Substitution debate
There has been debate as to whether barcode technology should be substituted by Radio Frequency Identification technology. Barcodes and Radio Frequency Identification have revolutionized and improved several aspects of human life. They are automatic systems of identification that are used extensively in the present day. Each of the two technologies has its merits and demerits. However, Radio Frequency Identification is more advantageous. Barcodes are optically represented data that are interpreted by scanning machines after the scanning process is complete. When using barcodes technology, spacing and width are used to represent the data. Lately, barcodes have been used as the main criterion in tracking and identifying objects such as books and food stuffs in the supply chains. The interpretation of data from barcodes is done by use of barcode scanners.
On the other hand, Radio Frequency Identification technology uses tags to identify and track products with the help of radio waves. It mainly consists of two major parts, an antenna and an integrated circuit. The antenna is used to transmit radio signals while the integrated circuits are meant to process, store information, modulate and demodulate the signals of radio frequency. There has been debate on whether chips of Radio Frequency Identification should substitute barcodes in order to raise levels of productivity and efficiency. This would also improve the standards of human life in various ways.
Efficiency
A comprehensive comparison between barcodes and radio frequency identification reveals that the RFI is slightly advantageous and cost effective. It is therefore realistic for businesses to substitute barcodes with the RFI because they serve the same purpose. With the use of RFI technology, it is possible to get readings from the tags from a distance. This will help in saving time when identifying products that are in bulk since the readings can be taken from one place by simply getting the transmissions read through RFI. The readings are of a barcode can be taken within a distance of less than 15 feet. This is a very small distance compared to readings from an RFI enabled technology which takes readings within a distance of 300feet. This also helps in saving costs of moving about with the products with the aim of getting their readings. The risk of having some products broken, for those products that are brittle, is significantly reduced when using RFI technology. Therefore, it is economical and efficient to use radio frequency identification.
Speed
A comparison between RFI and barcodes in terms of speed technology reveals that barcodes are less fast and inefficient. Barcodes take time to scan before the data can be interpreted and relayed for analysis. This is because barcodes scanners only work when they are in direct line with the sight of the data. This makes barcodes to take an average of slightly over a second to interpret two tags successfully. RFI technology is fast since it does not require direct sight with the data. The radio waves can be read from within three hundred feet regardless of their positioning. This is illustrated in the fact that RFI readers can successfully read and interpret data from about 40 tags within a period of one second.
Protectiveness from wear and tear
Another justification as to why barcodes should be substituted, if not replaced, by Radio Frequency Identifiers is that RFI tags can be implanted in the inside of the product thus protecting the tags from being subjected to distortion like wear and tear. When using barcodes, the scanners and the barcode tags require a direct sight between the two hence the need to implant the barcode tags on the outer side of the product. This subjects the tags to wear and tear as the readings are taken as well as from other objects that come into contact with the tags. The RFI tags can be implanted in the inside of the object hence they do not face the risk of wearing and tearing off. The outer side implanting on barcodes makes the tags unfit for reutilization hence the need to replace the tags often. This increases the cost of purchasing tags and also wastes time when re-implanting new tags. Furthermore, barcodes do not have facilities to read and write making it impossible to note down additional information to the existing one. This limits the collection of data when using barcodes. This makes RFI technology a better option since it is possible to add further information to the existing one. Furthermore, the internally implantation of tags keeps wear and tear to the minimum. This means the tags can be used over and over again, something that saves time and costs.
Data storage
The instructions of maintenance of products, their history of transportation, expiry dates as well as manufacturing dates and other types of product information can be programmed into Radio Frequency Identifiers tags at once. This is much more superior to the information stored in barcodes. This is because barcodes store limited amount information. The data storage capabilities of the RFI technology give RFI an edge over barcodes. The information stored can be used in the tracking of specific objects during their various stages as they move through the company’s supply chain. His is because detailed data helps in showing how products have been handled since the time they were brought into the warehouse until the time of purchase.
Hard to substitute
However, despite RFI being more advantageous that barcodes, it is impossible to replace the former with the later. This is because a bulk of most firms’ operations is still using the barcode technology to capture and store data. More so, barcode technology is considered to be cheaper in the long run. This is when the RFI incurred costs of customizing particular products are put into consideration. The inception and total over haul of data handling processes to accommodate RFI technology is so expensive that most companies prefer not to change their systems. Barcode tags are also smaller and lighter that RFI tags making them easier and economical.
Conclusion
Barcode and Radio Frequency Identification technologies both have their own strong points which make them stand out. RFI is durable, fast and has a wide range of uses which makes it appropriate for use by businesses and high-end technologies. However, its disadvantage comes in the form of the staggering costs of operation which scares away most potential users. Barcodes technology on the other hand, is easy to use and also relatively cheaper. It is used widely by most companies in their daily operations. This shows that the two technology approaches are all important in business and technology fields. Therefore, as much as RFI technology is more efficient, it is not wise to substitute barcodes with RFI technology. A hybrid of the two technologies would be more appropriate because it would allow firms to minimize costs and risks that come with the two technologies.
Works Cited
McAdams, Alison R. Radio Frequency Identification. New York: Nova Science Pub Incorporated, 2011.
Preradovic, Stevan. Multiresonator-Based Chipless RFID. Munich: Springer, 2012.
Shepard, Steven. Rfid: Radio Frequency Identification. illustrated. NewYork: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2005.
