From flowers to RFID: how the technology shines light on the logistics chain

Our RFID Business Unit Manager Jason Scrivens was interviewed by ITdaily., the B2B platform that focuses on IT professionals and business decision makers. The result is an illuminating story about the applicability of RFID in the logistics chain. 

How does a plant nursery know where exactly which plants are located? Which customer has already returned his plastic fish containers after the fish auction? And where have the new rental tables or chairs gone? ITdaily. got the answer from RFID specialist Aucxis.

Jason Scrivens: “Do you have a big company, a complex warehouse or just a lot of stuff that goes to customers but ideally also comes back? Then you need a system to keep track of what is under your roof and where it is located exactly. A manual process with barcodes is popular, but it takes time, staff and is far from flawless. RFID technology is a more accurate and, above all, automated alternative”.

In order to be able to apply RFID technology, correct tag selection is crucial. There are different types of RFID tags, but the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) variant is currently the most popular one. “The technology is standardised, by analogy with a barcode,” Scrivens explains. UHF tags can be read up to a distance of about 15 metres. “NFC in your smartphone and the associated tags are also a form of RFID, but the range of those passive tags is limited to a few centimetres,” he explains. “Finally, there are also active tags that have a battery on board. They can send a signal up to a hundred metres away”.