Use Of Radio Frequency Identification Technology Research Articles

Smart Shopping Cart Using RFID

Abstract: Optimizing the shopping experience is essential for both customers and businesses in the dynamic world of retail. This research study offers a revolutionary solution called the "Smart Shopping Cart," which uses Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to speed up the shopping experience. This ground-breaking solution promises to boost shopping cart functionality, enhance inventory control, and provide customers with a smooth purchasing experience. The Smart Shopping Cart makes use of an integrated RFID reader system and RFID tags that are attached to each product. It enables automatic item tracking, doing away with the requirement for human checkout scanning. This technologically advanced method cuts down on consumers' wait times at the register and minimizes pricing and item recognition mistakes, enhancing their entire shopping experience. Moreover, the system incorporates real-time inventory management features, enabling retailers to monitor product stock levels efficiently. This results in reduced out-of-stock occurrences and optimized supply chain operations, benefiting both retailers and consumers. Additionally, the Smart Shopping Cart can provide personalized shopping recommendations and promotions, enhancing customer engagement and loyalty. This research paper examines the Smart Shopping Cart's technical implementation, RFID integration, data processing, and security. It analyzes potential benefits, environmental impact, and ethical concerns, focusing on efficiency, reduced operational costs, and customer satisfaction. In conclusion, the Smart Shopping Cart, which makes use of RFID technology, presents a solution that has the potential to change the way people shop currently, to the advantage of both customers and businesses. This innovation offers a tremendous chance for shops looking to stay competitive in the digital age to increase productivity, cut costs, and provide a better shopping experience. This study gives helpful advice for the effective implementation of RFID-based Smart Shopping Carts in the retail sector as well as insights into their potential.

Analysis of Data Reception in the Communication Layer Applied to an Architecture of Mobile Sensor Networks in Marine Environments

This paper is focused on the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology operating at 125 kHz in a communication layer for a network of mobile and static nodes in marine environments, with a specific focus on the Underwater Internet of Things (UIoT). The analysis is divided into two main sections: characterizing the penetration depth at different frequencies and evaluating the probabilities of data reception between antennas of static nodes and a terrestrial antenna considering the line of sight (LoS) between antennas. The results indicate that the use of RFID technology at 125 kHz allows for data reception with a penetration depth of 0.6116 dB/m, demonstrating its suitability for data communication in marine environments. In the second part of the analysis, we examine the probabilities of data reception between static-node antennas at different heights and a terrestrial antenna at a specific height. Wave samples recorded in Playa Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico, are used for this analysis. The findings show a maximum reception probability of 94.5% between static nodes with an antenna at a height of 0 m and a 100% data reception probability between a static node and the terrestrial antenna when the static-node antennas are optimally positioned at a height of 1 m above sea level. Overall, this paper provides valuable insights into the application of RFID technology in marine environments for the UIoT, considering the minimization of impacts on marine fauna. The results suggest that by adjusting the characteristics of the RFID system, the proposed architecture can be effectively implemented to expand the monitoring area, considering variables both underwater and on the surface of the marine environment.

Sustainable and No Contact Attendance System

Abstract: This initiative makes use of RFID technology to keep track of every student who enters the classroomand to determine how long they will spend there. Every student is given an RFID tag under the suggested system. Taking attendance is a procedure. can be carried out by putting the card close to theRFID Reader, which will record all the necessary information about the pupil in the Excel Spreadsheet. A form of electronic device with a small antenna and a chip is known as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) device. Barcode scanners are no longer necessary thanks to RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). It generates a special identification number for that item, which must be scanned to obtain the information, just like a bar code or magnetic strip

Digitalisasi Manajemen Sistem Dokumen Pengelolaan Perpustakaan Universitas Bumigora Menggunakan Teknologi Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Bumigora University developed a web-based library information and data processing system, while the contents of the development of the system were only limited to a single information system in which only admin operators handled the system without any direct interaction with library users, while in the analysis and development of the library system only limited to acquisition and return transactions with a system without involving library human resources, but there are problems that are still often encountered in the management of a library at Bumigora University, there is no guarantee of book safety in the library and the work system of library human resources is not yet optimal. Based on this, a Wireless RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Technology device is needed. This technology supports the identification of book library reshelving, book libraries, book returns with self-service which is expected to provide more accurate information, improve future library services in addition to complementing security aspects. The purpose of this study is to describe the opportunities for Wireless RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to be applied in the Bumigora University library. This study uses an explanatory theory that must be built by researchers based on general data in observations that must be analyzed, explained and interpreted, and uses qualitative methods. The results show that the use of RFID technology in libraries applies both to university libraries, regional libraries, school libraries and others. The use of RFID by Higher Education Libraries will greatly support the following: a. High Speed ​​Inventory System b. Fast Circulation Process The use of RFID will speed up a borrowing and returning circulation process. Therefore, the application of Wireless RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Technology in the Bumigora University library is needed to create a safe and professional library management.

