How to use RFID technology for digital operation management in the wine industry

The wine industry has long been in a situation of huge value but fraught with risks. In the mid-to-high-end wine market such as liquor and wine, counterfeit wines are frequently circulated. Problems such as cross-channel goods and poor inventory management not only damage consumer trust, but also seriously restrict brand growth. Therefore, anti-counterfeiting, traceability, warehousing and channel control have always been the core pain points of enterprises.

RFID technology, that is, wireless radio frequency identification technology, can automatically identify relevant information of objects through wireless radio frequency signals. Compared with traditional one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcodes, RFID technology has many significant advantages. It can achieve non-contact identification, without the need for precise alignment and scanning operations like barcodes, and supports batch reading of labels. It has a large information storage capacity and can accommodate more product data. In addition, it is not easy to be copied and has high security.

RFID tags can be embedded in the neck, sealing label, anti-counterfeiting tag, and even bottle cap of wine bottles to achieve invisible anti-counterfeiting and full-link tracking, without affecting the beauty of the product, while combining safety and readability. In all aspects of production, warehousing, logistics and sales, enterprises can use RFID technology to achieve full tracking.

1. Production and filling links

Raw material traceability: During the brewing stage, RFID tags can record raw material batches, origins, and quality inspection data to ensure that raw materials are traceable.

Automated management: The filling line integrates RFID readers and writers to automatically associate bottled wine with production information (date, batch, process parameters), realize "one bottle, one code", and combat the proliferation of counterfeit wine. Each bottle of wine is bound to a unique RFID chip ID before leaving the factory. The label is embedded with production batch, factory time, product number, distribution channel and other information, and the system uploads the information to the database synchronously. .

2. Warehousing and logistics optimization

Intelligent in and out of the warehouse: Fixed RFID readers and writers can be arranged at the entrance and exit of the warehouse, batch scanning and identification can be automatically entered and exited, and inventory can be updated in real time. It can also be equipped with a handheld RFID reader writer for re-display (without unpacking), which greatly improves inventory counting efficiency and reduces labor costs.

Temperature and humidity monitoring: RFID tags with integrated sensors can monitor the transportation environment in real time (such as red wine is sensitive to temperature), trigger warnings when data is abnormal, and ensure quality.

3. Anti-counterfeiting and anti-channelling

Unique identity: Each bottle of wine is given an encrypted RFID tag (complementary to the QR code). Consumers can verify the authenticity through mobile phones or special equipment, which is difficult for counterfeiters to copy.

Channel control: When the distributor scans the RFID tag, the system automatically records the geographic location, detects cross-regional channeling, and maintains the price system.

Anti-destruction mechanism: The installation and design of the label can prevent disassembly and re-sticking, avoid counterfeiting and secondary use.

4. Digital marketing and environmental protection

1. Unmanned retail: RFID supports "grab and go" shopping (such as smart wine cabinets) to enhance offline experience.

2. Marketing scenarios: Consumers can scan the label to obtain brewing stories, food pairing suggestions, and even participate in brand interactive activities to enhance stickiness.

3. Packaging cycle: RFID tracks the recycling status of wine bottles, encourages consumers to return empty bottles (such as point rewards), and supports environmental protection initiatives.

Technical challenges and responses: The metal cap of the wine bottle may affect the signal, so high-frequency (HF) or anti-metal label design is required, and the cost is higher than that of ordinary labels.

Through RFID technology, wine companies can build a transparent, efficient, and highly interactive supply chain system, while combating counterfeit goods and increasing brand premium, ultimately achieving transformation and upgrading from "production-driven" to "data-driven".