Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

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Part of our Blurring the boundaries (2): how technology is changing the way we learn series

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices are becoming increasingly common. The current use is mainly in the area of Supply Chain Management for large retail operations. A small identification chip is attached or embedded into the item to be tracked, and when in the proximity of a reader, it returns a unique identification number.

Sun Microsystems see RFID increasingly being used in educational establishments, the earliest adopters being the university libraries. In one instance a library saved $40K in replacement costs for 500 ‘lost’ books that turned up when the collection was tagged. Asset management is also a market for RFID allowing more efficient management of items from chairs to overhead projectors.

As well as the more mundane tracking of ‘things’ using RFID, there have been some forays into the tracking of school pupils. The perceived benefits include rapid registration, child security, and the management of ‘rowdy’ students. Whilst some trials have been considered successful a number of schools in the United States have fallen foul of civil liberties campaigners.

RFID - In Our View

We are of the view that RFID will become increasingly common in modern asset management solutions in sectors such as education, healthcare and local government services such as libraries.

The ability to track the location and number of physical objects in real time provides real benefit in terms of efficiency, providing data that can be incorporated into management information systems and used to improve processes. In contrast to this, the tracking of people, especially children, will take longer to iron out.

While there are obvious benefits for safety and security, as well as the efficiency factor, there are also privacy issues, which will require more clarity through consumer education or even from a legislation perspective before widespread introduction is seen.

Permission based approaches are meeting with limited success although these may have trouble scaling out to the wider market because of the civil liberties issues.

Also in our Blurring the boundaries (2): how technology is changing the way we learn series:

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If you have any questions about the subjects covered in this white paper or you would like to find out more about how Oakleigh Consulting could help your organisation, please contact us on 0161 835 4100 or email us.

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