Configuring parameters of information model elements for integration with RFID tags

This article explores the application of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in the field of construction and building management. The possibility of creating an integrated monitoring system with the building’s information model to track the condition and wear of structures during the operational phase is examined. Special attention is given to defining a list of monitored parameters, including the date of the last inspection, the level of structural wear, and the presence and characteristics of installed RFID tags. The study also discusses the implementation of this system throughout various stages of the building’s lifecycle, from design to operation and maintenance. Examples of relevant research are presented, which examine the use of RFID technology in construction and its integration into the building’s information model.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) stock control and geo-location data system from a moving vehicle

PurposeThe purpose of the research has been the primary consideration and evaluation of a cost effective, reliable, robust and simple process of radio frequency identification (RFID)-based stock control, asset management and monitoring of concrete safety bollards used in the road environment. Likewise, the consideration of the use of the same system and technology to other items in and around the general road infrastructure.Design/methodology/approachThe research approach undertaken has been an evaluation of the use of currently available RFID technology, with a key emphasis on low cost, ease of use, reliability and convenience. Practical field exercises completed in considering the relevant RFID tags and readers and associated software and apps and necessary software integration and development have been undertaken. At the same time, evaluating the specific limits created in the specific environment is being applied. Of particular interest has been the use of a moving scan in a vehicle drive-through or pass-bye, type reading system. This has been determined to be viable and completely practical, drastically reducing the key issue of time-taken. Practical application of the system from idea to real life application has been undertaken. The integration of the use of the RFID tag and reader system with necessary and related software to database upload and storage has been established. The creation of an online facility to allow the appropriate use of the data and to include the convenient output of an asset report has been undertaken.FindingsThe findings have provided the necessary insight confirming the use of RFID technology as a simple yet reliable, cost effective and adaptable stock control, asset management and geo-locating system in the road environment. The use of such systems in this particular environment is in its infancy, and is perhaps novel and original in the specific aspect of using the system to stock control, manage and monitor road safety concrete bollards and other roadside objects in the road environment.Originality/valueTo establish if in fact, stock control geo-locating can be reliably undertaken with the use of RFID tags and readers in the specific road and road construction environment, particularly with the use of moving RFID reading of passive tags. To establish the minimum requirements of a field usable RFID tag and reader, specifically applicable to the concrete safety bollards, however to other roadside furniture. To identify the minimum requirements of a function, simple app to minimise general requirements of the overall stock control and monitoring of the RFID-tagged objects. To establish the possibility of reading the tag data, global positioning system (GPS) location and video imaging footage as a single operation function. To determine the basic parameters or limits of the GPS geo-locating, on the proposed products selected and overall system. To determine the current best practice in respect of reasonable accuracy and detail in relation to price considerations to a fully function stock control and monitoring system. To identify the minimum requirements of an online database to receive, house and provide ongoing access to and report on the data. To identify the key differences and benefits between traditional stock control and monitoring systems, against that of proposed RFID tag, read and geo-locating system.

The Evolving Role of Radiofrequency Guided Localisation in Breast Surgery: A Systematic Review

