System and method for tracking products in open-loop supply or value chain

Abstract

A system for monitoring the life cycle of a product even in open-loop retail environment having regard to the associated supply or value chain, comprising tag provision equipment arranged to obtain product information and to configure a wirelessly interrogatable electronic identification tag provided with externally readable identification information to a product item, wherein configuring incorporates at least partially automated determination, according to predefined decision logic, of at least one technical characteristic of tag implementation based on the product information to optimize the operation of the tag, and electronic data management system accessible via a communications network, preferably the Internet, comprising a data interface configured to receive and transmit data, and a data repository configured to store indications of received digital notifications of tag reading events in a plurality of activities of the associated supply or value chain, said notifications conveying said tag identification information. A corresponding method for execution by the system is presented.