Sophie Christian Albert Juarez John McBroom Russell Rogers RFID Radio-Frequency Identification Presentation Goals Explain RFID and its common uses What type of investment/infrastructure are required to implement RFID at a facility Why is RFID important to the modern organization and how can it add value to a company Understand current problems and limitation of RFID, and how they can be overcome What is RFID? Wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data Automatically identifies and tracks tags attached to objects that contain electronically stored information Originally invented as an espionage tool for the Soviet union First patent to be associated with RFID was granted in 1983 RFID tags do not necessarily need to be within the line of sight of a reader RFID Design Utilizes a radio-frequency relationship between tags and readers Tags: are attached to identifiable objects. Readers: Sends a signal to the tag and read its response. RFIDs are easy to conceal or incorporate in items. Common Uses Used to track and manage inventory, assets, people, etc. Examples include affixing to cars, computer equipment, books, phones, pets, people. Commonly used in retail stores, airports, casinos, auto industry, shipping companies, public transportation, animal identification. Tracking of goods Toll Collection and contactless payment Machine readable documents Airport baggage and tracking logistics Advertising / social media Importance to the Modern Organization Efficiency Accurate inventory/supply chain management Convenience Asset management forecasting Safety Components of RFID Technology RFID System contains two main parts: Transponder, or tag Made up of an antenna attached to a silicon microchip that stores serial numbers and other information about an item Reader Contains antennae that send and receives information to/from the RFID tags Decisions about what types of transponders to use depends on application / business need RFID Transponders Frequently called RFID tags Different frequencies available for different applications Two main types: Active Broadcasts a signal containing the item information that is received by the reader Two types: transponders and beacons Transponders send a signal when activated by a signal from the RFID reader Beacons are consistently emitting a signal to the reader at specific intervals Higher costs ($25 and up) Longer range Passive No transmitter, just reflects back energy Lower costs, ranging from $0.07 to $0.15, no maintenance required Does not require its own power source Shorter range (few inches to 30 ft) RFID Readers Vary in price and capabilities Ranging from $300 to $5,000 Dumb readers vs. intelligent readers Multi-frequency readers Agile readers Different combinations of these capabilities based on application / business need determines cost Examples of RFID Applications Passive RFID Systems Toolboxes Key Fobs ID Badges Active RFID Systems Beacon: Real-time locating systems (RTLS), often used in large manufacturing facilities Transponder: Toll systems (think TollTags) Other Costs / Considerations Middleware & Enterprise Applications Allows companies to make use of the data received from the RFID systems to attain their business goals. Systems Integrator Installation, implementation RFID Expertise Training for employees System Maintenance costs Inventory Tracking Across the Supply Chain Lower Costs Decreased Necessity for Safety Stock Increased Demand Planning Accuracy Shrinkage Prevention Decrease Labor Costs Higher Order Fulfillment Higher Customer Satisfaction Asset Utilization Process Improvement Increased Asset Awareness- Hospitals IT Asset Tracking- Cognizant Materials Tracking- Home Builders Tool Tracking- Manufacturing Value of RFID- Asset Tracking Value of RFID- Real Time Information Accurate Records Reporting Improved Demand Planning/Forecasting Decrease in Necessary Safety Stock/Lower Inventories Reactive Manufacturing Improved Inventory Management- Retail Cross Promotional Capabilities- Burberry Value of RFID- Access and Security Manage Access Badges- Disney Fast Pass Increase in Reliability Recording Foot Traffic- Comic Con Theft/Loss Prevention American Apparel Infant Security Value of RFID- Payment System Exxon and North Texas Tollway Authority ZipCash Increased Checkout Speed Increased Customer Satisfaction Increase Number of Customers Processed Limitations of RFID Technology Standardization UHF Frequency Collision Security and Privacy Issues Faulty Manufacture or Deficient Detection of Tags Lack of Adoption Standardization International Organization for Standardization (ISO), EPC Gen2, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Closed-loop Solutions UHF Frequency Collision Tag Collision Reader Collision Security and Privacy Issues Counterfeiting Sniffing Tracking Denial of Service Spoofing Faulty Manufacture or Deficient Detection of Tags Manufacture of tags not yet 100% failure free Tags may be damaged during usage Adverse conditions of the environment and improper placement may corrupt reading Adsorption, ambient reflection of the signal and external signal sources may introduce read errors Reader malfunction Lack of Adoption Cost: Open-loop vs Closed-loop Industry Fragmentation and Segmentation Cost of Infrastructure Replacement Environmental Dependence Conclusion RFID uses electromagnetic fields to transfer data RFID tags are used in many industries Can be attached to almost anything that needs tracking Security Issues Development of standards addressing privacy and security issues Market Value 2014: $8.89 billion 2024: $27.31 billion (expected) Questions? Sources Diagram of Asset Tracking. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. Swedburg, Claire. "MagicBands Bring Convenience, New Services to Walt Disney World." - RFID Journal. N.p., 16 June Web. 01 Feb Roberti, Mike. "The Untapped Value of RFID Data." - RFID Journal. N.p., 16 June Web. 01 Feb N.p., 8 Mar Web. 01 Feb Violino, Bob. "RFID Business Applications." RFID Journal (2005): -RFID Journal. 16 Jan Web. 01 Feb Davis, Ben. "Five Retailers Using NFC and RFID to Enhance Shopping: But Do They Work?" Web log post. Econsultancy. N.p., 13 Aug Web. 01 Feb Lavendar, Hal. "How Cognizant Cut Costs by Deploying RFID to Track IT Assets." RFID Journal (2009): n. pag. - RFID Journal. 10 May Web. 01 Feb North Texas Tollway Picture. Digital image. N.p., 8 June Web. Hospital Ensures Newborns Safety with RFID System." Web log post. RFID Blog. N.p., 30 Jan Web. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification