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For Quebec company Logistik Unicorp, radio frequency identification serves as a tool to ensure that Canadian military uniforms end up in the hands of those ordering them within a matter of days, and with a guarantee to meet strict quality requirements. Logistik has spent seven years using an RFID system, as well as printed serial IDs, that it developed to track which materials go into each item it makes, when finished products are received from the contracted companies it utilizes to manufacture those uniforms, and when they are packed and shipped to customers, such as the Canadian Armed Forces. This visibility ensures that the company's customers know that high-quality materials went into the manufacturing of their products, and that they will always receive accurate items in the right quantities, while most orders are shipped within five days after an order is placed online. Since the solution was taken live in 2009, it has reduced the amount of time required to ship goods by 35 percent, according to Francis Alexandre Bibeau, Logistik Unicorp's warehouse director, and has made the process of receiving goods from its contracted manufacturer more accurate. Ultimately, he says, that leads to greater customer satisfaction and inventory accuracy. Currently, the company serves the armed forces, border patrol, Canada Post and other uniformed government and private personnel, as well as agencies in Australia, Tunisia, Vietnam and Dubai, says Michel Ricard, Logistik's VP and CIO. The company tightly controls the materials used to manufacture its products, as well as the movements of the finished goods themselves. In that way, military personnel and other users can be ensured that the uniforms they purchase are the correct color, and that the fabric and dye can withstand the rigors of use in the field. Logistik buys raw materials—fabric to be used for garments, such as shirts, trousers or hats—and tests it before sending the materials to the manufacturers that produce the finished garments. The company has been growing, Logistik reports. Currently, it fulfills approximately 450,000 orders annually, with an inventory turnaround six or seven times each year.

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