During the last decade, most organizations have implemented enterprisewide applications and integration platforms. These implementations have delivered benefits in terms of data synchronization and information flows within the organization, and with trading partners providing valuable inputs for planning and optimization of schedules and reporting.However, automated data capture and tracking in realtime has been a major bottleneck, affecting the ability of organizations to optimize their investments in supply chain solutions. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology is emerging as a technology that could provide the answer to these problems. This is the reason that we chose “RFID FOR SUPPLY CHAIN” to research for our final project.
Table of Contents Table of figure: Table of chart: I INTRODUCTION During the last decade, most organizations have implemented enterprise-wide applications and integration platforms These implementations have delivered benefits in terms of data synchronization and information flows within the organization, and with trading partners providing valuable inputs for planning and optimization of schedules and reporting However, automated data capture and tracking in real-time has been a major bottleneck, affecting the ability of organizations to optimize their investments in supply chain solutions Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology is emerging as a technology that could provide the answer to these problems This is the reason that we chose “RFID FOR SUPPLY CHAIN” to research for our final project II RFID OVERVIEW 2.1 What is the RFID technology? RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification, is a technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify and track identification tags attached to an object Figure 1: Module RFID RC522 13.56 Mhz An RFID system is a set of components that it performs RFID An RFID system consists of the following components: RFID systems use wireless data exchange technology for unique identification of objects, people and animals The ability of these systems is based on the usage of the following elements (Figure 2): • Tag: that is also known as Transponder, including a semi-conductor chip, an antenna and in some cases a battery • Reader: includes an antenna, a RF electronic module and a control module • Controller: which is also called Host, it is often a personal computer or a workstation on which databases and application controls have been implemented Figure 2: RFID components Exchange of information between a tag and a reader is through radio waves When an object containing a RFID tag enters the reader zone, the reader informs the tag of sending the stored data by sending a signal Tags are capable of storing various information about an object such as serial number or configuration instructions After receiving the data stored in the tag, the reader sends the related information to the controller, through a standard interface such as an Ethernet LAN interface or the internet Then, the controller can use the provided information in various fields For example, it can use this information to update an existing product in the database or divert an object on a conveyor belt system An RFID system may contain numerous readers within a warehouse building or assembly lines All the readers can be connected to a controller and create a network with each other A reader can communicate with several tags at the same time RFID tags can be attached to anything from an infant to a box at the store 2.2 History Contrary to what people could think, RFID has been around for decades It is generally said that the origin of RFID can be traced back to World War II, where a system based on radio signal was used so that pilots could be identified as friends by the radar stations The 1950s were an era of exploration of RFID techniques following technical developments in radio and radar in the 1930s and 1940s Several technologies related to RFID were being explored such as the long-range transponder systems of "identification, friend or foe" (IFF) for aircraft Developments of the 1950s include such works as F L Vernon's, "Application of the microwave homodyne", and D.B Harris’, "Radio transmission systems with modulatable passive responder" The wheels of RFID development were turning Commercial activities were beginning in the 1960s Sensormatic and Checkpoint were founded in the late 1960s These companies, with others such as Knogo, developed electronic article surveillance (EAS) equipment to counter theft The 1970's were characterized primarily by developmental work Intended applications were for animal tracking, vehicle tracking, and factory automation The 1980s became the decade for full implementation of RFID technology, though interests developed somewhat differently in various parts of the world The greatest interests in the United States were for transportation, personnel access, and to a lesser extent, for animals The 1990's were a significant decade for RFID since it saw the wide scale deployment of electronic toll collection in the United States Important deployments included several innovations in electronic tolling With the growing interest of RFID into the item management work and the opportunity for RFID to work along side bar code, it becomes difficult in the later part of this decade to count the number of companies who enter the marketplace *TYPES There are mainly three types of RFID tags: passive tag, an active tag, and semi-passive tag Passive RFID tags are used for high volume tagging of low-cost items, especially in