Modernizing the Warehouse with RFID Tags
Using new technologies is important for companies
RFID tags are scannable like barcodes and use radio frequencies to store and access information about products and inventory. RFID tags are currently used to track everything from vehicles to pets, and can be useful to warehouse automation in key ways.
RFID tags are more durable than barcodes and can’t be smudged if they get wet. They can track a product from its manufacture through its sale, and are particularly useful in the warehouse. RFID tags currently cost about 20 cents each and require a reader to scan the information for use with a reader, which does have a more significant cost.
Advantages of RFID Tags
Some advantages of RFID tags are that many tags can be read at the same time, meaning that taking inventory could be nearly instantaneous for companies using RFID tags and readers in their warehouses. The reader is also more versatile than barcodes for scanning because they don’t have to be read in the same way but can be read through a carton or box. The tags can also be miniaturized while still storing the same amount of information.
Compared to barcodes, RFID tags can run into problems when the radio frequency they use gets jammed or experiences interference that prevents information from being transmitted. However, these problems are typically rare and don’t happen often, leaving the benefits to take precedence the vast majority of the time. In fact, RFID systems have been tested to be effective 99.9 percent of the time.
There is some preparation necessary in order for a company to use RFID technology. In addition to choosing a reader system that will fit your needs, companies need to test everything to make sure it will function the way they need it to. RFID tags can help companies automate their systems more fully by handling inventory functions and tracking where items reside.
In chaos warehousing, which is a method that stores items wherever space is available rather than putting like items together, RFID tags can provide instant data on the locations of items so they can be picked, packed and shipped to the customer, even if they aren’t organized in a way that would make sense to anyone. The application of RFID technology in logistics can improve the efficiency of warehousing processes no matter what warehousing methods are used, however.
RFID can also follow products all the way to the consumer to track shipping routes and speed. The amount of information RFID can provide far exceeds other types of tracking information and will result in modernization of inventory processes so that companies’ bottom lines can be improved. RFID can be combined with other technologies like fleet management and logistics to meet automation goals.
Florida Tech offers a master’s degree in logistics management to allow students to use cutting-edge technologies like RFID for modernization of warehousing and other processes. Learn more about our Logistics Management program for information about everything this degree has to offer.
