BISM
SUPERSTARS
RFID
RFID is Radio Frequency Identification which is a means of identifying a person or an object using a radio frequency transmission. The technology can be used to identify, track, sort or detect a wide variety RFID uses the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to uniquely identify objects. Good old radio communications and new efficiencies in fabrication and miniaturizations go into RFID devices that can help organize the production and delivery of goods, and enable personal identification in efficient new ways.
RFID is poised for use as an alternative to bar codes, those boxes of vertical bars and spaces that represent numbers and other symbols. The most familiar example of a bar code is the Uniform Product Code (UPC) found on most consumer goods today. RFID is already used in some identification cards, transportation access cards, and in the shipping and logistics industry. RFID systems consist of three components in two combinations: a transceiver (transmitter/receiver) and antenna are usually combined as an RFID reader.
WHAT PROBLEMS IS IT TRYING TO SOLVE?
. As we all know from shopping in grocery stores, bar codes must be directly presented to a laser scanner in order to register. Clerks must turn products around and hold the bar codes, flat and clean, up to a reader. RFID scanning of products requires none of this; products need only be brought within the appropriate distance of a reader. The dominant early application of RFID in the consumer goods context will probably not be individual item labeling. Today, an extraordinary amount of waste occurs when goods sit on loading docks spoiling, when they are shipped to the wrong locations, or when they sit idly in warehouses.
The other advantage of RFID is its ability to identify items individually rather than
generically. The typical RFID tag may contain about two kilobytes of data, which is
enough for an individualized numeric code that identifies the tag distinctly from all others
in the world. The benefits of individualized identification are enormous. In terms of safety, RFID systems will be able to identify when drugs, meat, or other perishable products have expired or outlasted their “sell by” dates. RFID could also assist in recalling defective products.
Consumers may enjoy substantial convenience thanks to individualized identification as well. The serial number in an RFID tag on a shirt, for example, may be correlated in a database to the purchaser and the payment method he or she used. If it does not fit, the purchaser can return it and receive a refund without a receipt. Such personalization may also allow RFID tags to significantly suppress theft and the black market for stolen goods. Tags built deep into consumer electronics, shop tools, computers, and the like will act as beacons identifying that an item is stolen.
These are just some examples of how RFID’ s unique attributes—sightless scanning and individual identification—can benefit consumers.
RFID is able to automatically detect when either a pallet or shipment has left the warehouse or distribution center. This will not only generate an electronic ASN and notify the recipient, but also bill clients in real time instead of waiting until the end of the week or month, and doing a batch operation.
One of the problems in the supply chain is product loss or shrinkage, which can account for anything from 2-5% of stock. The causes may vary from misplaced orders, employee and customer theft or efficient stock management..