supply chain management and inventory tracking The passive RFID tags have no internal power source and they draw the power from the RF waves sent by the interrogator They communicate with the interrogator by reflecting and modulating these waves, which results in relatively short read ranges from a few inches to approximately 15 feet Their memory is limited Figure 3: A roll of Passive RFID inlays The active tags, on the other hand, have their own power source (a battery) and a transmitter and use these two components to broadcast the information to the interrogator(they can broadcast even when the interrogator is not present, this is called beaconing) This type of tags can communicate over hundreds of feet and have very large memory Figure 4: Example of an extremely rugged Active RFID tag Semi-passive tags are somewhat of a hybrid of these two types of technology They have a power source but no transmitter and the battery is used to aid the communication The signal from the reader is still reflected, however, the battery powers the chip, so it does not need as much energy from the reader, which allows responding even to weaker signal and results in longer read ranges than what could be achieved with traditional passive tags Read range for semi-passive tags could be counted in dozens of feet and they can have also extensive memory Figure The innovation process of RFID technology Predominantly used in the consumer goods industry, RFID technology continues to evolve Today’s enterprises now employ RFID data for many diverse applications, including airline luggage tracking, electronic security, asset tracking, and supply-chain management Other uses for RFID include monitoring out-of-stock merchandise, product distribution, receiving documentation, proof of delivery, asset management, product lifecycle tracking, recall management, product rotation, inventory and shipping accuracy, inventory management, product shrinkage, military applications, and service sector applications Facebook is experimenting with RFID chips embedded in wristbands or badges that allows its members to carry out a variety of social networking tasks without the need for a computer or smartphone III INNOVATION OF RFID 3.1 Development of RFID 3.1.1 What RFID technology has changed One of the ways that RFID technology has a great impact on is speed In society today, time is one of our most valuable concerns and, of course, it is reflected in technology The idea is to make everything a little bit easier and a lot faster The problem with new technology is that it can be hard to implement in some segments, it takes some time before it is a part of society As mentioned before, RFID technology has been used for quite some time now and not until now people acknowledges it The reason why it may be easier to implement RFID technology into society is that you, in most cases, cannot see it It does its work without the user needs to anything but hold it up onto a reader or simply walk or drive past it As we have seen above, security is also an important area that is improved by RFID technology The ability to make it harder to enter buildings and cars and also keep track of items/animals has a great impact on companies’ priorities and costs In one indirect way RFID technology also effects the environment in a positively through electronic tolls by people living in cities choosing to use the subway, walk or bicycle instead of taking their car wherever they go Shopping The future of different shopping habits probably lies closer in the future than we think The technology is already there which makes the next step easy By RFID tagging all the products in a store both distribution companies and manufacturers will be able to set whole new economical objectives Distribution companies and grocery producers will have control of their inventory and will save money and time on work force The accuracy will also be precise which means that lost inventory can both be discovered and tracked Manufacturers will go through huge change as the sales force will not be needed anymore The only thing needed would be a credit card and a RFID reader in the exit that counts the sum and withdraws the money from the customers’ card Even in this market, the security will be improved because of the possibility to track the products even outside the store; hence it’s not torn off The speed is also an issue, with this kind of solution to shopping, the lines will stop to exists or at least be reduced to almost nothing The most appropriate store category for this type of solution would probably be grocery stores and mass merchandising stores like Wal-Mart The clothes stores, especially the concept stores where personal service is a part of the product experience In any case, the huge amount of sales force standing without a job will cause problems, the question is: is it too big to cast a shadow on the economical gain? In theory, it would also be possible to use the tagged products in order to find out the customers’ shopping habits This information would especially be important for distribution companies If Coca-Cola, for example wanted to know which segment that purchases their products in a certain store, they would easily be able to find out the characteristics of the person just by looking at the linked credit card Although, the probability for the parents buying the product and their children actually drink it is high It might even go so far that money in its physical form will become obsolete With all merchandise tagged and with the ability to connect to our credit cards, so called Smart cards, there