What is radio frequency identification?
Radio frequency identification (RFID) enables businesses to ensure traceability in the supply chain by using wireless technology to identify and track items in real time automatically. RFID tags attached to products or packaging contain unique identifiers that can be scanned remotely, allowing businesses to monitor the movement and location of goods throughout the supply chain.
How does radio frequency identification work?
RFID technology enhances supply chain traceability by using radio waves to identify and track products automatically. Here’s how it benefits businesses:
- Real-time tracking: It provides real-time visibility of products throughout the supply chain, reducing stockouts and ensuring efficient inventory management.
- Improved inventory management: It automates inventory counts, reduces human error, and optimises stock levels, leading to lower carrying costs.
- Product authenticity and quality control: It tracks product origins and manufacturing processes, ensuring authenticity and quality, which is crucial for high-value goods.
- Efficient product recalls: In the case of recalls, it quickly identifies affected items, minimising response time and reducing the cost of recalls.
- Streamlined logistics: It automates shipment tracking, reducing bottlenecks, optimising delivery, and improving supply chain efficiency.
- Reduced labour costs: Automating inventory tasks with RFID lowers labour costs and minimises errors, enhancing overall efficiency.
- Data-driven decisions: The data provides insights into supply chain operations, aiding decision-making and optimisation.
- Enhanced security: It monitors goods’ movement, reducing theft and unauthorised access.
RFID helps businesses build more efficient, secure, and sustainable supply chains by streamlining operations and improving transparency.
What are the RFID tags and levels?
RFID tags include an integrated circuit (IC), an antenna, and a substrate. The component that encodes identifying information is called the RFID inlay. There are three types of RFID tags:
- Active RFID: Has its power source, usually a battery.
- Passive RFID: Powered by the electromagnetic wave from the reader’s antenna.
- Semi-passive RFID: Uses a battery for the circuitry, but the reader powers communication.
RFID tags typically store less than 2,000 KB of data, including a unique identifier. They can be read-only or read-written, allowing the reader to modify the data. The reading range varies depending on tag type, reader type, frequency, and environmental interference. Active tags generally have a more extended range than passive ones. RFID tags are embedded in adhesive labels with barcodes. They can be read by both RFID and barcode readers and printed using standard desktop printers.
What are the types of RFID systems?
RFID systems can be categorised into the following:
- Low-frequency (LF) for short-range and metal/water-resistant applications
- High-frequency (HF) for moderate-range uses like contactless payments
- Ultra-high frequency (UHF) for long-range applications like supply chain management
However, RFID systems also vary based on power source into passive (powered by the reader), active (battery-powered with longer ranges), and semi-passive (battery-assisted for enhanced performance).
What are the challenges in RFID use?
There are mainly two main challenges in the use of radio frequency identification (RFID):
- Possibility of a reader collision: When a signal from one RFID reader interferes with a second reader, a reader collision can be prevented by using an anti-collision protocol to make RFID tags take turns transmitting to their appropriate reader.
- Possibility of tag collision: Tag collision occurs when too many tags confuse an RFID reader by transmitting data simultaneously. Choosing a reader that gathers tag information one at a time will prevent this issue.
What are the standards for RFID?
There are several guidelines and specifications for RFID technology, but the leading standards of organisations are:
- International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)
- Electronics Product Code Global Incorporated (EPCglobal)
- International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
Each radio frequency has associated standards, including ISO 14223 and ISO/IEC 18000-2 for LF RFID, ISO 15693 and ISO/IEC 14443 for HF RFID, and ISO 18000-6C for UHF RFID.
