Self-adhesive label materials producer UPM Raflatac has completed the initial pilot of its new smart label solution, RafMore, for e-commerce.
The company said the smart labels use Internet of Packaging (IoP) technology to log and share information about packages during the delivery process.
UPM said that new e-commerce solution was piloted on its shipments on various routes across the Europe and the pilot addressed full interoperability between supply chain stakeholders without requiring heavy IT integration.
The RafMore label is claimed to provide transparency, reduces inefficiencies and waste, and improves the user experience for e-retailers, logistics providers and consumers.
The information attached to the RafMore is allowed to be updated online or by scanning the code without needing to print a new label for the package. This facilitates users to reset a delivery address and time, which saves time and reduce the carbon footprint generated by failed delivery attempts.
UPM said that, following the rise in purchases, the e-commerce brands look for innovative ways to interact with their customers outside of the point of sale. Consumers are looking for easy returning, reordering and giving immediate feedback if there are any issues with the shipment.
The RafMore label offers solution for both consumers and e-commerce retailers just by scanning it with a mobile device. The label adds interoperability between the many proprietary track and trace systems used during package shipments.
UPM Raflatac global business and segment development vice president Sami Poukka said: “We don’t want to build a new tracking system or replace existing systems. We want to pull all the information from the supply chain together in one place and this way increase transparency.”
The Rafmore label is due of final phase of testing and is expected to be launched commercially later in 2019. UPM Raflatac is expected to recruit e-commerce retailers for testing the label solution with real orders and customers.
The smart label solution RafMore is capable of handling applications like origin tracking, inventory management, product authentication, and brand promotion. UPM Raflatac said it uses Magic Add’s IoP platform to issue the unique digital identities and process all the data generated by RafMore smart labels.
