4 Valuable Advantages Of Using RFID Tags Instead Of Barcodes
Ever since the introduction of RFID technology, it has proven essential in various industries. One example would be the healthcare industry where it is utilised to keep a tab on the people visiting and exiting the hospital facilities. Although this technology seems like a vital aspect of the procedures in the healthcare industry, it is not commonly used.
Advancements in RFID technology are so significant that there’s even an RFID smart trolley or RFID smart cabinet for immediate, real-time tracking to achieve accountability and tools or goods management. Typically, this smart trolley or cabinet can apply to sectors involving precision engineering or aviation – both are able to benefit massively from the implementation of RFID.
Another common example is RFID tags on products for sales. These tags significantly reduce the chances of shoplifting incidents and help retail businesses in lowering the potential loss of goods. Hence, using RFID technology in place of barcodes is one of the smartest decisions for retail businesses.
Below, read further for more reasons on how this new technology can be so useful.
Makes tracking easy
Barcode technology is the precursor of RFID tags. Although it makes it easy for the store’s inventory personnel to keep track of every item that comes in or goes out, there is an issue with it. It is the fact that barcode technology needs line-of-sight scanning to in order to work.
Over time, the process of scanning each barcode can get tedious and erroneous. Moreover, proper focusing to align the barcode with the scanner is required in some occasions. Some other issues, errors encountered from either a fallen-out or scratched barcode makes the barcode ineffective and not able to be scanned.
On the other hand, RFID tags on the products don’t need to be specially focused – assets just need to be within the range of the RFID reading range.
Helps in bulk tracking
In places like shopping malls where almost every household item is sold, people tend to buy these products in bulk and check out at once. This is where they experience the limitation of barcode scanning when they have to scan each individual item in order to proceed with the checkout.
The introduction of RFID technology in supermarkets has made this process significantly more straightforward. Once a customer has filled their trolley with the items that they want to buy, all the items attached with RFID are scanned within a short time. The collected data is then automatically calculated for the final payment amount.
This process reduces the checkout time and the possibility of skipping an item when scanning.
Eliminates the possibility of hacking
Hacking or manipulating the barcode is actually feasible. The inbuilt security of the barcode is vulnerable to manipulation in the wrong hands. Moreover, a photograph of the barcode can be scanned as easily as the actual barcode itself.
However, RFID tags are programmable and have higher levels of security encryption. The possibility of hacking are significantly reduced and implementing RFID tags creates a whole system, free of security vulnerability.
Inventory restoration
Managing inventory is another crucial aspect of running a retail store. Being able to keep track of every item in the store gives the store an edge in being able to place an order for a specific product in time to avoid running out of stock.
The RFID-enabled tags on each product can help the store manager verify the products’ availability and its placement or location within the store.
As mentioned above, compared to barcodes, RFID tags are more secured and efficient when it comes to managing business operations.
