RFID: A practical solution for manufacturing operations
A lot of manufacturers keep on asking me whether they should implement RFID for their manufacturing units and generally my reply to all of them is why not? With manufacturing processes turning complex day by day the need of the hour is to use a technology which can track the movement of assets in a cost effective and quick manner and for this purpose one can surely seek the solace of RFID. So probably one can use RFID in manufacturing for tracking, location and identification of assets which means at the end of the day one can keep an eye on what all is taking place at your unit even if you are not around.
Let me tell you how RFID can help you out. It’s not an easy task to maintain a tab on your inventories but all this has become a child’s play with RFID and various fortune five hundred companies are already implementing the technology to keep a tab on their huge inventories. With sophisticated RFID systems available one can very easily track inventories and control pilferages and shortage if any. The best part about utilizing RFID technology in manufacturing is that it can withstand harsh conditions such as chemicals, moisture and other tough conditions which could make other systems fail in such conditions.
The best use to which RFID is being put use to in manufacturing is asset location and tracking and this has been driving the use of this technology. Besides asset RFID can also be used for tracking and identification of your personnel inside the facility and can even be used for recording clearances and qualifications which is necessary in case of certain operations. One more thing the technology can also be put to use in case of disaster planning where it can help in searching for employees who might be trapped between life and death.
You can clearly see that the manufacturing sector is rapidly adopting RFID for the purpose of safety, security, efficiency and a host of other reasons and therefore China has emerged as one of the biggest adopters of RFID since it currently enjoys a numero uno position in the manufacturing sector. The adoption is slow as of now since the technology is a bit expensive at the moment therefore one might not find many takers among smaller manufacturing units and in some cases even bigger players are adopting a wait and watch policy since they are not sure whether high costs would be able to compensate for the benefits that they can derive from it but the situation is expected to improve in the future.
There are a number of RFID solutions available in the market but it’s not necessary that every solution may meet your needs and for that matter RFID may not be at all required for your organization therefore a better option would be to consult an expert who will be able to guide you in a better manner and make suggestions as per the requirements of your operations.