RFID tells you what you have. Octo+ tells you where it is, and what to do next.
While RFID has made store-level accuracy achievable at scale, accuracy alone is no longer the competitive ceiling. Studies from GS1 US and Auburn University’s RFID Lab confirm that RFID programs routinely lift accuracy to 95%+. Yet, retailers still face empty shelves while products sit idle in the backroom.
The "last 30 meters" remains the industry’s greatest challenge. Out-of-stocks cost hundreds of billions globally, often occurring when the item is physically on-hand but virtually invisible to store associates.
Problem: stock accuracy without on-shelf availability
- RFID and better processes now deliver high accuracy across reception, shipping, sales, and returns.
- Out-of-stocks persist because inventory often sits in the backroom or the wrong zone.
- Planogram targets are hard to uphold without real-time visibility and guided actions.
What sublocation-level inventory changes
Octo+ models your store as multiple sublocations, one or several stockrooms, or several sales floor zones. Every EPC read updates the item's location, and you have several ways to track these movements based on your infrastructure:
- Overhead readers for real-time tracking: These systems update stock and location automatically as items move, providing total visibility. They offer the highest level of data precision with minimal manual intervention from staff.
- Chokepoints: Fixed readers placed strategically between specific zones (e.g., the backroom-to-sales-floor door) capture transitions automatically. This ensures that the moment a product moves, your digital stock levels reflect that shift.
- Mobile Readers: Leveraging handheld devices to support quick cycle counts with virtual shielding. This allows teams to segment zones without physical barriers at a low hardware investment.
The net result: you can see, at any moment, exactly what is in each stockroom, what is actually on the sales floor, and what and where products need to move to keep displays full.
From signals to action: real-time sales floor replenishment
Octo+ converts raw reads into replenishment recommendations:
- Planogram-driven: maintain targets by style, size, color, identify out-of-stocks, and restock after any item-movement.
- Sales-driven: react to real-time sell-through data and prioritize out-of-stock items.
- Intelligent tasks: associates receive pick lists from the right stockroom with optimal paths and quantity to pull.
FAQs
- How granular is location tracking?
Down to defined sublocations (e.g., Stockroom A, Sales Floor Zone 3). Each EPC read updates the sublocation in real time and maintains movement history.
- Can Octo+ work without planograms?
Yes. The system uses sales data and NOSBOS logic to tell you what needs to move. You can always add planograms later for tighter display control.
- Do sales/POS operations need to be done via RFID to use replenishment ?
Better and more precise if it is. But sales can remain on an SKU level and the store can still benefit from the replenishment.
- What about returns and transfers?
Reception, shipping, sales, and returns are tracked like any other event; Octo+ reconciles stock and updates locations as items move.
