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RFID – Keeping a tag on things
Although there are a range of products and systems that can be used to track and trace assets, RFID is emerging as the market leader, not just for cost but also for being the most user-friendly system available.
What is RFID?
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a system that allows for short range, non-contact reading of information from a low cost, compact data source. An RFID system will include data-carrying transponders (often known as ‘tags’) and a ‘reader’ that accesses the data stored on the tags. Perhaps the most common form of RFID currently in operation is the tags on goods in shops that set an alarm off if the goods are removed without being paid for. However, RFID is such a multi-application tool that it is being incorporated into a wide range of uses in everyday life.
What can RFID do?
Different types of tags can store different forms of data, which will also affect the distance they can be read over and the cost and their application. Generally, RFID tags offer different benefits to a wide range of applications in the public sector, retail and even defence and security, including:
- Lower costs and higher productivity – RFID can automate the collation of data, such as the movement of both products and personnel within a specific area more cheaply and with greater accuracy.
- Increased revenue and better stock control – RFID allows you to see exactly what you have and what you need, enabling more efficient ordering and stock management.
- Improved regulatory compliance – RFID data can be programmed to incorporate Health and Safety control protocols.
- Improved security – Access control systems using RFID improve security on and around business premises and tagging of stock makes it easier to control where your stock is and track its movements.
Because RFID allows you to collate data in real-time, you get an instant snapshot of your business assets, where your workforce is and even ingress and egress to company buildings. This allows you to build up a management system that is cost-effective and controlled.
RFID Interoperability (Compatibility)
RFID products are built upon one or several "ISO" standards.
Because of the multitude of standards, compatibility between products is difficult to fully define. However, products complying to the same ISO standard does imply compatibility.
Furthermore, NFC (Near Field Communication) is another subset of RFID, and devices which comply to NFC standards are compatible too.
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