Potential Disadvantages of RFID Use in Industries

Just as there are advantages to every new technology, in this case the RFID, there are also disadvantages. Some of such disadvantages include:

1)As every new technology that is produced, the main limitation of an RFID system is
the fact that its very costly, since it performs many more applications than the older systems do, (barcodes and magnetic strips). It provides security, convenience, and most importantly it provides inventory control. Hence, its very high cost. (Despite that, Wal-mart implemented the use of RFID, to track and identify their inventory and keep record of all the products going into and out of the system.) Follow this link to learn more about it, http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/1385

2)RFID devices operate via radio waves which could cause harm in the environment after a period of time of its usage.

3)It creates a privacy problem, because in the instance of someone purchasing a product, the RFID tag would still be attached to it. And in the case of a fare collection system, an RFID has the ability to invade people's privacy and this creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for customers.

4)If the reader of the tag and the reciever are not properly aligned and in synch, a poor read rate can occur, which will eventually create problems and miscounts in the system.

5)RFID systems are very prone to being hacked, because they allow each user to be identified by a central database, which means that hackers will consider this as an easy access point to attack such systems to identify certain information and manipulate the system. The picture below demonstrates the information flow between computers and the RFID systems and their database:


6)Moreover, double charges may be incurred when multiple readers and recievers are operating at the same time, which makes this system even more costly.


References:
http://rfidintro.wetpaint.com/page/5.Advantages+&+Disadvantages?t=anon
http://rfidintro.wetpaint.com/page/7.Potential%20Misuses
http://www.ferret.com.au/c/GS1-Australia/PROS-AND-CONS-OF-RFID-n719191
http://www.webermarking.com/rfid.html?gclid=CInv-6aulJcCFQyfnAodLnuvBg

Potential Advantages for RFID Use in Organizations

As any other system among organizations, the RFID system possesses advantages that are benefitial and necessary to corporations and industries. It offers organizations the following:

1)It provides inventory control, which is the main and major advantage of RFID systems. It keeps track of every item that exits or enters the store and it keeps count of all the products. Therefore, it minimizes errors and mistakes in inventory counts.

3)Increased security which is demonstrated through enabling special access to certain individuals into system information or office buildings

4)A greater visibility of the company's facility and its processes, as it offers a much faster and easier way to envision and follow up with the company's processes and operations at all times

5)Improved time management of resources

6)The time spent on record-keeping and maintenance is reduced by alot because information
and system data is organized and kept in order

7)More efficiency in the organization of the company's assets and resources

8)Reduces the amount of paperwork that needs to be done

9)Collects data and delivers precise and accurate information

10)RFID equipment are not as prone to damage as other systems. Damages to RFID occur less frequently than barcodes and magnetic strips.
To learn more about the potential advantages of RFID visit :
http://www.rfid.ae/RFID_advantages.asp

An example of a company that uses RFID is ActiveWave.
Solutions relies on the usage of wireless technologies to be able to track and identify inventory and equipment. Since the RFID is a wireless device, it is most favoured by this company. RFID tags are installed inside the equipment or inventory. When a signal is released, they transmit data to a remote RFID reader to interpret the results and display the required information. To emphasize more on the functional areas of the RFID in a company such as ActiveWave, the following advantages are gained from the usage of this technological device:

1)There is no line of sight that is required for the tagged inventory or equipement to be in range with the RFID reader inorder for it to catch the signal
2)The RFID tag is able to stand a harsh environment
3)The signal reading range is long
4)The database for the company is portable
5)It tracks people, inventory and equipment in realtime.

References:
http://www.rfid.ae/RFID_advantages.asp
http://www.activewaveinc.com/technology_rfid_advantage.php
http://www.barcodebook.com/solution.cfm?tbl=21&sct=7&ID=34&OVRAW=What%20Are%20Rfid%20Tag&OVKEY=rfid%20tag&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=6899105521&OVKWID=77534160021
http://rfidintro.wetpaint.com/page/5.Advantages+&+Disadvantages?t=anon

Devices That May Be Replaced By RFID

An RFID is a very unique technology; however, every new technology comes with a price, and the older products are the ones that usually pay the price. In the case of the RFID, it has come to replace products such as barcodes. Bar codes and RFIDs have a very similar operating concept, except RFIDs can perform many more applications than barcodes can. RFIDs have become an integral part of our lives because they provide security and convenience to many of our daily activities. Such applications include preventing theft of automobiles, managing traffic, gaining entrance to buildings by identifying eligible individuals by scanning their IDs, the convenience of automic parking, tracking things like library books, and so on. In the corporate world, RFIDs have a great potential for success because they, in essense, make our life much easier and more organized. As for a barcode, it is an image of lines with varying thickness and spaces in between, which are printed on a sticker that is placed on products and items such as the following picture :

The picture on the left is a demonstration of a barcode on a product, and the one on the right is a scanner, which is the device used to scan the barcode on every item:

Barcodes are mostly used in supermarkets and retail stores. The were originated in 1932 by a man named Wallace Flint who suggested that an automatic check out system would be a smart idea to track items entering and exiting a place. From the source, " As newer technologies are developed, we may eventually see a disappearance of bar codes as we know them today, but for the present time bar codes are alive and well." Refere to this website for more information on the history of the bar code technology: http://educ.queensu.ca/~compsci/units/encoding/barcodes/history.html

They have been a great use and served a great purpose for the past 40 years or so, but as new technologies develop, such as the RFID, bar codes will eventually disappear and be replaced. As every passing decade goes by, manufacturers will always innovate and come up with new technologis to make our life even easier and more secure, especially when they know that every corporation always strives for the latest technology to enure the smooth operation of all its departments.

References:

http://www.transcore.com/enabling-technologies-overview/rfid/rfid-history.html

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci213536,00.html

http://www.barcodes.com

RFID Definition and Uses

Technology has advanced drastically in the past few years. Many devices have been created to make our life easier, and they have served their purpose. Among those devices is the radio frequency identifier. A Radio frequency identifier is a technology device that is used for collecting, storing, and retreiving data. It does that via RFID tags, transponders, or code plates. An RFID tag is an electronic tag used for tracking or identifying an item. It is a very small gadget that is about the size of a grain of rice, which is installed in an animal, person, or product to identify them. This is a demonstration of an RFID that is about to be embedded in a person's hand:

All RFID tags contain at least two parts;one is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, and the other part is an antenna for receiving and transmiting the signal. The concept of an RFID device is very similar to the concept of bar codes used to identify objects in a grocery store for example, or any commercial store. When purchasing items at a store, the clerk scans these items and is able to track their name, number, type, and more detailed information through the bar code sticker on them. However, the RFID has the capability of identifying items faster and more efficiently than bar codes, as well as serving other purposes too. RFID tags differ from one another in terms of their strength and signal absorption, and they can read the codes of items at varrying distances; some tags can track objects that are several meters away. To learn more about the RFID system and how it works, check out this website http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/rfid/htm.
The following illustration is an example of an RFID tag:



References:
http://www.ocr.ca/browse_category.asp
http://pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2452,t=RFID&i=50512,00.asp
http://www.transcore.com/pdf/AIM%20shrouds_of_time.pdf