ROI for RFID: A Case Study
Part One: Company Background
Joseph J. Strub - June 28, 2004

Introduction

With the cost of computer chips consistently decreasing, embedding technology in the product is becoming a cost-effective reality. This is the theory of radio frequency identification (RFID) and the embedding of specially activated tags in products, product packages, and product platforms. Specifically, RFID tags are small integrated circuits connected to an antenna, which can respond to an interrogating RF signal with simple identifying information, or with more complex signals depending on the size of the integrated circuit. RFID has advantages over bar codes such as the ability to hold more data and to change the stored data as processing occurs. Additional benefits are that RFID does not require line-of-sight to transfer data and is very effective in harsh environments where bar code labels simply won't work. In a nutshell, RFID can transmit more information with reasonable incremental costs without incurring the additional labor to get on top of the article to read individual labels and bar codes...