Blog

RFID in Manufacturing Making a Comeback!

Written by Richard Phillips, PE, PMP | August 31, 2021

We have recently seen a significant uptick in manufacturers interested in using RFID to:

  • Track Work-in-Process (WIP) in real-time
  • Manage Inventory Levels in real-time
  • Track Tooling location and usage
  • Ensure correct parts used in Assembly

The cost of implementing RFID continues to drop as RFID readers and tags become more cost effective while functionality increases.

This provides a great entry point into Smart Manufacturing where the cost of the project can be justified with a relatively short ROI period. This initial project naturally fuels subsequent projects that add even greater value.

As an example, we implemented an RFID solution for one manufacturer where the cost was justified by the time savings from their bi-annual inventory reconciliation. It now took hours instead of days!

Additional benefits derived from the project included accurate real-time WIP tracking and writing valuable test information to the RFID tag for use by their customers. An example of how digital transformation can easily expand to the supply chain!

CLICK HERE to hear from a manufacturer as they describe their challenges, RFID solution and benefits.