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ABOUT RFID
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technology to identify, track and manage
products, documents, animals and even individuals, without contact and without the
need of a direct visual sight of see.
It is foreseeing for the next years a great intensification in the use of the RFID
technology in logistics and retail applications, mainly those related to the supply
chain. The possibility of being applied in an enormous range of situations made
the RFID technology object of several pilots, in different places in the world.
Composed by a transponder (RF tags), readers, antennas and computer or other type
of controller, RFID is an identification technology that uses the radio-frequency
to capture data, allowing a tag to be read without the need of direct visual sight
of see, through barriers and such objects as wood, plastic, paper etc. A digital
system RFID works as a powerful system of acquisition of data in real time, with
the advantage of elimination of manual and visual human interventions, optimizing
the time of transitions and ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.
Due to its high level of dynamism in the information acquisition process, without
imposing great barriers to the data entry, the RFID consists in a great opportunity
for Brazil in this market, especially in applications directed to the attendance
of specific necessities of the manufacture process of the Brazilian industries.
Uses and Advantages
The RFID technology can be applied in a series of situations: security and access control, vehicles traffic control, people identification, animal tracking, object identification, asset tracking, etc. The application areas are also diverse: public sector (passport control, assets identification in libraries), pharmaceuticals (product authenticity), automotive (electronic engine immobilizer), retail (flow of goods control), aerospace (luggage tracking and identification in airports), healthcare (patient tracking, medication and treatment accuracy) among others.
RFID has also applications in the manufacture, logistics and distribution, delivering benefits such as better visibility, tracking and synchronization of the supply chain, with high reliability.
Processes as inventory management in the distribution center, in the storage or in the shelves can be done instantaneously, free of errors and in real time, optimizing the operation, reducing physical divergences, administrative errors and costs.
Moreover, as RFID does not require any manual contact, the workers will be involved in other activities that add value more directly, implying in a better service level and consumer satisfaction.
Although RFID has some similar functions compared to barcodes, it has been proved more and more that RFID, with its intelligent labels, completes barcode technology. The perspective is that a great revolution will occur in the supply chain management through a widely adoption of RFID, providing information in real time for its management.
Establishment of Patterns
Despite the fact that the RFID technology is simple, its application in different
situations demand specific solutions for subjects as radiofrequency band, reach,
range, interference, barriers to the waves of radio, hardware and software compatibility,
sources of energy and standardized code structures.
The wide application of the RFID technology in global markets and chains will only
be possible starting from the adoption of global standards, not only for hardware
and software, but also for the processes and structures of the information systems.
Without this, there will not be the necessary interoperability of components and
systems, limiting its applicability to some proprietary technology confined to specific
markets.
RFID CoE, through HP, is a member of EPCglobal, a non-profit organization that establishes
and supports the Electronic Product Code EPC/RFID as the worldwide standard for
automatic identification, being aware of the most recent communications and news
in this field.
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