RFID
is becoming more prevalent, not only because of its benefits across a range of different industries, but also as the price of implementation is falling, meaning smaller and mid-sized companies can take advantage of RFID smart labelling,” he adds. Benefits There are various benefits to using RFID labels. “The driving force behind increased RFID adoption is organisations’ desires to streamline operations with automated data collection and real-time visibility,” says Benoit. “RFID tagging enables fast, accurate identification of inventory without line-of-sight scanning. “It can bulk read hundreds of tags in seconds with a comfortable read range of five to 10 metres compared to the traditional barcode’s one metre range. RFID can help organisations optimise their labour and stock, reduce their shrink, eliminate manual errors like double scanning, provide visibility of sales data and support warranty and returns tracking.”
management and traceability. “RFID labels can be coded to help automate inventory management and provide an accurate view of stock from purchase and delivery to arrival at stores or shoppers’ front doors,” he says. “RFID labels can also be coded with vital SKU data and can be printed with standard 1D or 2D codes when required, which is great for retail and supply chain management in those contexts. This approach provides a failsafe for situations where an RFID system is down.” Aileen Ryan, president and CEO of RAIN Alliance, notes that some RFID labels can also have a longer lifespan than traditional labels. “For instance, in the pharmaceutical industry, RAIN RFID labels are used for seamless operational efficiency and inventory management, but also as a critical patient safeguard,” she says. “By providing a tangible, accessible, and infallible record of authentication for each product, RAIN RFID labels provide protection against counterfeit medicines. These labels must therefore be readable throughout the entire lifecycle of the medication, which for some products can be months. They must also be available in a range of sizes, as they may need to be attached to an item as small as a single syringe.” Customer demands But as uptake of RFID labelling accelerates, the demands made on them by customers is changing. As Benoit notes, RFID is such a physical technology that can be affected by the environment, by metals, liquids, fixtures, even the product itself. “So it’s vital to work with partners that understand that. “At TSC Auto ID, we continue to validate RFID chips, inlays and tags from major manufacturers at our printer and label validation lab to ensure that our range of RFID printers can handle the growing variety of labels on the market. We also collaborate with standards organisations
Contributors
Benoit Charnallet
emea.tscprinters.com
Deyon Antoine
toshibatec.co.uk
Paul Kim
Deyon adds that compared to standard labels, RFID tags can store far more data, which can be updated throughout an item’s lifecycle without the need for relabelling. “Encrypted tag data improves security, while the durability of RFID labels makes them well suited to harsh or high-risk environments,” he adds. “Integration with wider IoT, AI and analytics platforms is also unlocking new use cases, from predictive maintenance to automated replenishment and smarter, data-driven workflows.” Paul notes that RFID labels help ensure real-time, accurate inventory
bixoloneu.com
Aileen Ryan
therainalliance.org
CONTINUED
printinthechannel.co.uk
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