5 Ways That RFID Is Changing the World

1. 5 Ways That RFID Is Changing the World Since the earliest days of radio frequency identification (RFID), some of the world’s most creative minds have been looking for new and innovative ways to use what is essentially a very simple technology. Here at Rock West Solutions, we do a lot with RFID ourselves. From RFID-sensing applications to the actual chips themselves, we work on solutions that take RFID out of the lab and put it into the real world. We are fascinated to see the many ways RFID is being put to use in modern society. We are willing to bet that there are a lot of applications people are not even aware of; things that are going on all around us. Below are five ways RFID is changing the world in which we live. Some affect you directly, while others may not – yet. 1. Automated Shopping Decades of studies have consistently showed that people hate standing in line at the grocery and department stores. With RFID tagging and tracking, it may not be necessary much longer. Amazon has already opened the first retail outlet that has no checkout lines whatsoever. Instead, RFID technology accounts for every item the customer picks up and puts in the cart. The cost of those items is charged directly to the customers Amazon account and billed accordingly. 2. Tracking Customer Trends Sticking with the retail paradigm for now, RFID technology is also being used to track customer trends as they shop. For example, a small clothing boutique using RFID and analytics may be gathering data on every shopper that enters the store, picks up an item, carries it with them as they shop, and then correlates that behavior with what they buy. By keeping track of that data and storing it in a central database, marketing and sales representatives can know how to best approach customers on return visits simply by looking at data from previous visits.

2. 3. Sports Statistics and Tracking Many of the world’s major sports leagues have been using RFID technology for some time. One of the most visible uses is an application developed by the NFL a couple of years back. Using customized chips, receivers, and RFID-sensing applications, the NFL now tracks every player on the field during every game. At first, the data gleaned from their RFID sensing applications was used only for statistical purposes. The information allowed broadcasters to always know where every player was at any point in time. It was not long before statisticians started using the information as well. RFID tracking has led to more accurate statistics, better game analytics, and so forth. It may be used in the future to help better manage player health as well. 4. Keeping Track of Our Pets You may have a personal, more tangible experience with RFID if you have had a family pet tag for ID purposes. We are now using RFID chips and sensing applications to identify and keep track of our animals. If a tagged animal is lost, information on the embedded chip will tell authorities exactly who the animal’s owner is. 5. Improved Supply Chain One of the most important things RFID has done for our society is something very few of us even realize. RFID technology has improved the supply chain so drastically that most of us would be hard-pressed to not find something we need on a retail store shelf or an online store. Our state-of-the-art supply chain moves goods from point of manufacture to customer hands quickly, efficiently, and virtually seamlessly. The era of big box retailing would not be possible without RFID. We are thrilled to be part of an industry constantly looking for new ways to utilize RFID technology. We are looking forward to working with you to see what the future brings.