Radio Frequency Identification For The Cosmetics Industry

Given the facts in the case and as outlined in more detail in this case study, it is our recommendation that Mierdorf and Wolfram move to the case level RFID tagging process. The improvements up and down the supply chain in accuracy, inventory control, reduced labor costs are enough to at least continue with the RFID

As RFID technology evolves and becomes less expensive, there will be an increase in the number of companies and vendors using the technology. Eventually, new applications will be developed and these systems may even be able to solve common or unique problems associated with business in today’s market.

Using this wireless technology makes it harder to control the content viewed, especially when personal computers can access the network. RFID can typically be a more expensive technology than your normal barcoding system. You can choose between using active RFID tags or passive RFID tags. Passive tags are very similar to a barcode; however active tags can be activated to track movement and count in a quick manner. Active tags are more expensive, but certain types can be reused. RFID tags can also be larger than a regular barcode and can be more difficult to understand than a typical system. Also, “Some common problems with RFID are reader collision and tag collision.” (What is RFID?, 2012) These types of collision occur when multiple readers or tags are in one area making it difficult to pick up the correct signal.

The RFID is considered a significant improvement over the conventional barcode, which needs to be read by scanners in "line-of-sight" fashion and can be stripped away if the paper product labels get ripped or damaged. RFID can also facilitate inter-organizational E-commerce initiatives such as continuous replenishment or vendor-managed inventories (Smaros and Holmstrom, 2000).

The RFID system will open new sales opportunities to larger markets such as the Department of Defense (DoD) and Wal-Mart. Who are now demanding that RFID tracking as a condition of contracting.

Senator Debra Bowen proposed a bill in Redondo Beach, California contending that the organization using the tag and its information capability must: have customer consent, detach or destroy the tag after leaving the store, and the customer be guaranteed anonymity (Anonymous 91).  It wasn’t until this planned legislation protecting citizens’ personal information existed, that privacy was defended against the RFID technology.  Initiative is in place to use RFID technology in the market.  For instance, Wal-mart projects 250 stores with active tag system by June 2005 (Dipert 54).  The San Francisco Public Library has also planned to spend $1 million on a RFID system, to associate personal identity to book checkouts (Anonymous 92).  Under these conditions, corporations or the government may have the ability to monitor anyone's personal information or activity.  In order to realize the effect of RFID tags, in addition to new laws, advocates of civil rights such as the ACLU and CASPIAN have to be

First of all, what are RFID chips, and what are they capable of? In more detail RFID stands for Radio Frequency IDentification, a technology that uses tiny computer chips smaller than a grain of sand to track items at

Today, RFID is used in retail, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, travel, entertainment, etc. RFID increases efficiency of operations, decreases reliance on manual process, improves asset visibility and traceability, reduces operation costs, and provides useful data for business analytics. There are many different reasons why companies and firms are beginning to make the switch to RFID, some examples are: automating inventory and asset-tracking in healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and business sectors; identifying the source of products, enabling intelligent recall of defective or dangerous items; prevent use of counterfeit products in the supply chain; improve shopping experience for consumers; provide visibility into the supply chain

Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) have been used in the retail industry for more than fifty years as an inventory assessment application tracking product sales and distribution data for goods and services. Current trends of RFID for this industry have been favorable for hi-tech state-of-the-art industries, yet in the past years to 2014 device prices have fallen at an estimated average annual 5.3% primarily due to its characteristic as a "throwaway" inventory or control device. This market segment uses tags or labels, which are scanned and ultimately leave the store with the consumer, eventually disposing of the empty carton or used product. Retailer’s using this application method require multiple components and suppliers are

The Average gas consumer may have already used this technology without knowledge. The “Speed Pass” by Mobile Gas, and the “Sun Pass” used in our local Toll System are just a few examples of RFID technology in use.

RFID tags are much more efficient than simple barcodes because of a few key features. Unlike barcodes, RFID tags do not need to be on the surface of the object. This means that the tag does not need to be subject to the elements. RFID tags can also be read much more quickly than barcodes. Where barcodes need to have a device pointed directly at them to scan them, RFID tag readers need only be within range of the transmitting signal. This allows scanning process to be much more automated. Finally, RFID tags can be read almost simultaneously (mostly due to the high speed reading and use of different wave lengths) (What is RFID, n.d.).

“RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) can be defined as an automatic identification technology which uses radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to identify objects carrying tags when they come close to a reader.” [2]

With a rapidly increasing number of customers and partners that span the globe and with wide field adoptions of its extended range of products, GAO RFID has become an undisputable leader in this industry.

RFID technology is not only used at gas stations, restaurants, and department but also at

Some of the disadvantages of the RFID technology are that it is expensive to install. Small and medium scale enterprises find it costly to use it in their firms and offices. In the case of Harley Davidson, getting products from many different suppliers’ would mean that the tags may have to be installed in liquid and metal products. The problem is that the liquid and metal surfaces tend to reflect the radio waves, which makes the tags unreadable. The tags have to be placed in various alignments and angles for taking proper reading. This is a tedious task when the work involves a large organization like Harley Davidson. Another disadvantage of the technology is that interference has been observed if devices such as forklifts and walkie-talkies are in the vicinity of the distribution centers. The presence of mobile phone towers has been found to interfere with RFID radio waves. Wal-Mart, the retail sector giant, has installed billions of RFID tags in their products throughout the world and they have encountered such problems.