is, theoretically speaking, no need for money Security and tracking When it comes to security and tracking the functions will probably work on their own as well as together in the future of RFID One way for market research companies to help their clients find out about consumer habits in different segments is to use the electric toll functions to track their whereabouts By doing this they will get important information about where they go and when, and through this find out where and when to emphasize marketing RFID also have the power to save us time in our personal life at home If all products in our homes would wear an RFID tag the risk for us loosing anything would be minimal With a reader at hand that could “call” the lost item that in turn makes a signal our lives would have potential of being much more unorganized without loosing anything, item or time, in the mess Obviously there are a lot of opportunities in this area, one more unbelievable than the other Surely, we will have potential of preventing all sorts of crime, from protecting our houses with RFID keys and alarms to protecting ourselves by carrying tags that alerts police force in case we are attacked We might even be able to tag an abuser during an attack in order to track him afterwards and make an arrest Make life easier for disabled and elders There are always obstacles in our everyday life, especially for old or disabled people High pavements, closed doors and limited access to elevators are some Of course, RFID technology can’t solve all of these problems but it might be a small step on the way Taking the example with closed doors, there wouldn’t be a difficult task to implement a tag in a wheelchair, a cane for blind or in the pocket/purse of elders By doing this the doors would have readers that recognize the tag ID and opens automatically when needed or asked for it The tag could also have the ability to lengthen traffic lights interval in order to have more time to cross the street The shopping solutions discussed above would probably be beneficial for elders and disabled too 3.1.2 What RFID technology will change Obviously, RFID will change society more than we can ever think I have brought up two areas that I think will show the most noticeable improvements when it comes to RFID As there is still possibilities to make these devices even smaller and cheaper, new arenas will emerge through time In this sense, RFID is a technology that most certainly follows the law of Moore This is probably also the reason why people can and will easily adapt to the technology When something is as small as RFID and often is embedded, the chance for people using it is big Of course, there is also the chance that users become suspicious when they can’t see the function and not fully understand how it works As mentioned before, RFID technology follows Moore’s law in a perfect manner As the tags are getting smaller, they are also becoming faster and cheaper at the same time RFID technology is in many ways a disruptive technology as it has the ability to enter almost an unlimited amount of markets The ones I have discussed are only a few and the most obvious trends It is hard to see if RFID technology will be outdated as most technologies are, sooner or later However, as RFID often is embedded and continuously is improving, the due date for this technology becoming obsolete is not to be found in the nearest future The backsides of RFID As with anything there is also a backside with RFID technology The main discussions are due to the tracking possibilities though According to one article writer the dangers lies within the tags still being active when, for example, leaving a store The ability to be anonymous is eroded and police has the ability to track a person from birth to death (McCullagh 2003) The society described by James Orwell in his famous book “1984” is feared, by many, to become reality The Big-Brother society has been discussed ever since the first surveillance cameras were installed and RFID technology gives it more fuel than ever The feeling of being controlled by some higher power has always been and will always be feared by humans Although the technology has the ability to make us all safer there is always the possibility that someone misuses this power If left in the wrong hands, RFID technology can be a very powerful tool of controlling Another uncertainty is the connection to credit cards Although technology, in most cases, is to be trusted; there are bugs that we cannot disregard and leap holes for greediness The “what if”-questions increases and the feeling of no turning back becomes an issue difficult to 10 • Product genealogy: by putting manufacturing data on the tag, a complete history of the item can be built, which increases recall efficiency, minimizes warranty risk and • eliminates wasting time Inventory management: by using RFID capability to track raw materials, work-inprocess and finished inventory, manufacturers can improve visibility and confidence • into their inventory, so that inventory levels, labor costs and safety costs can be reduced Work-in-process tracking: by applying a tag to subassemblies in the production process, it is possible to integrate readers with industrial control and material handling systems, in order to identify materials moving down the production line and • automatically route them to the appropriate next station Plant management and field service: plant or field equipment can be equipped with an RFID tag containing among others maintenance data, in order to facilitate the • maintenance and ensure proper