Once a container leaves your factory, any RFID error becomes the buyer's problem first and your problem later, usually as a claim or a deduction. A simple, repeatable pre-shipment verification routine catches most issues while they are still cheap to fix. This checklist is written for garment, footwear and home textile exporters, but the principles apply to any source-tagged goods.

1. Confirm you are working to the latest specification

• Do you have the current version of the buyer's RFID manual?
• Are the approved tag or inlay types the ones you actually received?
• Is the encoding scheme (for example SGTIN-96), filter value and serial range clear?
• Does the buyer require EPC locking, TID capture or a specific data file format?

Specifications are updated from time to time. Make one person responsible for keeping the current version and briefing the floor.

2. Check incoming tags before use

• Count tags received per SKU against the order.
• Read a sample from each bundle and decode the EPC to make sure the GTIN matches the printed barcode and the SKU on the bundle label.
• Look for dead tags - some failure rate is possible in any batch, and it is better to find them before they are on garments.

3. Item-level checks during tagging

• Tag attached to the right garment, in the specified position.
• No tags left loose in the work area or carried between lines.
• Damaged tags set aside and recorded, not quietly binned.

4. Carton-level reading

This is the core of verification. Read every closed carton with a tunnel reader, a table antenna or a structured handheld sweep, and compare the result with the packing list for that carton.

1. Quantity - total tags read equals garments packed.
2. Mix - quantity per GTIN matches the size and colour ratio.
3. Foreign tags - no EPCs from other orders or loose spare tags.
4. Duplicates - no EPC appears twice, either in the carton or across the shipment.

When there is a mismatch, open the carton and resolve it immediately. Re-read after fixing.

5. Watch for false reads

UHF readers can pick up tags from neighbouring cartons. Common precautions:

• Place the reading station away from staging areas and tag stock.
• Use shielding or a tunnel enclosure where cartons are read on a conveyor.
• Reduce reader power to the minimum that still reads the full carton reliably.
• Read one carton at a time and confirm the carton barcode in the same step.

6. Build the shipment data

Many buyers require an advance shipping notice (ASN) or an EPC list per carton. Your verification software should export carton number, SSCC or carton barcode, and the list of EPCs inside. Check the file format with the buyer before the first shipment, not on the day of dispatch.

7. Keep evidence

Store carton read reports, sample decode results and any exceptions with their resolution. If a buyer later reports a short or mixed carton, you can show what left your factory. Many exporters keep these records at least until the buyer's claim window has passed.

8. Review after each shipment

• How many cartons failed the first read, and why?
• Were failures due to tags, people or process?
• Did the buyer report any discrepancies?

A short review keeps error rates falling over time and makes audits much easier.

Equipment you will need

Most exporters need at least one handheld UHF reader for spot checks and one fixed carton reading station. Handhelds such as the Seuic UHF RFID range are well suited to sample checks on the floor - see our Seuic products page. A fixed station with a reader and antennas, plus simple verification software, handles carton-by-carton checks.

Need a verification setup?

Indian RFID provides tags, handheld and fixed readers, and carton verification software for exporters supplying buyers in Russia, Europe and elsewhere. WhatsApp +91-9717122688 or email gm@indianbarcode.com with your daily carton volume, and we will suggest a practical setup.

Contact Indian RFID

Indian RFID is the RFID arm of Mindware, which also delivers complete barcode solutions, barcode labels and the full range of Mynds brand barcode ribbons.

Phone / WhatsApp: +91-9717122688
Email: gm@indianbarcode.com
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