Top Uses of RFID Tags in Different Industries

Which industries make use of RFID and how do they use it?

1. Healthcare
2. Logistics
3. Retail
4. Toll Collection

When it comes to the transmission and processing of information, many innovations have been developed in the form of RFID technology. To date, there are many invaluable uses of RFID tags in different industries, ranging from the food and retail sector to even the healthcare sector.

Generally, a Radio Frequency Identification tag functions by receiving and dispatching information through a microchip (or an Integrated Circuit) as well as an antenna. The contents of the microchip on an RFID reader depends on the particular preference of each user.

One should know that a distinct feature of an RFID tag is that it is continuously emitting a signal. Based on this information alone, it wouldn’t be a surprise to think that varying sectors have begun incorporating this type of technology into their systems. Continue reading to learn more.

Healthcare

RFID tag use in healthcare is characterized as something of a budding phenomenon. The reason for this is that not many hospitals and healthcare facilities have branched out into using this kind of technology. Nevertheless, those that do use RFID tags have been met with enormous benefits to make their processes more efficient.

One of the most easily-observable benefits of RFID tags in hospitals is that it leads to cost-efficient outcomes such as reducing the oversupply of medical items. In this application, each tag involved contains a passive RFID transponder. The person responsible for taking a batch of a certain product moves the succeeding batch forward and places an RFID tag on a reader located near the storage compartment. It sounds complicated, but what the technology does is that it automatically triggers a request to the hospital’s supply management to purchase more of the consumed stock.

While the use elaborated above pertains to the supply of medical supplies, RFID tags are also highly useful with regards to other uses. These include reducing instances of patient misidentification, keeping patients safe, tracking small metal assets, and the like.

If you’re looking to use an RFID tag system in your hospital, the perfect device for you is ELID’s EL-OMD-FIT210. This is ideal for tracking small hand tools such as wrenches, healthcare-autoclaves, and high-temperature sterilization. Along with user memory, the tag’s Electronic Product Code is also configurable to cater to your requirements.

Logistics

The logistics industry is another sector that can greatly benefit from adopting RFID tags into different kinds of operations. Particularly in terms of warehouse and supply chain management.

In warehouses, inputting correct data with regards to anything inventory-related is paramount in making processes more efficient. In the absence of a reliable system to track inventory, instances of misplaced products, lost goods, product shortage, and oversupply may take place. When this happens, an undesirable situation such as a potential loss in revenue may be experienced by the company.

RFID tags are largely useful in enabling stock-checking to become faster and more streamlined. Using this technology would enable you to avoid the undesirable outcomes mentioned above. Furthermore, the overall efficiency of your warehouse will increase despite the volume of simultaneous operations being done on a regular basis.

Want to make your warehouse more efficient? Then ELID can provide you with the perfect RFID tag. The EL-OMD-EX0800P Rigid can be attached to materials such as plastic pallets and many other kinds of non-metallic devices. With this simple tag, you’ll virtually eliminate any warehouse mismanagement situation.

Retail

The most common use of RFID tags in retail shops is for the prevention of theft as well as a way to increase the security measures inside an establishment.

Think about this kind of situation. For example, you walk into a clothing store and pick a shirt that you want. As you head near the checkout counter, you suddenly hear a blaring, incessant alarm. This is precisely the sound that has been triggered by the RFID detectors that greeted you as you entered the premises. Each clothing item contains an RFID tag that carries unique numbers that will trigger an alarm when it makes contact.

On another note, retailers have also begun using RFID tags as a way of predicting consumer behavior. They do this by recording customer purchasing patterns. This helps retailers increase the product count of a popular item in their inventory. From the perspective of the buyer, this is also another way by which the retailers are able to meet their demands.

Toll Collection

Finally, the most common use of the RFID tag which is easily observable in the country is in the process of toll collection. In the past, a majority of toll booths used to employ a cash-only system. The car would be driven up until the barrier, the driver would open the window, and they would pay the right amount of money before being allowed to proceed. From the onset, one could already gauge how highly inefficient this is – slower toll collection would likely lead to heavy congestion.

In recent years, this slow system gradually moved towards using RFID tags in collecting road taxes. Vehicle owners can simply head to any road authority branch with the capability of processing RFID stickers for vehicles. After that, the driver would only need to drive the car up to the point where the overhead detector is able to read the RFID sticker. While not all of the booths employ a cash-only basis, the implementation of this system in the other booths has undoubtedly reduced the waiting time for vehicles in toll plazas.

Key Takeaway

For different industries, RFID tags have not only proven to be innovative but have also made many industry-specific processes more efficient. RFID tags have been used for supply procurement, product tracking, and also as an anti-theft system. You can say that the RFID system is highly influential in most of the technological comforts that we enjoy today.

The simple guide above has hopefully provided you with a piece of brief information on just some of the many uses of this invaluable piece of technology.