Warehouse Management Using RFID Technology

Many businesses, hospitals and warehouses are using RFID technology today. Warehouses used them mostly because they have a great deal of merchandise that comes in and out of the warehouse on any given day and this merchandise needs to be tracked precisely.

RFID is said to be amazing because of the fact that it uses radio signals in which to exchange data between a read/write device and the tag. Each tag can hold various amounts of information. It can be as extensive as it needs to be as well. Other tagging systems limit the amount of information contained within the tags.

Warehouse Use

it seems that in today’s world the warehouse industry is one industry that is benefiting the most from RFID technology. Calling them “smart labels” these warehouses placed these tags on cases and pallets. If they are operating on the legacy system the RFID tag is encoded allowing the readers to read the tag. The tag is also compliant with bar coding used in any legacy operation.

What has made this so popular is the suitability of RFID in industrial environments. The flexibility and sensitivity of the system is something to be cherished. These tags can also be programmed so that certain pieces of information that are on the tag cannot be changed. In addition, the software is customized to meet the needs of each independent warehouse.

Anytime more information about a product can be gathered quicker, less research is needed; therefore, operations run smoother. Finding the location of inventory moves much faster with RFID as well. You no longer have to stop what you are doing to find out something different or special about a product.

RFID provides a great amount of accuracy while scanning packages in and out of the warehouse. The system will ensure that each piece of information that must be recorded is done so properly.

RFID’s are made to be able to read the chips in very large areas. The reader can transmit information over a great distance making this unique technology the next big wave of the future in warehouses.

Shipping and Receiving

Anytime packages are being received or shipped information needs to be transferred to the location that is being shipped to. The warehouse may be for a certain department store or chain and the packages are coming in from various distributors and they must be scanned in. Then the packages are distributed to the stores that need them. When the packages are scanned out and shipped that information is then transmitted to the store. In this way the store knows what is headed in their direction. The store will then receive a bill of lading so that they can match up with their order in their system.

Once the packages arrive to the store they also scan it in confirming receipt. This eliminates the need to check the items off of the list manually. Simply by scanning the tags with an RFID reader they can determine whether or not the package matches up with what was ordered.

This will eliminate a vast amount of errors that may occur in shipping and receiving. Often times if there is a problem only one location needs to do the research. In addition mistakes can be detected before the package arrives or even leaves the warehouse. This saves a great deal of time as well as money.

RFID systems have been integrated with existing warehouse management systems to provide a streamlined, efficient and cost effective method to track stock and other products that are moving in and out of the management system.