Simple SummaryA large portion of breast lesions are not palpable and need to be marked before surgery in order to aid complete surgical removal. Currently, this is accomplished by placing a hook in the lesion with radiological guidance, which is in turn attached to a wire through the skin. This is a well-understood technique and is called wire-guided localisation (WGL). It has drawbacks, including being uncomfortable for the patient, and the need for the wire to be placed within less than a day of the surgery. This is why certain wireless techniques have been developed to replace WGL. LOCalizer™ is one such technique, which uses radio-frequency identification tags. In this study, we have systematically reviewed the literature regarding LOCalizer™, and confirmed that it is a valid alternative to WGL. We have also highlighted its limitations and suggested potential technical refinements to improve its clinical performance.Wire-guided localisation (WGL) has been the gold-standard for localising non-palpable breast lesions before excision. Due to its drawbacks, various wireless alternatives have been developed, including LOCalizer™, which is based on radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. In this systematic review, we consulted EMBASE, Medline and PubMed databases using appropriate search terms regarding the use of RFID technology in the localisation of occult breast lesions. Retrospective and prospective studies were included if they quoted the number of patients, rate of successful placement, retrieval rate, margin positivity rate and the re-excision rate. In addition, studies comparing RFID to WGL were also included and analysed separately. Seven studies were included in this systematic review spanning 1151 patients and 1344 tags. The pooled deployment rate was 99.1% and retrieval rate was 100%. Re-excision rate was 13.9%. One complication was identified. Two studies compared RFID with WGL (128 vs. 282 patients respectively). For both techniques the re-excision rate was 15.6% (20/128 vs. 44/282 respectively, p value is 0.995). Based on our review, LOCalizer™ is safe and non-inferior to WGL in terms of successful localisation and re-excision rates. However, further research is required to assess the cost effectiveness of this approach and its impact on the aesthetic outcome compared with WGL and other wire free technologies to better inform decision making in service planning and provision.

Use of radio-frequency identification technology to assess the frequency of cattle visits to mineral feeders.

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the frequency of visits to a mineral feeder equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID). In Exp. 1, twelve heifers (Braford, Brahman, and White Angus; n = 4/breed) were fitted with RFID ear tags and placed into a pasture with access to a RFID-equipped mineral feeder. Number of visits were greater (P ≤ 0.05) during daytime than the night period. Brahman and Braford heifers favored (P ≤ 0.05) daytime than night period. White Angus heifers did not display a specific period preference (P = 0.32). In Exp. 2, Black Angus and Brahman cows (n = 15 and 19, respectively) were placed into a pasture with access to a RFID-equipped mineral feeder. Brahman cows made more (P < 0.01) visits to the mineral feeder than Black Angus cows. There were no breed differences on the number of visits during the morning (P = 0.25) and night (P ≤ 0.25) periods, but Brahman cows made more (P ≤ 0.05) visits to the mineral feeder in the afternoon period than Black Angus cows. In Exp. 3, the location of the mineral feeder was tested using 3 groups of Bos indicus-influenced heifers (n = 12/group). The mineral feeder was moved weekly within pasture. The number of visits to the mineral feeder differed for each location (P < 0.001) with visits being greatest when mineral feeder was placed near supplement and water, followed by center of the pasture, and lastly in the shade.

Design of Attendance Recording System for Pilkades Participants Using Web-Based RFID (E-KTP)

The development of information technology has now been widely used to facilitate, accelerate, and streamline work. The recording system that is still being applied is a type of recording using a manual system using paper media and is inefficient when viewed from a time perspective, recapitulating attendance data and the accuracy or authenticity of the data presented. There is still a frequent habit of voting in the village head elections or not being present at the voting process. Contrary to these problems, this research has developed a recording system using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. RFID will use sensors to read data. The use of RFID which can make it easier for KPPS officers at TPS. The use of both active and passive RFID technology is able to help record and move data in KPPS, Use of RFID technology, data will be recorded only by passing through a sensor reader on the device, thus the attendance data present by pilkades participants will be stored automatically in storage. So that the attendance of election participants will be easier to do, faster and avoid human error or fraud in the absence of pilkades

