Radio Frequency Identification
Introduction
Radio Frequency Identification is not a new idea—the British used a device that employs much of the same technology (the IFF transponder) during World War II to tell their planes from those of the Luftwaffe. (RFID 2005). This paper is a very brief review of literature about RFID and its pros and cons with respect to the cosmetics industry.
Methodology
I input the search term "RFID" into a journal database and got thousands of hits—that 's too many to be useful, so I added a limiter: "RFID cosmetics." This came back with only a handful, which I 'm using in this paper. I also input "RFID pros cons" and got a few more, which I 'll also include. The obvious conclusion is that the
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Tracking inventory is obviously one use for RFID; it 's also useful for tracking library books, and many sources discussed this aspect of the technology. On the plus side, RFID can improve user "self check-in and check out" because it 's much faster than bar code readers and can scan a lot of items simultaneously (Smart 2004, p. SS4). It 's also proven to be extremely helpful in finding lost books: California State University in Long Beach found 500 "lost" volumes that would have cost $40,000 to replace (Smart 2004, p. SS4). The downside here is that patrons have found ways to remove the tags, books are "disappearing" (Smart 2004, p. SS4). Also, although it is thought the price of the tags and readers, wands and equipment necessary to implement the system will come down, right now they are very expensive and will remain so for the foreseeable future (Smart 2004, p. SS4). Smart also authored another article that is a good resource as it lists the providers of RFID systems to libraries. They include Bibliotheca RFID Library Systems, FlashScan and Checkpoint (Smart 2004, p. SS17). This article is a rundown of suppliers, but it does provide prices (running into hundreds of thousands, usually) and contact points, so it could be very helpful. In a perceptive article about library science and RFID, Joe Moffitt says that libraries really don 't do well in providing IT services; 75% of
RFID systems are currently being used in manufacturing plants to track parts, stay informed of work in progress, reduce product defects, increase throughput, and manage production of given products. Big name retailers such as Best Buy, Metro, Target, Albertson’s, Hewlett Packard, and Wal-Mart are leading the way in implementing RFID systems. These retailers recognize the need to improve inventory efficiency, ensure products are available to customers as needed, decrease theft, and cut down on costs associated with tracking and processing inventory.
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 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.
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
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
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
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
This paper outlines the cost‐benefit analysis of using Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in an asset‐tracking application. To facilitate the analysis, RFID will be compared against the incumbent technology, bar‐coding. An experiment comparing these two technologies was conducted, and the findings from this experiment are further analysed.
When considering RFID costs a company must consider the total cost of ownership rather than just the initial RFID hardware and tags costs. A complete RFID system includes not only hardware infrastructure, but also service such as design, development, deployment, maintenance, ongoing support, and training. Also to consider are the future costs as the system is scaled beyond its initial pilot or trial phase. Costs should also be associated with restructuring or introducing new business practices.
RFID technology is not only used at gas stations, restaurants, and department but also at
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.).
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.
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.
Since its inception in 1980s, RFID received its first major public appearance in the popular media on July 11 2003, when Walmart Stores announced that it required its top 100 suppliers to affix Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags on all delivery cases and pallets by 1 Jan 2005 (Tirschwell, 2003). Wal-Mart began receiving RFID tagged delivery cases and pallets on April 30, 2004 (Roberti, 2004). Since then RFID has been explored and implemented intensively in Walmart and other industries such as medical care, asset tracking, warehouse management and retail. Pretty soon, it will be accepted more widely and will impact positively on role and importance of supply chain management. This report will closely evaluate the
“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]