Kids Headquarters Dresses up Supply Chain with RFID

Children's apparel company turns to Infosys for .NET solution to meet compliance mandates

Children's apparel company turns to Infosys for .NET solution to meet compliance mandates

Chicago — April 11, 2005 — Children's apparel company Kids Headquarters (Kids HQ) has turned to Infosys to help comply with radio frequency identification mandates from major retailers, the solution provider announced this week.

Headquartered in New York and employing about 800 people, Kids Headquarters/Wear Me Apparel is a full-service apparel corporation that tailors to the needs of every major retailer throughout the U.S. market with its portfolio of proprietary brands, character licenses and national brands.

Infosys said its RFID solution, based on Microsoft .NET, is providing Kids HQ the flexibility and scalability that the company needs to adapt to compliance initiatives and also look beyond it to other strategic initiatives.

"Looking Beyond Mandates

"The Infosys RFID solution helps us look beyond the current mandate for compliance and creates a roadmap for the company," said Kevin Downs, chief technology officer at Kids Headquarters. "We are confident that this customized solution will not only help us to comply with Wal-Mart's directive, but it will also help us transform a cost-driven initiative into a competitive differentiator."

The Infosys RFID solution addresses key issues facing suppliers and provides strategic direction on the use of RFID, the technology company said. The solution combines strategy, business process, technical consulting and implementation services, and it is intended to help organizations comply with mandates without compromising their future potential.

The solution is based on Microsoft .NET and is scalable across multiple mandates and mandate expansions with minimal initial exposure, Infosys asserted. "It provides customers an opportunity to transform a cost-driven initiative into a competitive differentiator," the solution provider said.

Driving Long-term Business Value

"Infosys' RFID solution for compliance and beyond allows enterprises impacted by retailer mandates to look beyond mere compliance to derive business value from RFID in the long term," said Gopal Devanahalli, associate vice president and head of the sales, retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) practice at Infosys Technologies. "It is a great opportunity to work with Kids HQ. They are a prime example of how RFID solutions can provide apparel manufacturers with alternative avenues to improve collaboration with supply chain partners and gain competitive differentiation."

Infosys is a Microsoft RFID Partner Council member and is engaged with Microsoft on RFID initiatives. Microsoft created its RFID Partner Council to identify and address key technology challenges with partners, and the council works to create enabling solutions leveraging RFID.

Infosys said that its efforts with Microsoft in the RFID space are a critical component in helping Kids HQ gain this differentiation. "Kids HQ's adoption of the Microsoft .NET based Infosys solution demonstrates how an RFID solution built on Microsoft .NET enables companies to gain efficiencies through integration earlier in the supply chain," said Balasubramaniam Sriram, RFID product unit manager at Microsoft.


Additional Articles of Interest

— For more information on trends relating to radio frequency identification (RFID), follow this link for an extensive listing of SDCExec.com articles, featuring the latest research findings on the RFID, including adoption, return on investment and barriers to implementation.

— For a contrary view of the future of the RFID market, see the article "The O'RFID Factor: A 'No Spin' Look at Where Radio Frequency Identification Is Headed," in the October/November 2004 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.


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