RFID Technology in Logistics Management

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is the latest technological development providing immense benefits to a wide range of commercial activities, including logistics, tracing and tracking goods and services, and enhancing public, military and industrial security measures.

RFID technology uses radio waves of varying frequencies in labeling physical objects and forwarding unique, identifying information to users in wireless mode. At a basic level, RFID technology is embedded in small electronic appliances with an RFID chip and antenna set. A specialized reader is used to scan encoded information and retrieve unique identification information. Significant amounts of data (up to 2,000 bytes) can be stored on a tiny RFID chip, facilitating the easy tracing and tracking of material objects.

RFID Technology vs. Traditional Identification Tools

Conventional identification tools such as bar codes on consumer and commercial goods and credit card magnetic strips encoded with customer information have intrinsic limitations which render them ineffective means of identification. Firstly, physical placement of the reader on the barcode label is necessary for accurate reading. Secondly, each barcode needs to be separately read and tagged, leading to increased processing time when dealing with multiple objects. Finally, the amount of data stored in barcodes and credit card readers is limited and these cannot be reprogrammed for frequent use.

RFID devices mitigate these limitations, enabling faster identification of goods and providing comprehensive information with respect to origins, purpose and delivery of RFID-tagged goods. An increasing number of useful applications and tools based on RFID technology are being used across different commercial, defense and governmental activities. Some RFID-driven applications and solutions in recent times include -

1. Fast checkouts in retail outlets with a 'single' scan of all purchased goods.
2. Better control over inventory management and distribution.
3. Enhanced security measures at national borders, airports and other mass transit facilities for people and cargo.
4. Improvements in postal and parcel delivery services.
5. Improved tracking and inventory control over military supplies and sensitive hardware.

RFID Technology Solutions from Outsource2india (O2I)

O2I's core business expertise lies in developing advanced software solutions and applications which allow businesses to proactively manage their logistics and supply chain requirements. Over the years, O2I has had tremendous success in adapting RFID technology to develop user-friendly, affordable tools and solutions, which result in rapid turnarounds and reduction in error rates and which enable our clients to deliver superior customer services to their own customer base.

Partnering with O2I for your software and technical infrastructure helps you keep ahead of the technology curve and maintain a competitive advantage in your markets.