location and equipment Labor tracking and security: an RFID tag containing worker identification and authorizing data can be incorporating into worker badges in order to increase facility and asset security and efficiently capture labor costs Furthermore, the use of RFID tags allows an easier product authentication, which helps combat counterfeiting and grey market activity This response to the need of brand owners for validating that the products being sold with their brand are authentic and safe for consumers RFID in New Learning Environments RFID tags are an increasingly important component in the toolkits that are being developed for exploring new learning environments through the use of gaming, location-based services, tangible interfaces and augmented reality In these types of contexts, children or students enter the RFID-enabled environment with RFID reader devices and interrogate RFID-enabled 'objects' (physical entities in the environment such as toys, the flash cards used in games etc.) in order to control the flow of events and initiate their own access to information In this way, RFID tags are used as a way of embedding user control within learning and gaming environments Although to date these environments have been explored in the context of younger, school-aged children it is likely that more sophisticated versions of such environments will be introduced into Higher and Further education in coming years These new learning environments are providing important test-beds for developing these ideas within an educational context 14 3.3 Compare between the RFID and Barcode What’s barcode: A barcode is a visual representation of data that is scanned and interpreted for information Each barcode contains a certain code which works as a tracking technology for products; and is represented in a sequence of lines or other shapes Initially this technology was symbolized by the width and spaces between parallel lines that were one dimensional This then evolved into other geometrical shapes such as rectangles and hexagons that were two dimensional This barcode technology can be scanned by barcode readers along with newer technology on devices such as smartphones and desktop printers Some advantages, disadvantages between Barcode and RFID Figure 6: Barcode Figure 7: RFID 15 ADVANTAGES BARCODE RFID Much smaller and lighter than RFID tags Can read RFID tags from a greater and therefore easier to use distance than barcodes Less expensive than RFID tags, as RFID tags don’t need to be positioned in barcodes are directly printed onto plastic a line of with the scanner or paper materials and therefore the only cost involved is the ink, a tiny overall cost Barcodes work with the same accuracy on RFID tags can be read at a faster rate than various materials in which they are placed barcodes, as approximately 40 RFID tags can be read at the same time Barcodes are a universal technology in RFID tags can work within much greater that they are the norm for retail products, distances, information can be read from a stores that own a barcode reader can tag at up to 300 ft process barcodes from anywhere in the word In many cases, barcode accuracy has been RFID tags are read/write devices said to be the same or even better than RFID tags RFID contain high levels of security, data can be encrypted, password protected or set to include a “kill” feature to remove data permanently Today barcodes are found on almost RFID tags carry large data capabilities every item and there are no privacy issues such as product maintenance, shipping involved with its use histories and expiry dates, which can all be programmed to the tag Once these are set up, it can be run with minimal human participation RFID tags are move reusable and rugged as they are protected by a plastic cover DISADVANTAGES BARCODE Barcode scanners need a direct line of sign to the barcode to be able to read RFID RFID involves assembling and inserting a computerized chip, which works out to be more expensive In order to read the barcode, the barcode scanner needs to be quite close, around no more than 15ft RFID readers struggle picking up information when passing through metal or liquid 16 Barcodes have no read? write capabilities, they not contain any added information such as expiry date etc They only contain the manufacture and product Reader collision can occur where two signals from different readers overlap and the tag is unable to respond to both They are very labor intensive, as they must be scanned individually Tag collision can occur when numerous tags in the same area respond at the same time Barcodes have less security than RFID, as they can be more easily reproduced or forged RFID still has two separate chips (read only And readable/writable), which cannot be read both the same machine Barcodes are more easily damaged, as the line of sight is needed to scan, the printed bar code has to be exposed on the outside of the product If a barcode is ripped or damaged there is no way to scan the product IV FIRM OF RFID TECHNOLOGY 4.1 Amazon Go of Amazon Amazon Go is a heck of a good move in the game of artificial intelligence that is driving the tech sector With a simple video, Amazon has set in motion a chain of forces that could drive RFID into the mainstream and help Amazon pull further ahead of Google It’s just one move, and nothing may come of it, but it sends out many ripples The video creates expectations among consumers that they should be able to avoid check-out lines It puts big grocery chains on notice that they need to figure out how to use RFID tags to create such