"If you're in the business of making, moving or selling things, radio frequency identification (RFID) has some potential for you," said Kevin Ashton, executive director of the MIT Auto-ID Center (www.autoidcenter.org), at the recent Frontline Solutions Supply Chain Week. The potential that Ashton promised was itemized for attendees at a special full day forum on RFID at that event by Tim Eisler of Escort Memory Systems, a Datalogic Group Company (www.ems-rfid.com). Eisler identified six good reasons to use RFID: improved production efficiencies; real-time inventory updates; greater shipping and receiving efficiencies; elimination of counterfeit goods; enhanced product security; and after sales support.

He also offered examples of companies that are already enjoying the benefits of RFID for at least one of these reasons. A high-end shoe manufacturer now places an RFID tag into all shoes, speeding its shipping operations with real-time data. A cell phone manufacturer uses the technology to ensure security of its products in shipping containers. And an elite snowboard manufacturer embeds an RFID tag in snowboards to identify them as the real thing.