**4. Case study: Oscalito**

In order to better understand the practical applications smart labels can have in the textile industry, the CEO of Oscalito, Dr. Dario Casalini, was contacted and interviewed.

The Oscalito brand (acronym for Osvaldo Casalini Lino Torino) is produced by Maglificio Po, a textile company founded in Turin in 1936 by two brothers, Osvaldo and Lino Casalini. Initially, clothing lines of underwear and fashion knitwear for men, women and children were created, using high-quality natural fibres. Basically, tubular fabric (without stitching) was produced, using circular machines. Lino's sons, Arrigo and Andrea, later joined the firm, extending the product range to fashion clothes and gaining success even on foreign markets. Export became fundamental for the business (so fundamental that nowadays 70% of the production is exported), and over the years, the women's fashion line acquired a central role in Oscalito's offer. In 2014, Dario Casalini joined the firm; as third generation of the family, he gradually took the lead of the company, renewing the brand and making it grow on the international scale, but always in the sign of continuity. In fact, Oscalito has always kept the entire production chain in Turin: from yarn production to finished garment. It has been among the first firms in the textile industry to introduce RFId labels on individual items of clothing in order to ensure production chain traceability.

Since 2012, Oscalito has been using RFId tags, which allow to trace the entire chain: fabric weaving, finishing and cutting, tailoring, quality control and logistics. This makes absolute control on quality flaws possible and guarantees Made in Italy. Such instrument enables to enact the intent of the EU Legislator, who, at the twentieth "whereas" of the Regulation, with the aim to protect consumers, requests transparent and coherent commercial rules, also concerning indications of origin.

These indications, when available, should enable consumers to be fully informed on the origin of the products they purchase, so as to protect them from indications of origin which are fraudulent, inaccurate or misleading.

Oscalito's production chain is managed through an ERP which uses bar code technology in the first two processing phases [(i) fabric weaving and finishing; (ii) fabric and lace cutting], while during the further four phases [(iii) tailoring the completed garments; (iv) finishing the completed garments; (v) ironing and packaging; (vi) logistics and warehousing], the information contained in the bar code is poured out into the RFId tag and therefore individualised for every single piece of clothing.

The implementation of RFId technology in the above production phases took place, as mentioned, starting from May 2012; it foresees continuous printing of the cards with RFId tags even in case part of the production cycle is carried out by third parties (**Figure 1**).

The RFId tag is applied following quality control which is made on every garment, and it enables to manage the phases of repair of items which are faulty but can be recuperated. Applying RFId tags allows to trace all production phases and operators which came in the finished garment in case it was returned, bringing to evidence any shortcoming or organizational problem in one of the production phases.

The implementation of RFId tags automatized all logistic functions, such as entrance into the warehouse with production notes and inventory functions by

#### **Figure 1.**

*RFId Oscalito. Particular of the 'maintenance' card with RFId tag associated to the guarantee of Made in Italy product. Source: Oscalito.*

**65**

**Figure 2.**

*The RFId Technology for Monitoring the Supply Chain and for Fighting…*

reader after passing through the tunnel (**Figure 2**) or by shelf reader scanner, as

The results obtained by Oscalito may be summarized as follows:

• Analysis of defects and errors in the various production phases

Oscalito does not have an automatized warehouse; therefore, customer order preparation is done by manual shelf picking. RFId tags are fundamental in controlling picking accuracy: by printing the labels, first of all the true contents of every single box are brought into evidence, and then a further control of the complete order compared to the picking list (i.e., the customer's order) is carried out. Finally, packing lists for every single item and for the total delivery are printed (**Figure 3**),

• Complete traceability of the chain: from yarn to finished garment, in all production phases, with evidence of the operators who came in during the various

• Delivery management: cancelling of human mistakes in picking up; automatic printing of labels on the boxes; note and packing list printing for every single item

With reference to countering counterfeiting, RFId system is ideal since each RFID tag generated has a 22-character alphanumeric code that is unique and not reproducible. It contains product production data that can be extracted via the ERP system that generated it and which is the only one that allows verification of the authenticity and originality of the product. The final consumer can verify the authenticity of the product by entering the 22-character alphanumeric code in a form made available by the manufacturer on its own mobile app or website.

