Monday November 14, 2005 marked an important Department of Defense deadline for RFID here in the United States.

As of that date supplier contracts must contain clauses requiring passive RFID tags to be affixed to cases and pallets shipped to DOD distribution centers in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania and San Joaquin, California. The final DOD rule provides the following:

Adds policy and a contract clause requiring contractors to affix passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, at the case and palletized unit load levels, when shipping certain items to certain DoD locations. Also requires contractors to electronically submit advance shipment notices to DoD, to permit association of the RFID tag data with the corresponding shipment.

Applies to contracts for packaged operational rations, clothing, individual equipment, tools, personal demand items, or weapon system repair parts, that will be shipped to the Defense Distribution Depot in Susquehanna, PA, or the Defense Distribution Depot in San Joaquin, CA.

Use of RFID technology will improve the visibility of DoD assets, increase the accuracy of shipment and receipt data, and permit more efficient movement of supplies within the DoD supply chain.