Beyond Quick-and-Dirty RFID.

Abstract

This article explores many of the technology, challenges, opportunities and trends in radio frequency identification (RFID), focusing particularly on data management, process integration and business intelligence. RFID can provide accurate, real-time data about the location of goods and the state of manufacturing, physical assets and logistics. The challenge lies in integrating the technology in a well-thought-out way and, most importantly, tapping into the data for analytics and business intelligence. In their rush to meet mandates, many companies spent vast sums on cosmetic "slap-and-ship" RFID deployments. These firms are still waiting for returns on their investments, and they're likely to view RFID as a cost of doing business. Meanwhile, a few pioneers have treated the mandates as an opportunity to achieve deeper levels of RFID integration, and they're gaining process efficiencies and making better business decisions as a result. It has been noted that RFID infrastructure costs are dwarfed by the recurring cost of the tags. INSET: FIELD REPORT.