SecLAP: Secure and lightweight RFID authentication protocol for Medical IoT

The safety of medical data and equipment plays a vital role in today’s world of Medical Internet of Things (MIoT). These IoT devices have many constraints (e.g., memory size, processing capacity, and power consumption) that make it challenging to use cost-effective and energy-efficient security solutions. Recently, researchers have proposed a few Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) based security solutions for MIoT. The use of RFID technology in securing IoT systems is rapidly increasing because it provides secure and lightweight safety mechanisms for these systems. More recently, authors have proposed a lightweight RFID mutual authentication (LRMI) protocol. The authors argue that LRMI meets the necessary security requirements for RFID systems, and the same applies to MIoT applications as well. In this paper, our contribution has two-folds, firstly we analyze the LRMI protocol’s security to demonstrate that it is vulnerable to various attacks such as secret disclosure, reader impersonation, and tag traceability. Also, it is not able to preserve the anonymity of the tag and the reader. Secondly, we propose a new secure and lightweight mutual RFID authentication (SecLAP) protocol, which provides secure communication and preserves privacy in MIoT systems. Our security analysis shows that the SecLAP protocol is robust against de-synchronization, replay, reader/tag impersonation, and traceability attacks, and it ensures forward and backward data communication security. We use Burrows–Abadi–Needham (BAN) logic to validate the security features of SecLAP. Moreover, we compare SecLAP with the state-of-the-art and validate its performance through a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation, which shows that it is lightweight, consumes fewer resources on tags concerning computation functions, and requires less number of flows.

The Value Proposition of RFID Technology in Tall Prefabricated Timber Buildings

The full benefit of prefabricated timber systems in the construction of multi-story buildings depends on integration and efficiency in the upstream logistics and supply chain. The purpose of this research is therefore to determine the potential value that the use of Radio-Frequency Identification technology (RFID) can contribute to the prefabricated construction of timber, and to undertake the basic development of a RFID tracking model for this purpose. The methods used in this study not only build on the knowledge gained from previous literature, but also include interviews with industry experts, field trial design and field trials. The research showed that the RFID tracking system's value proposition tends to be strongest where there are large scale and vertically integrated supply chains, logistics complexity between a limited number of discrete but partnered supply chain links and/or internal logistical complexity problems. Therefore, five distinct added value stages of RFID applications have been found in incoming delivery logistics, factory panel production, outgoing delivery logistics, on-site installation and third parties who can inspect the finished construction work. Application of RFID technology in prefabrication factory environments, where fixed readers can be used in predefined processes, was found promising. However, due to the temporary nature of the sites and the associated investment, the capacity for high automation levels is thought to be more limited on site.

Evaluation of RFID Technology to Capture Surgeon Arrival Time to Meet American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Verification Guidelines

Background The presence of an attending surgeon at all highest-level trauma activations is a requirement for American College of Surgeons-Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) verification for level I to III trauma centers. Programs must demonstrate compliance with this criterion at least 80% of the time. Documentation of compliance can increase administrative burden presenting an opportunity for automation. Objectives The aim of this quality improvement project was to compare surgeon arrival documentation rates obtained utilizing radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology with manual documentation. Methods This project was conducted at a single level-I trauma center. RFID badges were distributed to all trauma surgeons. Arrival times for surgeons using manual nursing documentation and RFID activation were collected from October 2017 through March 2018. Presence of appropriate documentation and attending arrival within 15 minutes of trauma activation were compared by documentation method: nursing manual documentation or RFID system. Results There were 98 code trauma activations included in the analysis over the 6-month period. Nursing documentation of trauma surgeon attendance occurred 83% of the time (n = 81), with 81% (n = 79) in compliance within 15 minutes of code trauma activation. RFID badges were activated 91% (n = 89) of the time, with 86% (n = 84) in compliance within 15 minutes. There was no statistically significant difference between the rates of nursing documentation and RFID badge activation. Conclusion RFID technology is a reliable, complementary method of documenting compliance for trauma surgeon attendance. Trauma centers searching for technological solutions to address compliance with ACS-COT guidelines and to reduce administrative burden may consider the use of RFID technology.

Intertidal boulder transport: A proposed methodology adopting Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to quantify storm induced boulder mobility

AbstractBoulder transport is an area of growing interest to coastal scientists as a means of improving our understanding of the complex interactions between extreme wave activity and the evolution of rocky coasts. However, our knowledge of the response of intertidal boulder deposits to contemporary storm events remains limited due to a lack of quantifiable field‐based evidence.We address this by presenting a methodology incorporating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging and Differential Global Positioning Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS) technology to monitor and accurately quantify the displacement of RFID tagged boulders resulting from storm wave activity. Based on preliminary findings we highlight the suitability of the technology and methodology to better understand the spatial and temporal response of intertidal boulders to contemporary storm events.We inserted RFID tags in 104 limestone boulders (intermediate axes from 0.27 to 2.85 m) across a range of morphogenic settings at two sites on the intertidal shore platforms at Bembridge, Isle of Wight (UK). Fifteen topographic surveys were conducted between July 2015 and May 2017 to relocate and record tagged boulder locations (tag recovery rate: 91%). The relocated boulder coordinate data from both sites identified 164 individual transport events in 63% of the tagged boulder array amounting to 184.6 m of transport, including the displacement of a boulder weighing more than 10 tonnes.Incidents of boulder quarrying and overturning during transport were also recorded, demonstrating that despite the relatively sheltered location, intertidal boulders are created and regularly transported under moderate storm conditions. This suggests that contemporary storm events have a greater propensity to mobilise boulders in the intertidal range than has previously been realised.Consequently, by documenting our methodology we provide guidance to others and promote further use of RFID technology to enable new hypotheses on boulder transport to be tested in a range of field settings and wave regimes. © 2018 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Integrated Information System for Radio Frequency Identification Based Administration and Academic Activities on Higher Education

