RFID tags are not like bar codes. Just because you see a tag doesn’t mean your RFID equipment will see it. Conversely, if you can’t see a tag, that doesn’t mean your RFID equipment won’t read it. To make sense of this contradiction, it’s important to understand the basic concepts about RFID tags, tag placement, and how tagged assets are going to be identified and tracked through the supply chain.

If you’re implementing in retail, logistics, or transportation operations, that means understanding the complex journey of a product from manufacturer to store, and the different ways a tag’s readability may be affected. You must choose your real estate wisely and place RFID tags with consistency. It is time and money well spent because if your tagged product doesn’t read, either your customer will catch it and charge you a handling fee, or they won’t catch it and you’ll lose the cost of the product because your customer’s inventory will be wrong. You might even have to send a replacement product. Remember: Exception handling is far more costly than the price of an RFID tag.

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