing, Printing Technology, Service Bureau, Thermal Printingbarcode, label, workflow, Zebra

Get Control of Your Retail Inventory Management with EPC

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past year and a half, it’s that e-commerce has become an integral part of every day life. Despite the introduction of multiple vaccines and the opening of businesses across the country, online sales in the U.S. have continued to surge. In fact, e-commerce sales in Q1 of 2021 topped $199 billion, a 39% increase from the year before. For the average consumer, this means they’ve adopted the convenience of online shopping. However,...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Omnichannel, PortalTrack, Retail, RFID