stores before their competitors Grocery stories won’t want to make this move It will cost a lot to get items tagged, buy scanners, and figure out how to deal with inevitable conflicts when customers complain that they were charged for the wrong items But the ones that it will have a significant competitive advantage However the struggles come out for grocery stores, RFID wins It moves from use in the industrial Internet of Things to the consumer world big time 17 These technical transitions can take many years Note that the U.S is only now starting to field smart cards, which have been used in Europe for a decade No one wants to be the first to spend the money to swap out hardware But Amazon’s video has created a new customer expectation of ease of use that may force the move Of course, Amazon believes it will be the biggest winner with Go In the AI era, cloud computing giants win by having the biggest data sets Today, retailers are just starting to mine their customer data with loyalty cards and programs The new video is a giant billboard telling retailers that Amazon has the cloud back-end to run the RFID check-out service It’s a giant data set ripe for the picking In AI, the bigger the data set, the better the models you can create with it The better the models, the better the predictions Google got into mobile and now even makes smartphones, in part to get the eyeballs and increasingly to get the data sets With Amazon Go, one of Google's archrivals just went for another big piece of the data cheese I don’t expect that Amazon will say much about the hardware in its giant data centers, although it did recently announce that it was making available cloud services running Xilinx FPGA accelerators Even Google, which is becoming a bit more open, hasn’t detailed its AI accelerator One thing you can know for sure: if you buy a dozen eggs and don’t have to wait in a checkout line, the online bookseller will be thinking deeply about what your purchase means 4.2 Companies Using RFID for Supply Chain Management Amazon Still in the early stages, Amazon has taken the bull by the horns and recruited Auburn University’s RFID Lab and the students currently studying at it to help them design, integrate, and deploy RFID technology within the facilities They are hoping to have the students and teachers focus primarily on Amazon’s Prime Now delivery site – in Atlanta as well as their new automated fulfillment centers in Dallas and New Jersey 18 BJC HealthCare Even if RFID is only used at one step of the supply chain, it can still have a significant effect on each aspect of it By using RFID inventory management techniques like smart cabinets, hospitals like BJC can have full visibility into their inventory and know exactly how many to order and when BJC states that they reduced the amount of stock on hand by 23%, which means buying less equipment that then in turn just sat on shelves because of miss-counts Inditex RFID in retail is not a new concept, and hundreds of retailers across the world use it daily What Inditex is doing with RFID isn’t focused on retail item tracking, but instead on the supply chain management from store to store Stores under the Inditex brand like Zara, Pull & Bear, and Massimo Dutti started rolling out RFID in its stores in July of 2014 Because millions of items ship between stores and to stores from warehouses, they are using this technology to give their logistic centers’ visibility through the shipping process This way, they are hoping to reduce mistakes currently being made in shipping, packing, and customer service General Steel General Steel is implementing RFID technology into its logistic management system Since logistics is a large part of the process for a huge corporation like General Steel, they hope to have RFID tags into their steel logistic centers done soon in order to gain real-time visibility General Steel’s goal is to “enable efficient, accurate, and automated inventory tracking, intelligent stocking, and electronic signing and notifications” throughout its nation-wide centers 4.3 Other top Companies in the Retail RFID Market Alien Technology, Avery Dennison, Checkpoint Systems, GlobeRanger, Impinj, InSync’s software, Nedap, RFID4U, SMARTRAC, SML Intelligent Inventory Solusions, Software AG, Tellago, TIBCO Software, Tyco Retail Solutions, Zebra 19 V SWOT ANALYSIS OF RFID TECHNOLOGY Strengths: RFID tags allow for easier logistics and product-related information storage It also helps remove blind spots within the supply chain, which could help in eradicating some logistics inefficiencies such as product wastage/spillage, mishandling, etc In addition, a good tracking mechanism can help to ensure that the product being delivered within the supply chain are probably taken care of and are certainly transported to where they should be directed It eliminates the inefficiencies brought about by theft, human error, and other fortuitous events that might hamper the over-all security of the goods RFID tags can help ensure a more efficient way of managing product inventories because of its inherent efficient ability in storing and retrieving product-related information RFID Product information encoding is faster as compared to normal bar code systems and so is information retrieval because of its ability to store and retrieve information from multiple products at the same time Overall, this will maximize inventory control and management Weaknesses: Although these tags can carry a lot of benefits, they are still very costly to implement because of the significantly high prices in buying the required amount of