The purpose of the study was to integrated information system for radio frequency identification based administration and academic activities on higher education. Technology based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the environment industry and in the environment of education has been widely applied. In, using the RFID system has penetrated many sectors, from manufacturing, distribution, retail goods storage, hospitals and education. RFID system in Environmental Education has been widely used for Student ID Card, library, attendance and for control of the room automatically. However in the application/usage of RFID system is still designed/designed separately which can lead to instability of the interbank data system built. To fix the issue, conducted a study on the use of RFID technology is integrated to academic and administrative services that are required. System academic administration and service that will enhance any RFID functions used in the transaction. With many RFID data from each service, an integrated RFID information systems needed to manage and monitor any data services. The data used in any transaction using the academic administration and service system will increase every time the RFID is used in the transaction. The RFID data with quite a lot of any services, either for an absences, the student, library services and parking service system, integrated RFID information systems needed to manage and monitor each data service. This integrated information system serves to academic and administrative services under the RFID platform. With this information system, data processing as well as academic and administrative services into a more effective and efficient. In addition to the data management, integrated information system can help in making the report and provide the necessary information to other systems that need to support specific strategic decisions related to administrative services and the academic.

A lightweight mutual authentication approach for RFID tags in IoT devices

In this paper, we present an approach for mutual authentication between server and RFID tags using hash and bitwise computations. The use of RFID technology is changing frequently these days, and their use is widespread. Due to the persistent development of radio frequency identification (RFID), substantial amount of attention has been drawn towards the security issues in RFID from researchers and industries. Mutual authentication between server and the RFID tags is one of the most popular mechanisms to protect these systems from attacks, providing confidentiality, integrity and authentication. But security and privacy issues are also increasing with time as it low cost and have limited resources we need to minimise the computations and storage cost of a protocol too. Our protocol is simple and also ensures the security against various attacks. The security and performance analysis also verifies the strength of our protocol.

New IoT proximity service based heterogeneous RFID readers collision control

Purpose Internet of Things’ (IoT’s) first wave started with tracking services for better inventory management mainly using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Later on, monitoring services became one of the major interests, including sensing technologies, and then more actuation for remote control-type of IoT applications such as smart homes, smart cities and Industry 4.0. In this paper, the authors focus on the RFID technology impairment. They propose to take advantage of the mature IoT technologies that offer native service discovery such as blutooth or LTE D2D ProSe or Wifi Direct. Using the automatic service discovery in the new framework will make heterogeneous readers aware of the presence of other readers and this will be used by the proposed distributed algorithm to better control the multiple RFID reader interference problem. The author clearly considers emerging Industry 4.0 use case, where RFID technology is of major interest for both identification and tracking. To enhance the RFID tag reading performance, collisions in the RFID frequency should be minimized with reader-to-reader coordination protocols. In this paper, the author proposes a simple distributed reader anti-collision protocol named DiSim that makes use of proximity services of IoT network and is compliant with the current RFID standards. The author evaluates the efficiency of the proposal via simulation. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the author proposes a simple distributed reader anti-collision protocol named DiSim that makes use of proximity services of IoT network and is compliant with the current RFID standards. The author evaluates the efficiency of the proposal via simulation to study its behavior in very dense and heterogeneous RFID environments. Specifically, the author explores the coexistence of powerful static readers and small mobile readers, comparing the proposal with a standard ETSI CSMA method. The proposal reduces significantly the number of access attempts, which are resource-expensive for the readers. The results show that the objectives of DiSim are met, producing low reader collision probability and, however, having lower average readings per reader per time. Findings DiSim is evaluated with the ETSI standard LBT protocol for multi-reader environments in several environments with varied levels of reader and tag densities, having both static powerful RFID readers and heterogeneous randomly moving mobile RFID readers. It effectively reduces the number of backoffs or contentions for the RFID channel. This has high reading success rate due to the avoided collisions; however, the readers are put to wait, and DiSim has less average readings per reader per time. As an additional side evaluation, the ETSI standard LBT mechanism was found to present a good performance for low-density mid-coverage scenarios, however, with high variability on the evaluation results. Research limitations/implications To show more results, the author needs to do real experimentation in a warehouse, such as Amazon warehouse, where he expects to have more and more robots, start shelves, automatic item finding on the shelve, etc. Practical implications Future work considers experimentation in a real warehouse equipped with heterogeneous RFID readers and real-time analysis of RFID reading efficiency also combined with indoor localization and navigation for warehouse mobile robots. Social implications More automatization is expected in the future; this work makes the use of RFID technology more efficient and opens more possibilities for services deployment in different domains such as the industry which was considered not only in this paper but also in smart cites and smart homes. Originality/value Compared to the literature, the proposal offers the advantage to not be dependent on a centralized server controlling the RFID readers. It also offers the possibility for an existing RFID architecture to add new readers from a different manufacturer, as the readers using the approach will have the possibility to discover the capabilities of the new interaction other RFID readers. This solution takes advantage of the available proximity service that will be more and more offered by the IoT technologies.

