RFID isn’t simply a technological revolution. It’s a business revolution

Doug Lattner,chairman and CEO of Deloitte Consulting writes, RFID is no monster and the technology represents a genuine revolution.The long-term result easily outweighs the initial discomfort. We believe that the prescription for remaining vital and competitive for the next 10 years and beyond is embracing the best available RFID technology, not dismissing it or opting for cheaper, less efficient “slap and ship” alternatives.RFID is more than a fancy bar-code upgrade. Tagging an object to carry descriptive information in a manner that can be read from a distance, using a signal transmitted from a reader, takes product control to a new level. Tags can be embedded in almost any object, or placed on a pallet or container; they can even be incorporated into packaging materials such as cardboard boxes or printed labels. They have the potential to store and deliver enormous amounts of information about goods, production, storage and shipping.Such data synchronization is the bedrock of competitive advantage. It will lead to increased accountability, from senior management to the people loading and unloading pallets at the warehouse level. The supply chain is often sloppy and elastic, too often prone to human error. RFID can correct that by monitoring where goods are traveling, and who is doing the checking and handling at each point. It also can provide a better grasp of state or regional tax code implications and reap further savings.There are additional benefits of RFID in operations, information systems, sales, marketing, HR and finance. With so much of potential upside business can not avoid embracing RFID - Before this soon becomes an equaliser when everybody has it.