Supply Chain Integrity: Maximize Data Accuracy with RAIN RFID
A survey by Impinj reveals a data accuracy gap that leaves many supply chain professionals struggling to respond quickly to market changes. RAIN RFID can help.
A recent report from Impinj, Supply Chain Integrity Outlook 2025, highlights a critical challenge for today’s businesses: a significant gap in supply chain data integrity that threatens reliability and resiliency of the flow of goods.
The growing importance of supply chain integrity
“Supply chain integrity” refers to the reliability, security, and accuracy of all elements within a supply chain. This includes ensuring products and services are delivered without disruption, tampering, or counterfeiting. Based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. supply chain professionals, Impinj’s report reveals that nearly half (46%) identified supply chain integrity as a crucial concern — a sign that the issue is top of mind for industry leaders.
But supply chain professionals are facing significant hurdles. The report reveals that:
- More than half (51%) of respondents reported difficulties maintaining supply chain operations
- Nearly three in five (59%) indicated their supply chains are not resilient enough to cope with disruptions and rapid changes in consumer demand
- Two in five professionals (40%) said their organizations lack a high level of supply chain integrity
In other words, supply chain professionals know a healthy supply chain matters; they’re just having a hard time achieving it.
[Download the full report: Supply Chain Integrity Outlook 2025]
The data accuracy gap in supply chains
One of the most pressing challenges is a lack of real-time item visibility and data accuracy. While 91% percent of survey respondents believed their organizations were equipped to achieve accurate supply chain visibility, only 33% consistently achieved 360-degree, real-time inventory insights. This data accuracy gap contributes to widespread, systemic issues, leaving supply chain professionals vulnerable to disruption and ill-prepared to cope with rapidly changing consumer demands.
Persistent challenges within supply chains
Without full visibility into the location and movement of goods throughout supply chains, enterprises are exposed to a number of problems, including:
Counterfeits and theft
An alarming 65% of retail supply chain professionals reported challenges in reducing counterfeits within their supply chains, costing companies billions and eroding brand and customer trust. Additionally, 60% agreed it was a challenge for their organization to reduce its rate of shrink or theft — a persistent, thorny issue.
Delivery errors
About three-quarters (74%) of respondents in the transportation and logistics sector were struggling to reduce their volume of misloads and delivery errors. Missed or late deliveries result in bottlenecks in the shipping process and lead to unnecessary fuel use and emissions.
Meeting environmental mandates
Nearly half (49%) of supply chain professionals surveyed said they are concerned about their organization’s ability to meet the requirements of sustainability mandates, such as the European Union’s upcoming Digital Product Passport legislation, putting them at risk of noncompliance.
Bridging the gap with real-time visibility
Supply chain managers are well aware of the need to address these and other challenges. In fact, nearly all surveyed (99%) say they plan to invest in improving their organization’s supply chain over the next year. When asked which areas they planned to invest in, however, responses included more than a dozen strategies — a scattershot approach that implies uncertainty.
Closing the data accuracy gap in supply chains can significantly improve operations. Item-level visibility enables real-time insights, supporting better forecasting, decision-making, and supply chain responsiveness.
RAIN RFID, a passive, wireless IoT technology, is a powerful option that provides item-level visibility by connecting billions of items to the internet. RAIN RFID systems enable global enterprises to identify, locate, authenticate, and engage with tagged items, providing rich, real-time data and insight.
Forward-thinking companies across industries and geographies have embraced RFID to bolster supply chain integrity, allowing them to more nimbly respond to the stressors their supply chains face.
- Retailers like Uniqlo use RAIN RFID to track products as they travel through the supply chain, enabling real-time insight into product location, destination, availability, and even qualities like color and size.
- Restaurant chain Chipotle tracks ingredients using RFID, allowing it to reduce waste and manage recalls more smoothly.
- Shipping giant UPS has been able to reduce misload rates by 67% by implementing item-level visibility with RAIN RFID.
- Grocery chain Kroger recently launched an RFID program for inventory management in the bakery department as it aims to reduce food waste and enhance store operations.
By bridging the data accuracy gap, organizations can secure their supply chains against future challenges, ensuring they are robust, reliable, and ready to meet the demands of tomorrow.
To learn more about how RAIN RFID and the Impinj platform can help close the data accuracy gap in supply chains, download the full report: Supply Chain Integrity Outlook 2025. And read more about how RAIN RFID and the Impinj platform can transform industries such as retail, supply chain and logistics, healthcare, and more.
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Wednesday, February 12, 2025
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gaylene Meyer
Impinj Vice President of Global Marketing and Demand
Gaylene Meyer leads a team focused on delivering world-class marketing and communications that engage partners and customers worldwide.
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