Production Scale — UHF Passive RFID Is A Reality Today By Peter Blair, Reva Systems

Over the past several years much has been written about the promise and potential of UHF passive radio frequency identification and in some circles the hype has bordered on nonsensical. If you have been skeptical about this technology, you are in good company. The misplaced idea that RFID was simply bar code replacement, the expensive price points for tags and readers, and the generally poor performance of most first generation solutions have all limited UHF passive RFID implementations to uniquely interesting pilots and proof-of-concepts. Or have they? While this was generally true at the beginning of 2006, it is not so true today. Some significant milestones have occurred which have changed UHF passive RFID for the better.

First, the notion that RFID is just bar code replacement was never a good idea. Highly automated, highly efficient processes built around barcodes are tough to beat for most applications. business cases that were proposed to replace barcodes with RFID in places such as warehouse management systems just didn't make the grade. Today, successful RFID implementers think about the technology differently. RFID is being applied to processes where barcodes could work, but just aren't practical or where RFID provides something more. for example, Hewlett-Packard is now applying tags to the insides of some printer chassis that are used to capture quality assurance data and other manufacturing statistics as the printer moves though the manufacturing assembly process. These tags stay with the finished products and are used to combat counterfeiting and fraudulent returns post production.

About Peter Blair
Peter Blair is the Director of Product Marketing for reva Systems. His background includes over 15 years in the Supply Chain industry with hands-on experience in retail Logistics, Supply Chain Consulting, Software Development and Inventory Management for Manufacturing and Distribution.