Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags have been around since 1945, RFID Tags were originally invented to be used as spy technology. It later found its way into monitoring railway carriages around 1983. Now the same technology has become the base for automated asset tracking, managing stock or control quality processes. Due to recent technological advancements, these tags can now be used to track almost anything, thanks to the simple idea created by Theremin decades earlier.
RFID solutions seem to be slowly replacing many of the physical solutions used in various industries. Making manufacturing more efficient and productive is a shared goal across all industries. Radio frequency identification can be used to track products through the product lifecycle, collect logistics data, and production flow to enhance the manufacturing process.
Where and How Has RFID Improved Industrial Operations?
Inventory Management
An end to end supply chain traceability can be achieved by simply tagging the product with an RFID chip at the desired level of production. This would allow the manufacturer to maintain a virtual database of inventory flow, stock levels, transportation and detect cases of infiltration. Passive RFID tags are mainly used for implementation of inventory management tools with fixed RFID readers at the entry and exit paths. Apart from manufacturing plants and warehouses, the technology can commonly be seen used in retail channels.
In the retail industry, RFID technology can be deployed as a means of collecting various customer analytics in order to better understand buying habits and other pertinent information; enabling retail companies to better cater to their demographics. This technology makes it possible for retailers to easily conduct inventory, confirm which items are present, determine where in the store items are located, and identify each unique item individually. It can also help to prevent labeling mistakes, eliminate the sale of counterfeit products, and automate ordering processes. In the CPG industry, the same tags can also be used as anti-counterfeit solutions.
Operational Speed
In the recent past, barcodes have been replaced by RFID tags to not just make inventory management easier, but also to improve the operational speed.
Hence, valuable time and man hours spent to manually scanning each item is now optimized. Industries such as courier companies, which depend on having a high throughput, now have an option of applying RFID labels and automating the load and unload process through a conveyer belt. This is not only saving time but also reducing the cost of manpower.
Supply Chain Security
RFID E-seals or bolt E-seals provides automatic identification of vehicles and/or containers. The RFID seal for containers can quickly and accurately be read by static gateway reading systems or by hand held RFID devices operated by checkpoint personnel.
The RFID Eseal is also C-TPAT compliant and qualify as “High Security” seals and comply with ISO 17712:2013 norms. These can only be used once and must be removed by Bolt cutters, providing theft protection. RFID seal for containers also provides protection for containers in transit on sea and land. The quality of this seal along with the easy use has made it ideal to replace the traditional bolt seals to e-sealing of container movements. Countries like Taiwan and India have mandated the use of RFID e-seals. Combine the best elements of physical security that a bolt seal provides with the digital security elements of RFID and you have an RFID Eseal.
Anti-counterfeit Solution
Many products such as pharmaceuticals, alcoholic beverages, packaged goods have counterfeits available in the open market with identical packaging and no way to differentiate between the original and counterfeit. RFID solves this with the help of digitizing the product with a unique identity for every SKU with the help of anti-counterfeit packaging also known as smart packaging.
This technology is ideal for any industry suffering from high counterfeiting. Take the example of Pharmaceuticals where if the shipment is received by the pharmacy, they can simply verify the Electronic Product Code (EPC) against the one in the system allocated to them. There are possibilities like
- Missing Codes
- Repeated Codes
- Unassigned Codes
In any of the above cases, the action can be taken quickly and can easily instead of having no vision around the products.
RFID solutions have gained immense popularity in recent years with RFID key cards also being used in the hospitality industry to RFID chips for your Debit/Credit cards. It’s only natural for organizations to use RFID solutions to take their business to the next level.
If you wish to optimize your manufacturing and supply chain process and would like to have insights into the technology best suited for your needs, connect with Sepio Products by mailing on hello@sepioproducts.com