How to know if RFID is the Right Choice for You
Radio Frequency Identification or RFID is useful in competent inventory monitoring
within a supply chain allowing for ITV (which stands for real-time-in-transit visibility) as well as tracking assets generally at an enterprise level. RFID is also considered to be the replacement for what is currently the most prominent identification and inventory tracking technology - AIDC (that stands for Automatic Identification and Data Capture) i.e. the barcode. Without doubt, RFID has performed impressively in different industries and has trumped barcodes in a number of ways. But setting up an RFID system needs to be considered from an ROI standpoint of the business. Given below are 10 questions which will assist in determining your RFID system's ROI and whether your inspection is deliberate or involuntary (for instance within the mandates of DoD (Department of Defense) and Wal-mart).
1. Will RFID help in solving my particular business problems?
The use of RFID is particularly higher in the following situations:
- If visibility is required and critical through structured processes or the life cycle of the item;
- If while identifying, handling or replacing items, there are any labor or time restraints;
- In case labor prices are prohibitive and/or data faults associated with item sorting and handling happen to be towering;
- When additional information is required within the software about the item over and above what a barcode system could offer.
2. What are the ways in which my business will benefit through the use of RFID instead of barcoding?
The primary advantages of RFID are around data readability. In barcode scanning, intervention by humans is an absolute must.
It is vital that Barcodes are visible on the cover of a product packaging whereas RFID tags can easily be stored within the package or right over the product. The "line of sight" is not required to read RFID tags not to mention they possess a better read range that could be as much as 100 meters. A Barcode's readability can also be affected or damaged by various factors like dirt, moisture, package dimensions and dents.
No such problem with RFID tags though. RFID tags have a much higher capacity for data storage as compared to a barcode.
3. What makes more sense barcodes; RFID; or a combination of both?
Despite the entire hullabaloo that comes in RFID, it is unlikely to completely replace the barcode not to mention that in several business situations and processes, a combination of both technologies is advised.
4. What standards do the RFID systems need to adhere to?
RFID tags must comply with the "EPC Class 1 Gen 2" when one needs to fulfill the RFID labeling authorizations laid down by the DoD.
5. Are there global regulations which must by looked at, if yes what are the details?
In case you wish to incorporate RFID technology with different countries, other than America, knowledge of the regulation procedures as well as the permissible RF power levels' for UHF all over the world is required to be known.
6. Once data is collected, can this get transformed to action?
One of the most critical elements when deciding to deploy an RFID system is gauging the pluses and minuses of whether the system will transform all the data collected into something actionable which will improve efficiency, reduce overall costs and generally help in boosting growth prospects.
7. Would RFID system provide a similar performance everywhere?
While the sciences of RFID might be universal, the associated regulations or tools are not. Most RFID companies develop in-house tools as well as proprietary software and this is incongruent with technology produced by other manufacturers. Besides this, different regions across the world have their own regulations which are related to the use of RFID.
8. Do I need to understand different kinds of buildings before the systems are installed?
Yes, the general environment where the tags will be used along with the item's physical characteristics itself must be taken into account so that RFID systems can be modified accordingly.
9) Has a careful check on the system's performance been done using a sample selection of items?
Depending on their composition (i.e. liquid, plastic, metal etc), objects could possibly display different behavioral properties with radio frequency. Some of these characteristics include RF transparent, RF reflecting, and RF absorbing. The combination of these three will be sorted by many items. The physical properties of an object should be accounted for while choosing your RFID tag
10. Has an accurate assessment been made of RFID data's effect on current information systems that being employed?
RFID's biggest strength lies in its ability to provide data as needed, but many of the information systems would be only made for processing of batch. Therefore you may need to adjust your presently active IT infrastructure before launching an RFID system.
Unless you aren't absolutely clear with the fundamental principles that RFID follows, it will be difficult to find answers of a few of the earlier questions. It makes sense to get in touch with RFID solution providers for anything required.
How to know if RFID is the Right Choice for You
By: Neil Jones
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