The local environment for the widespread adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies is improving, with key requirements such as an approved industry standard and a growing number of system vendors helping to build momentum.
This is according to Libby Ballardin, head of printer distributor Printacom's industrial printing division. “Uptake in South Africa hasn't reached a critical level yet, but we are seeing movement on both a regulatory and operational level that should give some much-needed impetus to this technology.
“For example, the Department of Home Affairs recently announced that all new South African passports will have an RFID chip embedded to provide added security and functionality. By the same token, the announcement two years ago by the Gauteng government that it would introduce RFID tagging in new number plates has still not seen the light of day.”
Discussing the advantages of RFID for the logistics supply chain, Ballardin draws on the findings of a recent report from Gartner entitled 'RFID in 2009 supply chain' to evaluate the current market trends.
The author of the report summarises the current state of play by noting that while interest in RFID has not diminished, companies are realigning their strategies to deliver real business benefits, while also adopting best practices that have started to emerge.
“No longer is RFID a technology looking for a business problem, users want to know if an RFID-enabled solution is the right solution to their specific supply chain business issue,” reads the report.
“There is no doubt that RFID has a very distinct role to play in automating logistics in the supply chain, and we have positioned ourselves to take advantage of that. The big question is the rate of adoption and the roll-out of the back-end systems to support that vision,” says Ballardin.
Understanding needs
Gartner also advises that selecting the correct vendor is crucial to installing an appropriate solution, and that this selection process should focus on ensuring the service provider has a keen understanding of the client's industry and requirements.
In conclusion, Gartner says companies must understand their immediate need, address it, and only then look at how the RFID infrastructure can be applied to other areas of the business.
“Not all RFID deployments are the same and architectural needs will be vary. Key characteristics, such as tag density and network speed and stability will be key in determining which type of application architecture will be best-suited to a particularly RFID project,” writes the report's author.
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