Inventorying goods in a company, tracking products leaving the warehouse and other activities that are intended to register fixed assets require the use of effective technology. One that will allow the entire undertaking to be carried out as quickly, error-free and at the lowest possible cost. Entrepreneurs usually decide on one of two options. Barcodes or the newer RFID tags. Which of them is better in practice and how do they differ from each other? Will RFID replace barcodes?
RFID and barcodes do the same thing, but they work on a completely different principle. What exactly is the difference between them?
Identification of goods marked with barcodes is performed using a reader emitting a highly concentrated beam of light.
When directed at the code (a combination of white and black stripes), light is reflected by the light stripes and absorbed by the dark stripes. This in turn translates into the generation of a stronger or weaker signal, also depending on the thickness of the individual fields within the code.
The signal is converted by the reader’s computer into information understandable by humans.
Currently, one- and two-dimensional barcodes are used. There are several types of scanners, including laser, diode, linear imager, and area imager.
The advantages of barcodes include, above all, their ease of use and low cost of implementation. They are also universal and can be placed on virtually any surface.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few disadvantages to barcodes. First of all, they can scan goods from a short distance and must have them in the line of signal emission. Each code must be scanned individually.
Additionally, this is a fairly fail-safe solution. It is enough to tear off part of the code or scratch it for the product to be unreadable.
RFID technology (ang. Radio Frequency Identification) uses radio waves to transmit data.
The reader sends a signal that is read by a tag attached to the product. This is a small label or transponder powered by the electromagnetic field emitted by the reader. The tag stores information about a given fixed asset. The information can be repeatedly deleted and new ones overwritten as needed.
In practice, there are several types of RFID tags.
Due to the construction, it is an inlay, label or marker in the housing. In terms of frequency, there are low, high and ultra-high frequency markers.
Why is RFID better than a barcode? There are at least a few reasons:
Is RFID an improvement on the barcode? In principle, yes, although it is not a completely flawless technology. The biggest drawback is scanning information if the radio wave has to pass through a liquid (e.g. a tank) or metal. Both materials reduce the range of the reader.
Also remember that the frequency bands for different types of readers may be slightly different in different countries. In the case of reading many tags at the same time, the time to collect information may be longer, although it will most likely be much shorter than in the case of manual scanning of each barcode.
There are many differences between barcodes and RFID technology. Check the most important ones in a clear table.
| Feature | Barcodes | RFID Technology |
| Multiple tag usage | No | Yes |
| Durability | Damage-prone | Durable |
| Number of objects scanned simultaneously | One | Up to hundreds of tags simultaneously |
| Range | A few centimeters | Even a dozen or so meters |
| Cost of implementing technology | Very low | High |
| Reading speed | Necessity of single manual reading of each code (once every few/several seconds) | Possibility of mass reading of tags (even several hundred per second). |
| Is it easy to implement the technology in a company? | Yes | It requires careful planning and programming of tags |
Implementing RFID technology costs more than barcodes, because tags have to be purchased and programmed, while barcodes are printed directly on the product. In practice, however, the same tag can be used multiple times, whereas “reprogramming” a barcode is impossible. Ultimately, in the long run, it may turn out that investing in RFID technology will be cheaper.
The choice of technology for asset tagging is of great importance to the company, as RFID and barcodes are not compatible with each other. Zapis informacji o produkcie oraz ich odczytanie następuje w zupełnie inny sposób.
It is currently difficult to say what will replace barcodes in a dozen or so years. However, in a few years’ perspective, we can expect the dominance of RFID radio technology as universal and providing much greater possibilities in a dynamically developing business environment.
So if you want to take care of the future of your company now and invest in RFID technology, contact us! We will tell you what you will gain with this solution, where to use it and how to safely and effectively implement it in your company.
