Collaboration with the partners using RFID data is key, especially with promotions that rely on time-sensitive goods, said Walton. Wal-Mart can look at the sales of a given item, store by store, and determine whether something didn't sell well because it wasn't on the floor on the best day of the week or timed with an advertising campaign. That makes it incumbent on Wal-Mart to sit down with its partners and plan how best to move products, she said.

Other users at RFID World discussed data and its management. The value of RFID data depends on the type of product involved, said Kevin Brown, director of IS at Daisy Brand Inc., a maker of sour cream products. Brown, who also spoke at the RFID event, said his company uses an RFID system based on gear from Alien Technology Corp. in Morgan Hill, Calif. He explained that companies that sell perishable goods will want to know how long an item has been in the supply chain. Companies making higher-cost items will be more interested in preventing theft. Still other firms that may be launching new products will want information about how the new items are selling, Brown said.

The important issue is to determine what data a customer will want, said Bob Berg, senior business systems manager at DHL Worldwide Express. The carrier is rolling out RFID systems to help its customers comply with mandates from Wal-Mart. For instance, tagged items can create duplicate readings and sometimes give redundant information, a problem that can be solved by configuring tag readers to query data intermittently.

Properly gleaning information will require customizable processes specific to a particular company, Berg said.