Where is RFID Technology being used Today?

Asset Management

RFID tags can be permanently attached to capital equipment and fixed assets including pallets, test equipment, carts, totes, computers, etc. so that they can be easily tracked and identified as they are moved throughout a facility

Fixed position readers placed at strategic points within the facility can automatically track the movement and location of tagged assets with 100 percent accuracy. This information can be used to quickly locate expensive tools or equipment when workers need them, eliminating labor-wasting manual searches.

Readers can also be programmed to alert supervisors or sound alarms if there is an attempt to remove tagged items from an authorized area. By tracking pallets, totes and other containers with RFID, and building a record of what is stored in the container as items are loaded, users can have full visibility into inventory levels and locations.

With this level of visibility and control, manufacturers and distributors can easily locate items necessary to fill orders and fulfill rush orders without incurring undue managerial or labor time. This information could also be used to document cycle times, improve processes and optimize operator efficiencies throughout the operation.

Inventory Control

The main benefits to using RFID in the supply chain come from improved inventory tracking, especially when the technology's capabilities are used to collect information and provide visibility in environments where tracking was not done before.

Manufacturers, distributors, logistics providers and retailers can all use RFID for inventory applications, and in carefully planned systems, may share the same tags to reduce implementation costs.

By using the highly accurate, real-time and unattended monitoring capability of RFID to track raw materials, work-in process and finished goods inventory manufacturers can improve visibility and confidence into their inventory which will enable overall inventory controls, labor cost savings and allow reduction in safety stocks levels.

If an item was misplaced or needed urgently to complete an order, fixed-position readers or a worker with a mobile computer and RFID reader could automatically search for the item by reading for its specific ID number.

To secure inventory from theft and diversion, readers could be set to sound alarms or send notification if items are placed in unauthorized areas of the facility or removed from storage without prior approval.

Shipping & Receiving

The same tags used to identify work-in-process or finished goods inventory could also trigger automated shipment tracking applications. Items, cases or pallets with RFID tags could be read as they are assembled into a complete customer order or shipment.

The individual reads could be used to automatically produce a shipment manifest, which could be printed in a document, recorded automatically in the shipping system, encoded in an RFID tag, printed in a 2D bar code, on the shipping label, or any combination of each.

Manifest information encoded in an RFID tag could be read by the receiving organization to simplify the receiving process and to satisfy requirements like those for advance shipping notices (ASN), so there would not be processing delays if the physical shipment arrived before the electronic data interchange (EDI) transmission with the ASN information.

Having complete shipment data available in an RFID tag that can be read instantly without manual intervention is very valuable for cross dock and high-volume distribution environments. Incoming shipments can be automatically queried for specific containers. If a sought after item was present, it could be quickly located and selected.