An Analysis of RFID Technology and Its Logistics Applications

This report delves into the application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology within the realm of logistics and supply chain management. It defines RFID, differentiating between active and passive systems, and highlights its crucial role in addressing logistics-related challenges. The report emphasizes RFID's ability to enhance automation and control, leading to reduced inventory levels and improved product availability. It explores how RFID facilitates effective product identification and tracking throughout the supply chain, enabling businesses to manage and distribute products efficiently. The report also examines the use of RFID in ensuring product authenticity and combating counterfeiting, as well as its successful implementation by companies like Amazon. It concludes by underscoring the benefits of RFID in improving logistics performance and streamlining product distribution.

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RFID Technology

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Applicability of RFID technology
It is defined as radio frequency identification which is now utilized in the logistics and
distribution of the production in the companies. In the field of supply chain two kinds of
RFID systems used including active and passive. Active tags include their own power
resources like battery for boosting range and power but passive types of networks rely
entirely on the electric field developed by the tag interrogator. The major feature of RFID
technology is that it allows companies to solve logistics related problems in an appropriate
manner. Moreover, it provides a way to manage supply chains of companies using
unprecedented levels of automation and a vastly enhanced degree of control. Milici, et al.,
(2014) determined that RFID technology has the capability to decrease inventory levels
and enhance product availability by delivering trusted information of the products and
distributing products in a reliable way.
Such kinds of features helps the business communities to reduce the issues linked with the
logistics and distribution of products. The major point of RFID for handling logistics issues
is that it provide the information about the products which may be encoded in barcodes or
tags that can be scanned easily in the supply chain and resolve complexity problems. Using
RFID based system; business communities can effectively identify products at any stage
and scanning process provided by the RFID systems helps companies to distribute
numbers of products in less time.
Amendola, et al., (2014) demonstrated that using RFID technology, companies can effective
develop authenticity of products and deliver protection about counter feinting with the
encryption based systems that helps to manage logistics problems. In which the consumer
scan the barcode developed on the products and transfer to the supply chain where the
distribution of products required to be done. Most of the business companies are using this
technology where management can recognize and collect information of the products
easily and perform distribution related activities easily. Skibniewski, (2015) determined
that RFID is the best technology that provided 100% accuracy of the product’s information
where a shipped product can be tracked and managed effective and lead logistics of the
supply chain (Valero, Adán, and Cerrada, 2015).

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Amazon is one of the best examples of logistics where RFID technology is used for
recording and tracking the information of the distributed products. In amazon, the
developed barcodes or tags are inserted on the products and RFID system scans the
developed tags using a scanner and collects the information of product easily (Smiley,
2015). With the help of RFID system, amazon manages numbers of products in the
warehouse and reduces the complexity of product distribution. From a recent survey, it is
found that RFID technology provides larger accuracy and effectiveness to the Amazon by
which consumers can easily track their products and manage issues effectively (Valero,
Adán, and Cerrada, 2015). Therefore, it is reported that the involvement of RFID is
beneficial for the supply chain for enhancing the performance of logistics and distribution
of products which lead the performance of the supply chain in a reliable way.

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References
Amendola, S., Lodato, R., Manzari, S., Occhiuzzi, C. and Marrocco, G., (2014) RFID technology
for IoT-based personal healthcare in smart spaces. IEEE Internet of things journal, 1(2),
pp.144-152.
Milici, S., Amendola, S., Bianco, A. and Marrocco, G., (2014) Epidermal RFID passive sensor
for body temperature measurements. In 2014 IEEE RFID technology and applications
conference (RFID-TA), 12(7), pp. 140-144.
Skibniewski, M.J., (2015) Research trends in information technology applications in
construction safety engineering and management. Frontiers of engineering
management, 1(3), pp.246-259.
Valero, E., Adán, A. and Cerrada, C., (2015) Evolution of RFID applications in construction: A
literature review. Sensors, 15(7), pp.15988-16008.
Smiley, S., (2015) 4 Companies Using RFID for Supply Chain Management. [online] Retrieved
from: https://blog.atlasrfidstore.com/4-companies-using-rfid-for-supply-chain-management [Accessed
1/2/2019].