RFID VS. THE BARCODE

A hot topic for some time, RFID has been surrounded by considerable rhetoric, designed to 'talk up' the technology, which has served to create confusion among potential buyers at all stages of the supply chain. Indeed, what is not always recognized is that barcode systems can offer conside...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Supply Chain Europe 2011-05, Vol.20 (3), p.30
Main Author: Beauchamp, Mark
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bar codes
Comparative analysis
Costs
Food
Innovations
Packaging
Printers
Radio frequency
Radio frequency identification
Supply chains
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:A hot topic for some time, RFID has been surrounded by considerable rhetoric, designed to 'talk up' the technology, which has served to create confusion among potential buyers at all stages of the supply chain. Indeed, what is not always recognized is that barcode systems can offer considerably greater performance and functionality than RFID solutions at far lower cost. Although RFID can represent an important step forward in technology, its supposed benefits are currently only available at a cost. In most cases, the latest barcode technologies are considerably cheaper, quicker and easier to implement, as there is already a broad range of barcode generation software products widely available, in addition to scanning and printing hardware. RFID is often overstated as being the means of revolutionizing data capture for many applications. It is important not to be overwhelmed by the publicity surrounding this new technology, as RFID tags still have a lot to prove.
ISSN:1742-447X