SCDigest Editor Dan Gilmore with Individual Reviews of Top New Solutions He Discovered on Day 2 in New York City

No one covers the National Retail Federation Big Show like Supply Chain Digest, held two weeks ago in New York City.

Two weeks ago, we launched our Video Review and Comment for Day 1 and Day 2 of the show.

Supply Chain Digest Says... Zebra has a new touch screen data collection terminal based on the Android operating system. That's cool - but the question will be how fast leading WMS providers will be able to support the device. What do you say? Click here to send us your comments Click here to see reader feedback

Then later in the week, SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore dedicated his First Thoughts column to an overall review of the show, including a summary of some of the most interesting new technologies and solutions he saw at thes show. (See Trip Report: NRF 2018 in New York City.)

The two daily video reviews last 12-15 minutes, and may feature new solutions not of interest to all SCDigest readers

So, as we have done in the past, here we break out those longer videos into individual segments, enabling readers to browse and view just the clips that are of most interest to them.

Last week, we published these individual clips from day 1 at the show. (See Best of NRF 2018 Day 1 - Individual Clips.)

This week, we're back with individual clips from day 2.

We'll start with Impinj, the major provider of RFID tags and readers. The company was featuring some RFID applications in distribution beyond the retail-focused systems at the show.

That was interesting enough, but Gilmore wanted to know the answer to a simple question: can we "X-Ray" a pallet of cartons passing by an RFID reader yet? The answer: sort of.

Impinj on RFID for Distribution - and Can We Read a Pallet of Cartons Yet?

A software company called Smart Shelf has a 180-degree camera that monitors inventory from the back of the shelf looking for stockouts - and one in the front that launches promotions and video based in part on the demographics of the customer.

Company claims Hershey saw big sales lift from the system during a test at five Walmart stores.

System from Smart Shelf Monitors Inventory
with Cameras, Launches Shelf Promotions

We covered a company called Bossanova last year, but it was back again in 2018 with its robots that walk store aisles looking for out of stocks and price discrepencies. What's new? Now the robot has an RFID reader that is needed for some types of SKUs - and Walmart announced a test of the machines in 50 of its stores.

Bossanova Robots Walk Stores Looking for Out-of-Stocks, More

Supply chain analytics are making a huge impact on traditonal supply chain planning technology. To that end, in 2H 2017 planning software vendor Logility acquired an analytics company called Halo.

Will analytics simply be additive to traditional planning systems - or replace them over time? That's an interesting question. Logility president Allan Dow has some thoughts.

Logility President Allan Dow on Advanced Analytics and Supply Chain Planning

(See More Below)

Augmented reality applications for order picking in distribution are getting lots of attention lately - that's where using smart glasses or a smart phone information is overlayed on what the picker sees, such a highlighting the correct location - or scanning a bar code code just by looking at it.

A new company called Logistiview has an interesting solution in this area.

Augmented Reality Order Picking Solution from Logistiview

IBM is making huge investments in blockchain solutions, such as for track and trace in the food supply chain and automating global trade.

There is also some misinformation out there, such as that all participants in a blockchain can see all the information. That's possible, but largely nonsense - the blockchain "master" can absolutely control who can see what - and most will want to keep their supply chain data to themselves.

IBM Investing Big Time in Blockchain Solutions for Supply Chain

Finally, Zebra has a new touch screen data collection terminal based on the Android operating system.

That's cool - but the question will be how fast leading WMS providers will be able to support the device.

Zebra's New Android-Based Touch Screen Data Collection Terminal

OK, that's it at last for our 2018 NRF Big Show coverage.

Any reaction to any of these new solutions from NRF? Let us know your thoughts at the Feedback section below or the link above to send an email.

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