TI and RFID4U Propose Smart Processes for RFID Supply Chain

DALLAS, Texas—The expectation that 100 percent of RFID-labeled products can be read 100 percent of the time at all points in the supply chain is unrealistic; but with proper tag testing and verification, companies can increase their odds of achieving “five-nines” performance (five read points at a 99.999 percent read rate), according to a new white paper from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) and RFID4U.

The paper outlines a systematic approach that end users and systems integrators can take to increase the performance of their Ultra-High Frequency (UHF)-based RFID systems. This approach includes establishing a baseline of initial performance, conducting a performance analysis of tags, and factoring in variables in product and packaging materials as well as pallet size and case quantity. The paper also answers the questions, “How do I measure tag performance” and “What parameters are most important?” by providing an overview of the testing types, metrics and pros/cons of static and dynamic methods.

“RFID has been getting a bit of a bad rap due to the expectations that tags can be read 100 percent of the time at every point for every product,” said Mark Brown, vice president of professional services, RFID4U. “With proper empirical testing, companies can find the best tags and labels for their application, and gain the data they need for improved supply chain tracking.”

An “RF-challenged” product, such as those containing liquid or metal, may only achieve a 50 percent read rate at an individual read point. The paper proposes practical suggestions to increase read performance including the use of more sensitive tags, upgrading the reader interrogation zones with more sensitive antennas or adding additional read zones at new locations in the supply chain.

“It’s important to test a statistically significant sample of both tags/labels and products, and perform the test in a real-world environment,” said Chris Cook, field application specialist, TI-RFid(TM) Systems. “Starting with well-tagged assets puts you way ahead in achieving the kind of visibility and performance from your RFID system that can drive true business process improvements.”