RFID at China Post
Symbol Technologies has been involved in several major postal RFID programs around the world. At China Post, they have implemented UHF readers in 20 post offices in Shanghai. China Post, which ships 10 billion articles a year, wanted to trial RFID to:
Validate the use of UHF
Improve shipment tracking
Increase processing efficiency
It wanted to achieve a 99% read accuracy through this demonstrator project. Gen2 UHF tags are embedded in a robust plastic case but the EPC numbering system is not used – China Post use their own numbering system. Truck drivers were given handheld readers with fixed readers at the distribution/sorting centers. Concord Unity, the systems integrator, has reported so far a 99.4% performance rate when reading and encoding tags. The tags are attached to mail bags and are used to track letters sent by the express mail service. The system has resulted in several major paybacks so far – demonstrating that 33% more post could be processed in the same time as before; and ensuring delivery bags were sent to the correct location reducing errors and delays.
In the Middle East, there has been limited RFID uptake but that is now rapidly changing with schemes such as the baggage handling system at Dubai International Airport. Saudi Post’s home delivery plans will be underpinned by a large RFID project. It is installing millions of RFID-enabled post-boxes across the Kingdom as part of a US$270 million project to support its new home delivery service, Wasel. The Wasel project, a key step in Saudi Post’s efforts to transform itself prior to privatization, will eliminate the need for customers to collect mail from post offices, as the postal service will deliver and collect mail from their homes instead.
