The EPC Technology Implications on Cross-Docking

Supply chains are going to evolve by a new technology, which is called the Electronic Product Code (EPC) technology, based on radio frequency identification (RFID). This provides new opportunities in automatic identification that none of previous technologies offered. It also appears to have the potential to enhance Efficient Consumer Response (ECR), which is a grocery industry supply chain management initiative, by not only making ECR and its enablers more efficient but also facilitating their implementation. Through the use of a conceptual study, this paper explores how the EPC technology can further improve the efficiency of product replenishment employing crossdocking approach, which is a typical efficient replenishment strategy proposed by ECR. Besides enhancing the efficiency of cross docking operation, the study demonstrates that the EPC technology has the potential to improve the balance of the distribution of costs, benefits, and risks of cross-docking operation among supply chain participants. This in turn has the potential to remove one of the main barriers to ECR adoption.