How Tendam Extended the Value of RAIN RFID Through Autonomous Inventory Robotics
Inventory accuracy is not just an operational metric, it directly impacts customer experience, fulfilment speed, and overall efficiency in warehousing. For retailers that have already adopted RAIN RFID, the next challenge is how to extend the value of that infrastructure beyond periodic inventory counts and into continuous operational visibility.
That is exactly the challenge Spanish fashion group Tendam set out to solve, and the answer it found started with RAIN.
From RAIN Implementation to a New Way of Managing Inventory
Tendam’s journey began with RAIN tagging across its operations. As the company expanded its use of the technology, new opportunities began to emerge. What initially served as a way to improve product visibility quickly revealed its potential in logistics, particularly in fast-moving e-commerce environments.
“This project stems from the implementation of RFID at Tendam. As we continued to discover different use cases, we realised that we could also implement this stock-reading system in e-commerce operations.” — Jose Andreas Alonso, RFID Product Owner at Tendam
That insight led Tendam to explore how autonomous robotics could extend the value of its existing RAIN infrastructure. Together with PAL Robotics, the company deployed StockBot, an autonomous robot that uses RAIN RFID to automate stock reading within its logistics centre in Illescas, Spain, operated by ID Logistics. Over the past three years, the two companies have worked closely together, starting with a proof of concept and progressively refining the solution for real warehouse conditions.
At the core of the collaboration was a simple but critical objective: using RAIN to make inventory data something the business could actually trust.
“RAIN RFID provides the data layer that makes autonomous inventory possible. By combining reliable tag reads with autonomous navigation, StockBot continuously captures inventory information without interrupting warehouse operations, giving teams access to accurate stock data throughout the day. StockBot doesn’t just move through the warehouse, it reads, understands and visualizes stock at scale, which is what makes continuous, reliable inventory possible.” — Alex Font Ibañez, Retail & RFID Business Manager at PAL Robotics
Rather than replacing existing RAIN infrastructure, the project builds on it. The same RAIN tags already used across Tendam’s operations become the foundation for autonomous inventory, allowing the company to extract additional value from its existing investment without changing its tagging strategy.
When Visibility Becomes Operational Trust
Improving inventory reliability is not simply about counting stock more often. It is about transforming RAIN data into information that warehouse teams can trust for everyday operational decisions.
As Tendam’s operations grew, maintaining that level of accuracy through manual methods became harder to sustain. More references, higher volumes, and constant movement of goods pushed traditional inventory counting to its limits.
RAIN-enabled autonomous inventory introduces a different operating model, built around continuous RFID reading rather than periodic manual counts. Moving autonomously through the warehouse, it scans stock daily using RAIN tags, creating a constant stream of reliable data that complements the Warehouse Management System (WMS). One of its most valuable contributions is the ability to detect what would otherwise go unnoticed: items that are physically present but not registered in the system.
“Having an inventory that we can monitor on a daily basis helps us reduce preparation times and errors, while also enhancing the user experience.” — Mirian Juarez, Reengineering Responsible at Tendam
Better Visibility Translated into Better Operations
By improving inventory reliability, Tendam has been able to reduce discrepancies, streamline order preparation, and respond faster to issues as they arise.
“Implementing the robot results in fewer incidents, faster order preparation, and ultimately higher quality for the end customer.” — Marlin Arenas, Stock Management at ID Logistics
At the same time, the insights generated allow teams to act more precisely, focusing their efforts where adjustments between theoretical and physical stock are genuinely needed. StockBot takes over repetitive inventory tasks, freeing staff to focus on higher-value activities such as analysis and decision-making.
“In the warehouse, we don’t see the robot as a replacement, but as a support tool that enables us to focus on higher-value tasks while it handles the most repetitive day-to-day tasks.” — Marlin Arenas, Stock Management at ID Logistics
Implementing a RAIN-Powered Robot in a Live Warehouse
Deployment involved adapting the solution to the warehouse layout, optimising autonomous routes, defining inventory checkpoints, integrating with the WMS, and calibrating RAIN reading performance for the operational environment. These steps ensured that autonomous inventory could run alongside daily warehouse activities without disrupting existing workflows.
This level of customisation ensures that StockBot integrates seamlessly into existing workflows without disruption, becoming not just a technology layer but a natural extension of the operation itself.
The result is a system that performs inventory continuously while warehouse operations continue uninterrupted, allowing discrepancies to be detected and addressed much earlier than with traditional inventory cycles.
A New Standard for RAIN-Driven Inventory in E-Commerce
Tendam’s experience reflects a broader shift in how warehouses operate. As e-commerce continues to grow, inventory management is evolving from periodic, manual processes into continuous, data-driven systems. The combination of RAIN and autonomous robotics is what makes this transition possible, bringing accuracy and visibility to a level that was previously difficult to achieve at scale.
“I think the main benefit of StockBot is that it provides continuous and automated inventory, allowing us to prioritise resources and be more efficient when identifying potential issues.” — Jose Andreas Alonso, RFID Product Owner at Tendam
Tendam’s experience demonstrates how RAIN RFID continues to evolve beyond product identification into a foundation for autonomous warehouse operations. By combining an existing RAIN infrastructure with autonomous robotics, the company has transformed inventory from a periodic manual task into a continuous operational process that supports greater accuracy, efficiency, and responsiveness across its logistics operations.
StockBot is developed by PAL Robotics, a Barcelona-based service robotics company and RAIN Alliance member.
ABOUT PAL Robotics
PAL Robotics is a Barcelona-based robotics company specializing in autonomous mobile robots and humanoid platforms for logistics, retail, healthcare, research, and industry. As a member of the RAIN Alliance, the company develops StockBot, an autonomous inventory robot that combines robotics and RAIN RFID technology to automate inventory processes in warehouses and retail environments.
At PAL Robotics | Retail, we combine advanced AI and robotics to support retailers in optimizing their stores and staying competitive in the fast-paced retail environment. Join us in shaping the future of retail with scalable, easy-to-integrate robotics solutions that deliver tangible results.
Follow us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgK0aQtoujo