The manufacturer can easily create his own mobile app or website where the final consumer can verify the authenticity of the product by entering the 22-character alphanumeric code of the RFID in a form made available by the manufacturer. By promoting this autonomous verification system by the final customer, a widespread control is carried out on the authenticity of the product without direct costs for the

*RFId tunnel with exchanging direction motor conveyor for warehouse entry and delivery exit. Source: Oscalito.*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86344*

as well as the documents needed by the forwarder.

• Management of finished garments repair

• Warehouse and inventory management

well as deliveries to customers.

processing steps

manufacturing company.

*The RFId Technology for Monitoring the Supply Chain and for Fighting… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86344*

*Fashion Industry - An Itinerary Between Feelings and Technology*

of origin which are fraudulent, inaccurate or misleading.

of origin.

piece of clothing.

parties (**Figure 1**).

phases.

Since 2012, Oscalito has been using RFId tags, which allow to trace the entire chain: fabric weaving, finishing and cutting, tailoring, quality control and logistics. This makes absolute control on quality flaws possible and guarantees Made in Italy. Such instrument enables to enact the intent of the EU Legislator, who, at the twentieth "whereas" of the Regulation, with the aim to protect consumers, requests transparent and coherent commercial rules, also concerning indications

These indications, when available, should enable consumers to be fully informed on the origin of the products they purchase, so as to protect them from indications

Oscalito's production chain is managed through an ERP which uses bar code technology in the first two processing phases [(i) fabric weaving and finishing; (ii) fabric and lace cutting], while during the further four phases [(iii) tailoring the completed garments; (iv) finishing the completed garments; (v) ironing and packaging; (vi) logistics and warehousing], the information contained in the bar code is poured out into the RFId tag and therefore individualised for every single

The implementation of RFId technology in the above production phases took place, as mentioned, starting from May 2012; it foresees continuous printing of the cards with RFId tags even in case part of the production cycle is carried out by third

The RFId tag is applied following quality control which is made on every garment, and it enables to manage the phases of repair of items which are faulty but can be recuperated. Applying RFId tags allows to trace all production phases and operators which came in the finished garment in case it was returned, bringing to evidence any shortcoming or organizational problem in one of the production

The implementation of RFId tags automatized all logistic functions, such as entrance into the warehouse with production notes and inventory functions by

*RFId Oscalito. Particular of the 'maintenance' card with RFId tag associated to the guarantee of Made in Italy* 

**64**

**Figure 1.**

*product. Source: Oscalito.*

reader after passing through the tunnel (**Figure 2**) or by shelf reader scanner, as well as deliveries to customers.

Oscalito does not have an automatized warehouse; therefore, customer order preparation is done by manual shelf picking. RFId tags are fundamental in controlling picking accuracy: by printing the labels, first of all the true contents of every single box are brought into evidence, and then a further control of the complete order compared to the picking list (i.e., the customer's order) is carried out. Finally, packing lists for every single item and for the total delivery are printed (**Figure 3**), as well as the documents needed by the forwarder.

The results obtained by Oscalito may be summarized as follows:


With reference to countering counterfeiting, RFId system is ideal since each RFID tag generated has a 22-character alphanumeric code that is unique and not reproducible. It contains product production data that can be extracted via the ERP system that generated it and which is the only one that allows verification of the authenticity and originality of the product. The final consumer can verify the authenticity of the product by entering the 22-character alphanumeric code in a form made available by the manufacturer on its own mobile app or website.

The manufacturer can easily create his own mobile app or website where the final consumer can verify the authenticity of the product by entering the 22-character alphanumeric code of the RFID in a form made available by the manufacturer. By promoting this autonomous verification system by the final customer, a widespread control is carried out on the authenticity of the product without direct costs for the manufacturing company.

**Figure 3.** *RFId reading post, Box label printing and application. Source: Oscalito.*

As its future objective, Oscalito aims at extending RFId technology to all fabric weaving, finishing and cutting production phases and to warehouse management by customer, with pre-allocation of garments.
