Just When You Thought
It was Safe to Use UPC Tags - RFID is
Here
The
UPC, or Universal Product Code, is the
set of printed black bars on all packaging.
It is the part of the label that you
try to find so the checkout person can
scan your purchase into the computer
to ring up a price. Service companies
have been using this technology in recent
years so that when their employees service
a unit in the field, the unit is scanned
and they know when the service person
arrived, who did the work and they have
a great way to keep track of inventory.
Look around. UPC tags are everywhere.
This
is a powerful tool to verify that an
employee is at an appointed place and
time, or to save time entering information
into a computer or cash register (no
typos). Just point the scanner and you
are done. It’s great, but not
perfect, because if the UPC label becomes
damaged, dirty or (would you believe?)
removed - all clever plans stop. In
addition, you have to be able to visually
see the label, and the technology that
supports scanning; (red laser) is power
hungry.
Now
we have Radio Frequency Identification,
or RFID. The big differences in features
between UPC and RFID are:
You
do not have to be able to see the RFID
chip to read it. Remember juggling the
package to find the UPC code so it could
be scanned? Now the reader just sends
out a pulse of radio waves, all the
little (and they are little) RFID chips
use that energy and send a similar message
with an identification code, i.e., serial
number or up to 2000 characters of information.
You
can be a significant distance away from
the item being scanned. Numbers like
20 feet are being used for the range
of the cheap RFID chips, and up to 300
feet for ones that cost $1, and you
know the price will drop. So as you
put items in your shopping cart, the
cart reads the tags and keeps a running
total on the handlebar. As you leave,
the cart is weighed, your credit card
is charged and you roll out the door.
Have you been to Home Depot or your
self-checkout lane in your local grocery
store lately?
RFID
chips come with different features.
For example, they can store information
every time they are read, i.e., sounds
like a service history that goes with
the unit. You know that ominous message,
“Works best with genuine parts.”
Now the car, printer or refrigerator
will know if the part is genuine or
not - a little scary. You get the idea
- the RFID tool goes far beyond simple
identification.
So,
is it time to scrape off the UPC tags
and to turn the UPC readers into laser
tag games? Not yet. If you are starting
the UPC journey, stay on track. Over
80% of the cost and effort with UPC
codes is associated with organization,
identification and changing business
practices to take advantage of the business
benefits. The only difference will be
the TAG on the unit and the reader,
a small percentage of the overall effort.
When should you start using RFID? If
you have an IT or MIS staff, do it tomorrow.
If not, wait until you see the technology
in your local retail stores. You can
then go to OfficeMax or Staples and
buy a PDA (personal digital assistant)
or cell phone with a built-in RFID reader.
