Feature information for Dairy Innovations

6th July 2007

Domino Printing Sciences plc is a world-leader in total coding, marking, traceability and printing solutions.

Cambridge, UK - Recognising the importance of the fast-expanding global market for product and asset traceability systems, Domino established 18 months ago its Integrated Solutions Group dedicated to delivering a complete range of services to integrate track and trace technology into the supply chain. Crucial to the delivery of effective solutions is the scope of services available from the Domino IS Group, which includes consultancy, project scoping, definition, design and management, networking and data management and hardware/software installation and support.

Domino has over 25 years’ experience in designing and implementing total coding and marking solutions that incorporate not only RFID but also inkjet and laser technologies to apply variable information such as Data Matrix codes, linear barcodes and traceability codes to products from the pharmaceutical, food, beverage and other industries.

Simon King, Director of Domino’s Integrated Solutions Group, explains that while take-up of RFID technology has been slower than originally envisaged in some sectors, it is already playing a crucial role in the dairy industry supply chain.

“As with many emerging technologies, RFID was heralded as a ‘silver bullet’ with the potential to provide total, infallible traceability from manufacturer to consumer in every aspect of our lives,” says King. “The reality check came quite swiftly for those who believed the technology was mature enough for implementation at unit level in sectors such as pharmaceuticals. Issues such as price per tag and questions about the absolute reliability of the technology are currently delaying universal adoption of RFID at unit level but at case, pallet and bulk materials levels the technology is already established.”

In the dairy sector, RFID applications include tagging of tankers delivering milk from the farm to the wholesaler, to provide data on freshness, transport times and distance. From wholesaler to retailer, RFID tags can be applied to the trollies on which PET milk containers are stored and transported, to facilitate verification and reconciliation of product deliveries and to track the trollies themselves for asset monitoring purposes.
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Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Domino Printing Sciences plc is a world-leader in providing total coding, marking, printing, traceability and RFID solutions. Through constant product development and acquisition, Domino now offers complete end to end solutions incorporating primary, secondary and tertiary applications. The company has established a global reputation for innovative ink jet, laser, print & apply and thermal transfer overprinting technologies for the application of variable data, bar codes and unique traceability codes onto products and packaging in industries such as food, beverage, construction and pharmaceutical.

In 2006 Domino had a turnover in excess of £208M. It employs 1,800 people worldwide and sells to more than 120 countries through a global network of 16 subsidiary offices and more than 75 distributors. Domino's manufacturing facilities are situated in China, Germany, India, UK and USA.

Domino Integrated Solutions Group
Domino’s Integrated Solutions Group is a leading innovator of technologies and solutions that provide full traceability and product security systems ranging from initial needs-based consultation, technology evaluation and testing through to full systems implementation.

The successful integration of RFID and its inter-operability with common alpha/numeric and 2D codes is central to Domino’s total systems/open platform approach. By integrating leading AIDC (automatic identification and data capture) technologies, combined with powerful data management platforms, Domino delivers bespoke, scaleable track and trace solutions embracing every stage of the supply chain.

Issued by AD Communications on behalf of Domino’s Integrated Solutions Group, part of Domino Printing Sciences, plc

For more information, please contact:

Rosemary Alton/Lucy O’Dea
AD Communications
T: +44 (0) 1372 464470
ralton@adcomms.co.uk
lodea@adcomms.co.uk

or

Simon King
Director of Domino Integrated Solutions Group
Domino Printing Science plc
T: +44 (0) 1954 782551
simon.king@domino-uk.com