RFID and Bar Codes are two different technologies used in supply and chain to read and collect data. While most manufacturing companies employ the two form of automated data collection, they need to select the most suitable method which they feel suit the company best. RFID and Bar Codes are essential technologies for tracking assets and inventories in businesses. Barcode technology was produced and applied in the world of logistics in 1974. Since then, the technology of barcode has changed and become a go-to for managing inventory and tracking purchase patterns. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) was developed in the 1940s for the military system until it got expanded to the field of transportation and factory tracking in the 1960s. Up to today, companies apply either of the two technologies to manage logistics. The two technologies carry product information; however, they differ significantly.
RFID and Barcode technology share some similarities in their performance. Both RFID and Bar Codes have a similar function of tracking the location of assets and inventories. Companies apply either of the two technologies to track assets and store item information for secure storage, access, and online sharing. Another similarity is that both RFID and Bar Codes are used by organizations to collect numerous data of a specific product like quantity, color, price, and others. Another similarity is that both technologies allow retrieval of stored data through fixed or handheld scanning devices. Thus, they are applicable to the inventory tracking workflow.
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The primary difference between barcode and RFID is on the form and mode of operation. A barcode is a visual representation of data that is scanned and used to interpret logistics information. Every barcode comprises a particular code and technology for tracking products ( Stough, 2017) . Barcode uses an optical barcode reader or scanner which decodes the barcode's black bars, which represent a series of numbers. The decided information like manufacture, the product, quantity, and the price is sent to a computer or smartphone for reading and interpretation. Differently, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology reads logistics information through the use of radio frequencies. Tags and RFID reader is required for RFID inventory management systems. Each tag contains a microchip that holds information about a particular product ( Stough, 2017) . Passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) tags are the most commonly used tag; however, some tags can hold up to 8kb data of information of the product ( Vijayakumar & Tom, 2019) . Every tag contains a radio antenna for receiving a signal from the reader. The passive RFID system has its antennae which send out signal leading to the activation of tags within the range. Readers receive bounced signals from the tag and capture the unique identification information of the product.
Another difference between RFID and Bar Codes is on the line of sight. Companies that utilize the software of barcode tracking, either fixed or inventory, requires human labor to aid in scanning every label separately. Due to this, a lot of time is used to perform the scanning and tracking activities. Differently, companies that use RFID tracking software can read hundreds of tags per second since the tags from the reader are activated by radio signal ( White et al., 2007) . Time taken to perform various tasks is reduced, making it easy for companies to scan many items per hour. There is a difference in the form of print materials used in the two technologies. While barcode is printed on adhesive labels or papers, making them prone to damage and wear, whereas RFID tags apply sturdy materials that cannot easily get damaged ( Statler, 2016) . Printing Barcodes in labels in papers and plastic makes them susceptible to problems like getting torn, dirty, and obstructed. The RFID comes in multiple forms, like hard plastics. However, the materials that produce RFID like metals and some liquid materials can interfere with radio signals making it challenging to interact with tags.
RFID and Bar Codes differ in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and cost. When choosing a suitable tracking system, companies have to consider a suitable tracking system for the company's assets. Implementation of barcode technology is less costly compared to the cost of implementing RFID technology ( White et al., 2007) . RFID technology requires specialized label media, readers, and antennae, which are selected to suit the particular environmental conditions and items for tracking. However, more technological advancements are enhancing the cost optimization of RFID in reverse technology ( Yang et al., 2017 ). The range of reading also differs across the two technologies. While RFID tags can read as far as 50 feet meters, a barcode can only read at a arrange of 0 to 10 inches. Lastly, barcode requires limited volume and type of data compared to data stored on RFID tags.
RFID and Bar Codes technologies are transforming to keep up with changing technology and globalization in reverse logistics. Companies are now adapting 2D barcodes in reverse logistics since it holds more information and doing away with traditional 1D barcodes to give more room for expansion ( Stough, 2017) . Companies like the food industry are applying 2D technology in manufactured and packaged food products to track expiry dates. Also, these food companies are using a 2D barcode to identify defective and contaminated products. Also, the emerging track and trace technology is bringing exciting possibility in the future of barcode technology. In the future, more companies are expected to adopt this technology to check on the quality of their products. RFID is continuously gaining traction due to frequent innovations that increase the efficiency of RFID in reverse logistics. For instance, SICK developed an RFID reader that identifies objects without visual contact between the reader and the object. According to Asif (2011), RFID will continue to gain fame in reverse logistics due to its ability to detect quality, quantity, variety, and the cycle of returns. The future of RFID in reverse logistics is promising and more technology will be improved to reduce the cost of tags and increase the data scanned and stored.
References
Asif, R. (2011). Reverse Logistics: RFID the key to optimality. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (JIEM) , 4 (2), 281-300.
Statler, S. (2016). Barcodes, QR Codes, NFC, and RFID. In Beacon Technologies (pp. 317-331). Apress, Berkeley, CA.
Stough, R. R. (2017). New technologies in logistics management'. Ann M. Brewer Kenneth J. Button David A. Hensher (ed.) Handbook of Logistics and Supply-Chain Management , 2 , 513-520.
Vijayakumar, V., & Tom, A. (2019). Lead a concept proof to use RFID technology in tracing of bulky goods in logistics: Bring Logistics, Torsvik.
White, G., Gardiner, G., Prabhakar, G. P., & Razak, A. (2007). A comparison of barcoding and RFID technologies in practice. Journal of information, information technology, and organizations , 2 .
Yang, S., Taghipour, A., & Canel-Depitre, B. (2017, August). Cost Optimization of Reverse Logistics: A Review. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Information Communication and Management (pp. 158-161).
