RFID Journal Staff asked 14 years ago Can SMBs benefit from radio frequency identification? If so, what are the biggest and easiest RFID applications for such companies to deploy?
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RFID is an enabling technology, so it is suitable for companies of all sizes—just as the Internet, a decade ago, was suitable for startups like Amazon.com and manufacturing giants such as John Deere.
Which applications are suitable for SMBs really depends on each company's industry, its way of doing business and the current challenges it faces. For a doctor's office or clinic, the biggest challenge might be in locating patient files quickly, so a file-tracking application might make the most sense.
For a company that manufactures components for a larger company, tracking work in process might be the best use of RFID. The system could reduce costs and provide customers with visibility into the state of those components.
A small orchard might want to track reusable plastic containers that hold apples, while a midsize apparel retailer might track inventory on the sales floor, to make sure items are in the right place and replenished quickly.
If SMBs have questions about how they might employ RFID in their operations, they can e-mail me at
editor@rfidjournal.com. I will do my best to provide objective guidance, even if that means recommending they don't use RFID to solve a particular problem (depending on the concern, there might be a better solution).
—Mark Roberti, Editor, RFID Journal
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