Privacy and RFID Technology: A Review of Regulatory Efforts

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is rapidly becoming a common tool for manufacturers and retailers as they seek to manage supply chains and provide products and services to consumers. However, the widespread use of RFID technology also introduces consumer privacy concerns. This article reviews current regulatory efforts related to RFID, identifies gaps, calls for the enforcement of current guidelines, and provides suggestions for future research.

006 Use of Radio-frequency Identification Technology to Assess the Frequency of Cattle Visits to Mineral Feeders

006 Use of Radio-frequency Identification Technology to Assess the Frequency of Cattle Visits to Mineral Feeders

Accurate Vehicle Location System Using RFID, an Internet of Things Approach

Modern infrastructure, such as dense urban areas and underground tunnels, can effectively block all GPS signals, which implies that effective position triangulation will not be achieved. The main problem that is addressed in this project is the design and implementation of an accurate vehicle location system using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology in combination with GPS and the Global system for Mobile communication (GSM) technology, in order to provide a solution to the limitation discussed above. In essence, autonomous vehicle tracking will be facilitated with the use of RFID technology where GPS signals are non-existent. The design of the system and the results are reflected in this paper. An extensive literature study was done on the field known as the Internet of Things, as well as various topics that covered the integration of independent technology in order to address a specific challenge. The proposed system is then designed and implemented. An RFID transponder was successfully designed and a read range of approximately 31 cm was obtained in the low frequency communication range (125 kHz to 134 kHz). The proposed system was designed, implemented, and field tested and it was found that a vehicle could be accurately located and tracked. It is also found that the antenna size of both the RFID reader unit and RFID transponder plays a critical role in the maximum communication range that can be achieved.

Radio frequency (un)identification: Results from a proof-of-concept trial of the use of RFID technology to measure microenterprise turnover in Sri Lanka

Accurate measurement of stock levels, turnover, and profitability in microenterprises in developing countries is difficult due to the fact that the majority of these firms do not keep detailed records. We test the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags as a means of objectively measuring stock levels and stock flow in small retail firms in Sri Lanka. In principle this offers the potential to track stock movements accurately. We compare the stock counts obtained from RFID reads to physical stock counts and to survey responses. We have three main findings. First, current RFID-technology is more difficult to use, and more time-consuming to employ, than we envisaged. Second, the technology works reasonably well for paper products, but very poorly for most products sold by microenterprises: on average we were able to read only about one-quarter of the products tagged, and there was considerable day-to-day variation in read-efficiency. This results from technical issues arising from read efficiency being comprised by liquids, metal, and product stacking. Third, a comparison of survey responses and physical stock-takes shows much higher accuracy for survey measures than RFID. As a result, we conclude that this technology is currently unsuitable for improving stock measurement in microenterprises, except perhaps for a few products.