RPC RFID tags and receivers RFID tags are useful in tracking products within the supply chain, but the receivers still have a proximity limit and thus each station must be cooperative in using the RFID technology Opportunities: 20 RFID can give firms a lot of tracking and logistics related benefits, which makes it a very attractive investment for firms Since these users usually buy these products in mass bundles this could be a very profitable product to focus on The fact that there is currently a growing need for RFID technology in the modern world makes it a very profitable product Threats: The entire supply chain process passes by a lot of different entities and the entire trip from growers to retailers can measure up to very long distances because of the far away placement of both the growing sector and retailing sector This could make the logistics trip pass through a lot of entities and the seep in privacy brought about by RFID tags might not be welcome to these entities The current RFID tags could help improve overall efficiency of the companies in doing their work but the problem with this is that it could be a possible cause of laying off human resource, which are no longer needed because of the presence of new RFID technology 21 VI BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING RFID IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Supply chain management is generally seen as complex and knowledge intensive process In this article Roksana Parvin, a supply chain management professional, elaborates on the benefits of implementing RFID in supply chain management The term Supply chain covers all possible processes involved in the flow of goods from manufacturing to customer; including manufacturing, distribution and transportation Thus, supply chain management covers all these steps in combination with marketing decisions, customer demand, in alignment with general corporate strategy and goals Usually considered as a complex and knowledge intensive process, management of supply chain can benefit significantly from the implementation of RFID technology RFID technology has risen to become a revolutionary element in supply chain management It is not just a replacement for barcodes RFID ensures that the right goods are available in the right place with no discrepancies and zero errors It makes the supply chain considerably more precise and improves the efficiency and reliability of the entire chain As real-time information is made available also administration and planning processes can be significantly improved The benefits of RFID usage in supply chain management processes For simplification, the processes are described in the order they take place We chose to describe the processes of the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) industry However, the benefits of RFID in supply chain management can be reaped also in other industries 22 Figure 8: Describe the processes of the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) industry BENEFITS OF RFID IN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES The market of FMCG's, fast moving consumer goods, is one of the fastest moving markets in the world In the FMCG industry, products have to be counted several times already in the manufacturing process: during the stages of production, washing, and packing Traditionally, these operations are performed manually But by utilizing RFID tags and readers, products can be counted in seconds This is due to the fact that RFID tags can be automatically scanned without being in the line-of-sight of an RFID scanner and multiple tags can be scanned simultaneously For manufacturers this translates directly into cost reductions as labor intensive tasks can be carried out faster and more accurately In addition to faster authentication of produced goods, manufacturers can also benefit from increased information gathered with the help of RFID technology RFID tags can store far more information than conventional barcode labels This information can be used to optimize production processes Accurate knowledge of the real-time movements of raw materials and the time needed for specific production steps can be integrated into efficient production planning With the help of RFID, manufacturers can also benefit from increased information in regards to repair and maintenance of their machines and equipment This allows manufacturers to have visibility into valuable data such as: which machine has been repaired or undergone maintenance and when has this been done? This information helps to plan maintenance schedules Hence, maintenance can become part of production planning and help to prevent costly production breaks RFID in manufacturing processes means: • less manual work 23 • less costs • improved visibility • improved planning RFID BENEFITS IN WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT Once production has been completed, FMCG producers pack the products into cartons, and deliver the cartons to the warehouse of the freight forwarder or the buying company After the cargo reaches its destination, it is not uncommon that it ends up in a warehouse first Keeping track of the large number of cartons is a very complex as well as time and labor consuming process However, RFID can be implemented to ease the situation as it can improve information management concerning cargo flow Usually, read-write equipment is installed at the entry to a warehouse Every cargo unit is equipped with RFID tags and all the information relating to the tags is stored in the central computer of the warehouse When the cargo is moved