During CES, I was able to see and sample first-hand how supply chains are transforming, connecting the customer to the manufacturer, delivering products faster and more accurately than ever before. The Twitter Poll results are in and you’ve asked for a deep-dive on the RFID Checkout Solution (45% of total votes). In this article, I’ll share how the solution is tied to a vision of personalization across the integrated supply chain and give a brief technical overview.
Panasonic’s Vision of the World in 2025
The future of retail must shift from simply selling items to providing personalized customer experiences that anticipate, learn, and respond where items in the real world and items from the memory of each person are connected. In order to deliver increased value for customers, the omni-channel experience will optimize how a customer places an order, how the product is manufactured and delivered, while providing complete end-to-end visibility throughout the process.
Technical Overview
The RFID Checkout Solution with Facial Recognition will optimize the customer’s in store experience, providing custom suggestions based on deep-learning, past purchases, easy and automated checkout, while facilitating delivery to the right place at just the right time, or providing grab-and-go functionality within seconds. As shown in my demonstration of the technology (click here to view), a key difference is how Panasonic is applying its best-in-class face authentication technology using deep-learning (age, gender, emotion), past purchases if applicable, and personalizing recommended products. Factors like facial direction, hidden areas (glasses, and hats), and even aging change information (yes it learns your age and will apply aging parameters) differentiate the face authentication technology. Settlement utilizes RFID technology based on the individual item information and facial recognition, remembering your payment preference. Several dozen items can be read at the same time and within seconds. Through process optimization, Panasonic takes a bottleneck in a retail setting and automates a slow-point, creating value for the customer and retailer. Cloud-based payment solutions can be customized based on the retailer’s preferences.
Personalized Customer Experiences Tied to Artificial Intelligence and Micro-Manufacturing
At CES, I was asked how Panasonic’s solution differs from other competitors? The answer is simple: Panasonic’s vision for customer purchasing in 2025 connects stores, factories, and logistics using AI, robotics, and RFID technology, transforming the way a product is ordered, made, shipped, and sold. By leveraging deep-learning, consumer preferences, point-of-sale data, and on-demand product personalization, Panasonic will use these insights as inputs to its’ manufacturing solutions that ensure full customization of a product, moving away from the practice of mass production. Embracing a make-to-order environment using micro-manufacturers and the Parallel Link Robot makes custom production easier and more cost effective, providing efficiency and value for the customer and across the supply chain. For example, once previewed remotely, the customer can confirm the specifications of the product and the item receives an RFID tag, ensuring visibility through delivery. The result is increased customer satisfaction and retention while the costs of carrying inventory, reverse logistics, returns management, and poor quality are reduced for retailers. The solutions are creating a better life and a better world for all trading partners.
