Supply chain changes and operational challenges have created the need for credible, real-time data in warehouses. Thankfully, RFID or radio frequency identification has proven helpful for facilities trying to make data collection more accurate, streamlined, and efficient. RFID is better than barcode and other manual data collection strategies because:
- It needs no line of sight
- It can hold tons of data simultaneously – almost 100 times more than a barcode
- It ensures scalable reading ranges
- It can read several tags with a single scan
- It can function inside and outside a warehouse, even in harsh weather
Warehouses can accomplish workflows with improved efficiency, accuracy, and speed with RFID technology. On the other hand, the facilities boost output while decreasing operating costs.
Continue reading to learn how to leverage RFID in a warehouse.
- Proper Inventory Management
The experts providing RFID warehouse systems said the average area of warehouses increase every year because of the demand through omnichannel and eCommerce approaches. Thus, locating pallets, let alone a single product becomes immensely difficult.
Data collection with RFID feeds necessary information directly to the warehouse management system (WMS). When a tag is attached to a product or pallet, handheld or fixed readers collect the data embedded in the product or pallet to the WMS, making tracking easy.
RFID can also resolve complex location issues. You can monitor the items when they are moving through varied zones inside the warehouse or from one facility to another. This creates an accurate inventory record and reduces the time spent on identifying pallets and their locations.
- Immediate Verification of the SKUs and Quantities at the Dock Doors
The RFIDs installed at the dock doors will eliminate guesswork during loading and unloading products. A solution with passive tags and fixed readers help you verify a product as soon as it passes through the checkpoints.
RFID can also inform you when the items scanned do not match the shipment you received. The technology can catch potential shipping mistakes during the outbound procedure and improve a facility’s fulfilment precision.
Investing in RFID for outbound and inbound verification is the best way to detect costly mistakes and disruptions when one does not deliver or receive the right products. The data visibility and zero errors pave the way for a faster ROI.
- Proper Stock Management
The experts offering RFID hospital asset tracking systems said RFID could automatically record inventory and manage stock levels when the products move in and out of the warehouse. With this technology, one can successfully maintain stock level, sending alerts whenever over-stocking and under-stocking limits are passed.
RFID for stock management can offer real-time insights into product size, quantity, and model. Advanced tags can manage the stock levels for items with a specific expiration date and are sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature.
Besides streamlining inventory management, RFID solutions also ensure product integrity standards and other measures regarding quality assurance.
Implementing RFID is not about purchasing a reader and attaching tags to what you wish to track. The modern-day solutions are designed strategically for a warehouse’s varying needs. This means the manufacturers take sufficient time to analyze which combination of readers, tags, printers, antennas, and software will suit your application the best.
