Taking advantage of the embedded SQL CE database in Windows Mobile.

A list is such a simple concept. We make lists for everything. We list our friends and contacts. We list the tasks we have to do. We have wish-lists of the things we want. We even have the bucket-list. We have shopping lists for Christmas and regularly make lists of things to pick up on the way home and certainly, everyone has used a grocery list.

Windows Mobile devices include a compact version of the SQL database that is the perfect for the task of storing lists. Grocery lists are great examples but we must still wait until a sufficient number of food products are TAGged to gain any benefit.

If all grocery products had a TAG, then the process of creating a list could take on many forms. You could scan the TAG on products as you use, add items at random or you might even allow other people to add to your list. You might scan items as you consumed them, just before discarding the packaging, for instance. Or you might just select a random group of items from the cupboard or refrigerator. In other words, the collection of items could grow over time until you were ready to shop.

One problem with shopping online is the necessity for precision and the sheer number of products, brands and packaging. To match a given product precisely you need more than just the name. You would need the size or quantity, brand and style just to come close. Unlike the paper lists we make, the digital lists cannot make a determination based simply on "bread". You of course know exactly the type and amount you want but a digital list requires greater precision.

Take something as simple as eggs. At one time, the choice was a dozen, white or brown and small, medium or large. Now, there are 6-packs, 12-packs, 18-packs, four or five sizes, several brands, 2 or more colors and least we not forget Omega-3 content. Simply writing the word "eggs" on a piece of paper only works when the shopper understands all other requirements.

You should see where we are going with this. Nobody is going to make a list, where they need to type in "2-Dozen, extra-large, Grade 'A', brown eggs with omega-3". However, if that precise information was available on the packaging and you could list everything by simply scanning the TAG, then there is hope.

Now if you are going to shop yourself, you certainly do not need that level of precision but for all other options, it is critical. As more and more delivery services become available, it is easier to forward your list than to have to type into an online form. However, the precision of digital lists offer something far more beneficial and the key to all comparisons - standardization. The expression "comparing apples to oranges" has never been more applicable.

If you are able to define your items in a standardized way, then retailers systems can be queried for pricing and discount information. Consider sending your list to many different stores and recieving an aggregated quote from each. You choose the quote you want and the items are prepared when you arrive, or you could have them delivered or you could simply use the information as a guide to where you're going to shop.

There are many details to work out and certainly, there is an issue of causality - who starts the ball rolling. Producers need to provide their product information in digital form before consumers can use it but they need enticement as well. This brings us back to a simple point, activity based around TAGs are measureable and actionable. Manufacturers can analyze the activity data and then determine if discounts are appropriate or necessary. You could have the 12 oz. can of XYZ on your list, and recieve notification of a discount for purchasing 2, or a better deal on the 20 oz. can, or whatever method a producer chooses. Still, the point is that there is something there for producers and manufacturers as well.

So lists form a large part of the utility of TAG's future that requires contributions in several areas and that's not going to happen tomorrow. To get there, we need to explore custom TAG types that meet the needs of everyone involved. Our thoughts are that most often this type of change only comes about quickly, when the cost of implementation can offset or reduce existing costs.

That said, there are people in the industry better positioned to answer those questions but you should realize that were not really inventing anything here. Denso Wave and Toyota have been using similar technology in their logistics for years. So it's only fitting that as this technology goes mainstream, it continue to be applied to find logistical solutions in the distribution of food and other manufactured goods.

This is just one example involving TAG and lists. There are many more - everywhere you see a list.