Dive Brief:

• Tally, Simbe Robotics' signature inventory management bot, can now read RFID chips and use machine learning technology to capture in-store data, according to a press release.
• Previously, Tally relied on computer vision to scan store shelves and perform visual audits of merchandise to identify out-of-stock or low inventory items or validate price tags. The new technology allows the robot to conduct inventory audits on all products, and help associates identify and locate misplaced products.
• Overstocks and out-of-stocks are a "$1.1 trillion problem" for retailers. Such losses amount to 11.7% of annual revenue for a typical retailer, but is really money left on the table, according to a 2015 report by IHL Group, commissioned by DynamicAction.

Dive Insight:

Tally's new abilities may seem like just an incremental improvement to a shelf-scanning robot, but it's a bit of a technological feat that will help Simbe boost its market reach to new retail categories.

The news marks the first time a robot can simultaneously operate computer vision and RFID technology, Brad Bogolea, CEO of Simbe Robotics, told Supply Chain Dive. The ability to do both at once is significant for the retail world, as neither technology on its own is best-suited to capture data from the wide variety of goods sold to consumers. 

"Computer vision is very good with things like packaged goods that have a very distinct face." Bogolea said. A black shirt hanging on a hanger, however, is more troublesome. "Is that a men's or women's shirt? Is that a medium or small? Who is actually the manufacturer of it? You can't do that with computer vision, so RFID has been super helpful for those type of things."

Up to this point, eleven retailers have signed on to use Tally. Bogolea places his clients in three buckets: Proof of concept, empirical pilot and those who are ready to scale deployment. Three retailers are currently in the last stage, he said, but these are typically sellers of fast-moving consumer goods like grocery retailer Schnucks.

But now, Simbe hopes to expand its reach to consumer electronics, sporting goods and other retailers with "greater margins in the product to incorporate sort of RFID as well as often greater control over the supply chain," Bogolea said.

Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified the company which commissioned the 2015 report.