Spanish-based expertise specialist Clustag is aiming for management within the RFID sector. Paul Hamblin spoke to Jorge Robledillo, North America Director, concerning the firm’s merchandise, successes and plans.
RFID is a phrase we see rather a lot, maybe with out understanding the time period absolutely. Please clarify what RFID is and why it’s a transformational expertise in logistics.
“RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, is a expertise that permits belongings to be recognized, tracked, and managed mechanically and with out direct visible contact, utilizing radio waves. Not like barcodes, which require handbook scanning and a line of sight, RFID techniques can learn a whole bunch of things concurrently, even after they’re inside closed containers or in movement. This not solely will increase pace but additionally improves the accuracy of intralogistics processes.
“Inside the RFID universe, there’s RAIN RFID, a world commonplace primarily based on UHF (Extremely Excessive Frequency) expertise that allows wi-fi communication between tags and readers with higher vary and quicker learn speeds. RAIN RFID is the expertise that makes potential lots of the item-level traceability options used immediately in sectors reminiscent of retail, sports activities, trend, cosmetics, and even healthcare.
“At Clustag, we work particularly with RAIN RFID as a result of it kinds the inspiration for creating strong, scalable, high-performance options tailor-made to trendy, automated, or semi-automated logistics centres. That is the expertise that powers our mass scanning tunnels, our MOT stations, and all our integration with WMS, ERP, or e-commerce techniques.
“Understanding RFID and RAIN is essential to understanding what we do at Clustag: automating intelligently, optimising with precision, and offering actual visibility into the circulation of hundreds of thousands of merchandise every day. From there, all the things we do is smart.”
That leads us properly into Clustag. Inform us a bit extra concerning the firm.
“Clustag is way more than an RFID options supplier. We design, manufacture, set up, and help customised RFID options for all sorts of warehouses: from handbook operations to extremely automated centres.
“We’re a world firm specialising in superior RFID and IoT options utilized to intralogistics, traceability, and course of digitalisation. Our foremost headquarters is in Valencia, Spain, and we’ve a direct presence in North America, with workplaces in Miami (the place I spend most of my time) and a subsidiary in Puebla, Mexico. We at present function in over 30 nations and have deployed greater than 3,000 energetic RFID options.”
What’s the Clustag level of distinction?
“All our RFID options incorporate Zentup, our unique middleware that seamlessly integrates {hardware} and software program, enabling whole and safe management over knowledge seize and administration. This integration ensures that every one collected info is correct, dependable, and out there in actual time for decision-making.
“As well as, we’ve patented expertise, RFID-Protect Know-how, which prevents any form of cross or undesirable studying between containers – stray studying – even within the smallest areas. This ensures the very best precision within the identification and traceability of every merchandise, eliminating errors and enhancing operational effectivity. Thanks to those improvements, our purchasers profit from quicker, safer processes with full visibility over their stock.”
And all this occurs with a 100% deal with actual integration with the consumer’s techniques reminiscent of their ERP and WMS.
“Since day one, we’ve been dedicated to innovating the place it issues most: precision, pace, and visibility. As we speak, our techniques have processed greater than 5 billion RFID tags and have achieved reliability ranges above 99%.”
What does this precision, pace and visibility imply for the consumer?
“It means the power to make selections in real-time. Due to Zentup, our prospects can see precisely the standing of each merchandise at each level of their operation.
“It additionally allows seamless integration of each {hardware} and software program. Our implementations are agile and purposeful, designed to minimise any disruption and to make sure that day by day operations proceed easily with out pointless interruptions.”
May you discuss us by some real-world examples of Clustag’s success with purchasers?
“At Clustag, we don’t make guarantees. We ship outcomes and supply tangible, sustainable outcomes in any sector. We minimise errors and stock losses by automation, supply whole real-time visibility for agile decision-making, guarantee seamless integration with present techniques with out disrupting operations, and optimise each logistical course of, from stock administration to order fulfilment.
“All of that is achieved beneath strict safety requirements and regulatory compliance, leading to price financial savings, improved buyer expertise, and a real aggressive benefit. Let’s begin with an instance from the retail trend sector, with Sport Time, which distributes Nike merchandise in some territories of Jap Europe.
“To deal with the logistical challenges of sports activities distribution, Sport Time Group applied Clustag’s parcel RFID Resolution (MOT Station), powered by RFID-Protect Know-how and Zentup, a sophisticated system that optimises post-picking management in its distribution centres.
“Put up-picking RFID management: The MOT S20 scans objects at order stage as they’re grouped into containers, mechanically detecting if any merchandise are lacking, if there are surprising objects, or unreadable tags.”
Automated audit: Bins with discrepancies are diverted to an audit space, the place operators use Zentup software program to right errors earlier than transport.
Full integration: The system connects Sport Time’s warehouse techniques, enabling environment friendly stock administration and order preparation, even with a number of supplies and references.
Outcomes: There was a big enchancment so as accuracy, a discount in human errors, and higher pace and reliability in preparation for retail, wholesale, and e-commerce.
“Due to employees coaching and familiarisation with Zentup, Sport Time has optimised stock administration and raised the usual of effectivity in sports activities items distribution in Jap Europe.”
Our second instance comes from the pharma and healthcare sector, centered on mortgage kits.
“Within the quickly evolving discipline of healthcare logistics, precision is important. A significant world pharmaceutical firm confronted important challenges managing orthopaedic mortgage kits, which have been typically packed manually, shipped to hospitals, returned incomplete, and processed once more, all whereas needing to take care of flexibility, stock accuracy and correct billing.”
To deal with these points, the corporate sought to determine a sturdy high quality checkpoint system at each stage of the package’s journey:
Outbound: kits scanned earlier than leaving the warehouse.
Hospital arrival: contents verified upon supply.
Return: kits scanned earlier than being shipped again.
Warehouse inbound: returned kits scanned to detect lacking or incorrect objects.
“If discrepancies arose, the system would want to flag them instantly, and any unreadable tags would must be reprinted on the spot, eliminating delays and blind spots. This was essential, as each missed tag may lead to inventory errors, surgical delays, or billing disputes. The corporate required an answer that would supply readability, pace, and whole management over a posh, high-volume course of.
“The profitable resolution was supplied by Clustag’s Normal RFID Resolution (Huge Plus Station), powered by RFID-Protect Know-how and Zentup, turning a handbook, error-prone course of right into a streamlined, clever workflow. The answer delivered pace, accuracy, and traceability, proving that RFID can thrive even in non-automated environments.”
The longer term seems thrilling. What’s subsequent for Clustag?
“At Clustag, on a world stage, we intention to be the worldwide leaders in clever traceability options and superior asset administration.
“Below my management as North America Director, we’re absolutely dedicated to innovation and to tackling each problem our purchasers current to us, whether or not in pharma, meals, trend, or sports activities. Our ambition is to proceed rising, launch new tasks in additional US states, and strengthen our presence all through the nation.
“We can be current at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, after lately collaborating at Promat Chicago. We’re decided to remain on the forefront, wherever the way forward for logistics is being formed.
“However our actual driving power is our capability to adapt and anticipate the wants of such numerous industries. At Clustag, we don’t simply set up expertise, we rework operations, help our purchasers, and switch each problem into a chance to innovate and develop collectively.
“As a result of being a pacesetter means realizing the place to go, why to go there, and having the willpower to deliver others alongside on the journey.”
