Barcode Versus RFID - Report Example

Running Head: Bar Versus RFID A Comparative Research Paper on Bar and RFID In APA Style Introduction The continuous technological development and advancement ushered the need for an ID system that can automatically initiate storage and retrieval of data. The technologies that are included in the said functions can be classified as AIDC or automatic identification and data capture which are aimed to identify, classify and store data regarding stocks of items or products suitable for the manufacturing and production industries. The said technologies are made to improve the efficiency in operation of the business world (Waldner, 2008). There are different types of technologies that are classified as AIDC. These technologies are barcodes, Radio Frequency Identification or RFID, biometrics, magnetic stripes, Optical Character Recognition or OCR, smart cards, and voice recognition which are produced and invested for similar purpose that is automation in identification of different entities (Waldner, 2008). The study undertaken is aimed to comparatively present the different benefits and limitations of two technologies classified as AIDC namely the barcodes and the RFID. To achieve the said objective, it is important to be able to identify the main difference and similarities of the said technologies. In addition, the application and benefits of the each type of AIDC are also important. To be able to determine the suitability of application, the limitations of the barcode and the RFID technologies are also needed to be presented. The Barcode and the RFID The barcode and the RFID can be considered as the most widely used type of RFID. The said technologies have their own benefits and limitations upon utilization. The determination of the application of the said technologies is based on the main target of an AIDC upon establishment. The Barcode One of the types of AIDC is the barcode which is an ID that can be read by optical machines which is used to represent distinct data and code. The name was derived from the tags that are attached to products and entities that are commonly appearing as bars or vertical lines. Although this is the case, there are other types and patterns of codes present. The main aim though is that the distinct patterns are important keys for data storage and retrieval (Nelson, 1997). The use of barcodes can be considered to bring about a number of benefits in addition to the main advantage which is the automation of data storage specifically in terms of different items and entities in stocks. One of the benefits of barcodes is the distinction and accuracy in the data that are stored. Such data can commonly be retrieved with ease due to the fact that they are presented in computer software corresponding to the actual items. For that matter, the said advantage can also be related to the fact that the said data can also be considered as current or up-to-date since the movement of the products and items can be traced and recorded (Nelson, 1997). Aside from tracing the movement of the product and the continuous tabulation of the items that are in storage, barcodes and the corresponding programs can also determine the sales of the product through the results that can be generated. In addition, different types of trends which are also related to sales can be examined and analyzed to be able to properly assign the production of items based on the season and period a certain product has the highest sales (Nelson, 1997). In terms of the management of the products, data storage such as changing the prices can be undertaken with ease due to the fact that the recorded data in the corresponding programs can be managed easily compared to a manual system. In addition to prices, management of items in relation to delivery and transports can also be considered as simple and straightforward. This can be attributed to the fact that records of stocks and items for delivery can be sent online and can be automatically checked in the destination. Such activity can significantly reduce the work done compared to manual checking of stocks (Nelson, 1997). Through the different advantages and benefits that are mentioned in relation to the use of the barcode system, the expenses that can be incurred as compared to other forms of AIDC can be considered as the most important. It is considered that barcodes are commonly used nowadays since it is the cheapest form of data storage automation in the industry, specifically if compared to RFID. The RFID The RFID, or radio frequency identification, is another type of AIDC which can be commonly distinguished in the manufacturing and production industry. The said technology uses radio waves to be able to communicate distinct data to a remote center of data storage which are also referred to as RFID tags or transponders. The RFID operates on the basis of the signals exchanged from the reader and the tags in a designated distance. The said exchange of data can vary on the basis of the type of the RFID. These types include active, semi-passive and passive RFID on the basis of the capability to send and receive signals. The said capability can be attributed to the parts of the tags which are the integrated circuit for data identification and the antenna for signal reception and transmission (Glover & Bhatt, 2006; Waldner, 2008). The composition of the RFID can be considered as the main reason for the benefits that it possessed. One is the ease in tracing the products. This can be undertaken by installing sensors where stocks can pass. The said action can automatically check data related to the items and transmit them to software programs. The main difference of RFID systems with other AIDC is the fact that data gathering can be undertaken even at a specified distance. For that matter sensors are not needed to be optical and operated at the line of sight as that of the barcodes (Glover & Bhatt, 2006). The action of RFID can be considered similar to other AIDC due to the course of its action and operation. Although this is the case, the RFID can be considered to present its advantage on the basis of efficiency in data identification and storage at a specified distance, a point often considered as a limitation for other similar technologies. Comparative Analysis of Barcode and RFID Based on the study undertaken on the functionalities of the types of AIDC namely barcodes and RFIDs, it is important to present the points of comparison between the two technologies. On the basis of the ease in the collection of data and management of stocks with AIDC tags, it can be considered that RFID is of greater efficiency. This can be attributed to the fact that it can read more data with less error over a specified distance. The said point is considered a limitation of barcodes since a direct line of scanning is required at a very short distance to be able to gather data (Glover & Bhatt, 2006; Waldner, 2008). Aside from the efficiency in data gathering, the time consumed for the application is also important. For that matter, RFID can be considered of greater leverage over barcodes. RFID can simultaneously read codes, thus, automation is still an advantage. Still another advantage for the RFID is the automatic update of data. This is a disadvantage for the barcode since the tags are printed on papers. For that matter, to be able to update the data and information, such copies are needed to be altered, requiring more management time (Glover & Bhatt, 2006; Waldner, 2008). Although, the criteria already presented can be considered to lean towards the RFID, there are other factors that are considered when technologies are applied in the industry. One of the said factors is practicality. It is a notion that the use of barcodes can be considered more popular and common. One of the reasons that can be perceived is the operational cost in the use of barcodes as compared to RFIDs. Barcodes are cheaper and can be more utilizable and affordable for a larger part of the industry in operation (Glover & Bhatt, 2006; Waldner, 2008). Conclusion In the study of the functions and applications of the two main types of AIDC namely the barcodes and the RFIDs, it can be considered that the utilization of the said technologies can be judged on the basis of the needs and priorities of the particular industry. If efficiency is needed due to the fact that comparatively larger operation is at hand RFIDs can be beneficial. On the other hand, for operations that can be manageable with manual scanning processes in addition to the need for affordable utility, barcodes can be applied. Thus, both technologies can be considered valuable since both are improvement towards automation of the management and operation in different industries that can be perceived of greater efficiency as compared to manual data gathering, storage and retrieval process. References Glover, B. and Bhatt, H. (2006). RFID Essentials: Essentials. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly. Nelson, B. (1997). From Punched Cards To Bar Codes. Helmers Publishing, Waldner, J. B. (2008). Nanocomputers and Swarm Intelligence. ISTE John Wiley & Sons Yam, K. L., Takhistov, P. T., and Miltz, J. (2006). Intelligent Packaging: Concepts and Applications. Journal of Food Science, 70 (1), R1 - R10. Read More