in or out of the warehouse, the read-write equipment registers it and forwards the data to the backend system This allows the management center to manage the vast amounts of products going into and leaving the storage, recognize cargo and help with placement of the cargo in the warehouse In cases where read-write equipment is placed within the warehouse, all in-house movements are additionally registered in the system This allows for strategic planning of product locations within the warehouse The information that is gathered with RFID can lead to significant improvements as the tracking and handling of the products can be done in real-time and with great accuracy In the warehouse, products are easily located as all product movements are tracked and this information is automatically registered in the system Whilst stock is accurately tracked valuable information concerning losses is also recorded RFID in warehouse processes offers: • visibility of accurate real-time information • fast locating of products 24 • possibility to record losses • ability to plan product locations strategically RFID BENEFITS IN TRACKING AND MANAGING OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS Around the world, the most popular way to transport large amounts of cargo is to use shipping containers Container transports are oftentimes chosen as they ensure safe and secured transportation, low costs, standard packaging and high transport density Companies that use RFID in tracking and managing of shipping containers are able to track containers in each link of the supply chain Active RFID Tags can be used to track containers in real-time in yards and docks Ultra-high frequency RFID technology has long identification distance and speeds up identification RFID in container management and tracking: • offers visibility of real-time cargo movement • improves efficiency • increase accuracy BENEFITS IN DISTRIBUTION PROCESSES Implementation of RFID technology can also add advantages to distribution processes Usage of RFID will greatly accelerate the speed of delivery management, improve efficiency, and increase accuracy in selection and distribution processes It will also reduce distribution costs When products embedded with RFID tags enter a distribution center, the RFID read-write equipment at the entry gate can register the RFID tags, and send the information to the distribution centers' backend system This information can be used to put the cartons in proper places, sort them quickly and efficiently, and dispatch the cartons to the retailing centers in less time with improved accuracy Usage of RFID also ensures accurate inventory control As the products reach their final destination, aka the store, they are scanned and registered automatically at the entrance 25 RFID in distribution processes: • accelerates the speed of delivery • improves efficiency • increases accuracy • reduces distribution costs VII CONCLUSION RFIDs have tremendous opportunities for increasing value to a firm by providing increased product visibility, reduce out-of-stock items, trim warehouse costs, eliminate stock errors, reduce theft and shrinkage and allow companies to regularly update their logistics and inventory databases Furthermore, it enables firms with such capability to competitive globally RFID technology has a number of operational factors which can adversely impact its efficient operation For instance, organizations must address issues regarding RFID command language, the presence of moisture, inclement weather, radiation, invisible RF interference (i.e., WLANs), attenuation, reflection and refraction of radio waves, the material to which a tag is affixed and to some extent building material content Additionally, RFID operating standards not exist for global operation, which would make tracing and tracking difficult for both import and export goods Continued research needs to be carried before RFID can realize its full implementation at a reduced cost structure 26 VIII REFERENCES http://www.aalhysterforklifts.com.au/index.php/about/blogpost/rfid_vs_barcodes_advant ages_and_disadvantages_comparison http://www.academia.edu/7431007/RFID_Technology_Analytical_Study_using_SWOT and_STEEPLE_Approach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification https://www.elprocus.com/rfid-tags-applications/ https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1826/2758/RFIDApplications %20within%20the%20supply%20chain-2004.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c970/348ceebf7c596fb4baaa917f3695439c7101.pdf http://www.rfidarena.com/2013/11/14/benefits-of-implementing-rfid-in-supply-chainmanagement.aspx https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1330935 https://blog.atlasrfidstore.com/4-companies-using-rfid-for-supply-chain-management 10 https://www.technavio.com/blog/top-companies-retail-rfid-market 11.https://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/rfid-forecasts-players-and-opportunities2017-2027-000546.asp 27 28 ... to an object Figure 1: Module RFID RC522 13.56 Mhz An RFID system is a set of components that it performs RFID An RFID system consists of the following components: RFID systems use wireless data... advantages, disadvantages between Barcode and RFID Figure 6: Barcode Figure 7: RFID 15 ADVANTAGES BARCODE RFID Much smaller and lighter than RFID tags Can read RFID tags from a greater and therefore... Figure The innovation process of RFID technology Predominantly used in the consumer goods industry, RFID technology continues to evolve Today’s enterprises now employ RFID data for many diverse applications,