Building Credibility for RFID

Such an initial success would encourage the CEO to fund a second project—and three or four successes might convince that executive that the technology works. Eventually, rather than fighting for funding, the RFID project leader would be inundated with requests from business managers for solutions to their problems. I know that this is how it works, because I have heard the same story from one end-user company after another, including almost all of those recognized as leading adopters of the technology.

Vendors need to first build credibility with project leaders, by delivering a solution that will work. Then, they can begin building credibility within their organization. In my view, RFID vendors would do better to forget about trying to sell their systems to CEOs, and instead focus on being a partner that supports RFID project leaders attempting to build credibility within organizations. An RFID company that acts as an adviser, as well as a solutions provider, will have the most success.

Some RFID companies understand this. A few years ago, I had a meeting with a senior executive who had just taken over responsibility for his firm's RFID business. He told me, "I'm very impressed with what RFID Journal has done. You've built tremendous credibility with your readership, because you're honest about what RFID can and can't do. I want our company to have the same credibility in this market."

That company knows not to oversell RFID—and it's doing very well as a result.

Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below. To read more of Mark's opinions, visit the RFID Journal Blog, the Editor's Note archive or RFID Connect.