RFID transponders can be affixed on boxes and pallets as early as the production stage, communication between transponders and RFID readers is fully automatic, and they do the work by themselves.
3.2.2. RFID versus bar code
The useful features of RFID as compared to bar codes are as follows:
• A reader can scan multiple tags, as many as 1000 at a time-
• The goods being scanned do not have to be manually oriented toward the reader for it to work
• RFID radio frequency can usually penetrate an item's packaging and determine the contents
• Tags embedded in the package cannot be scraped or rubbed off or damaged
• Information on the tags can be written again to store further information
• There is information flexibility, whereby information on the tags can change as the goods move across the supply chain network
• Ability to read the data contained in the chip without line of sight
(Poirier & McCollum, 2006)
There is a conflict in the supply chain arena between proponents who believe that RFID tags will replace barcoding - a technology of nearly 30 years - and opponents who believe that the investment does not provide a significant return on investment, given that barcodes are still much cheaper than tags. The main argument against the use of RFID is the current near-universal use of barcoding. (Poirier & McCollum, 2006) Others contend that RFID and barcodes will coexist for several years, given their respective advantages. RFID tag technology – the benefits
One of RFID’s most important attributes is that the tags do not require line of sight to be read or close proximity to the reader. This means that readers can be located at