Transportation logistics management 351

respond to the 3 student forums in order: 100 word minimum 

Intial post: Read this article explaining RFID technology by clicking here.

http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?1339

And watch this video explaining the impact of RFID on the supply chain by clicking here. 

Discuss the current and potential uses for RFID in package tracking. 

Students post 

Student 1 Cleat

 New! Week 8/Cooley
Cleat Cooley(Nov 18, 2017 10:57 PM)- Read by: 4
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Hello Class,
It seems that the military started doing the research and use of RFIDs back in the 70s, I had no idea they had been around that long. Back in 2008 this technology had been adapted by 43 railroads and 19 different countries (Railway Technology, 2008). RFIDs work with a tag placed either on the transport vehicle or the cargo and when the tag gets in range of a receiver it pings it and send the data to the receiver this allows for accurate tracking of what cargo is where in the transport system. The main benefits of RFIDs are that the company will have improved customer service because they will be able to better know where the items are, they provide better feedback on transport times which can lead to better utilization of equipment, and they reduce error in projected delivery times (Railway Technology, 2008).  An RFID company name Xerafy as created an RFID tag for tracking containers specifically in outdoor storage yards (Swedberg, 2017). The way that Xerafy claims it will work better than the competitors is that it is a small tag with a large transmitting range and unlike the competition it will stand up to the elements. It will make the tracking of the movement of containers inside the yard so that yard managers can see if it is being loaded or moving from one spot in the yard to another. It will also make them be able to track both containers and trucks entering and exiting gates (Swedberg, 2017).  The new tag is still in its infancy, but Xerafy has started taking orders so we will see how well the tag will really work soon enough. 

Student 2 Andrew 

Radio frequency identification (RFID) has gained popularity in recent years due to the visibility of material that is associated to the technology. Many retailers use RFID to track inbound and outbound product shipments, movement of material within their stores, and some are incorporating RFID for use in keeping an accurate inventory. Other current uses of RFID include placing a chip in the family pet in order to find its location in the event it runs away or is stolen. 
As RFID technology increases in use, there are many options that are available regarding its use. For instance, I have read blogs on RFID (although perhaps far-fetched) that retailers are wanting to put RFID tags on every single product they sell in order to track customer purchases and track the timing of these purchases throughout the month (Carman, 2017). The argument provided is that if a customer buys a product, such as toothpaste, then a reorder for the customer can be generated once that tube starts running low. I suppose the idea is not that far-fetched, in that consumers rely on Amazon Prime and other instant orders placed online–this is not too far from that concept, although it seems like a serious invasion of consumer privacy. 
Other concepts for RFID technology is inventory tracking throughout stores to determine automatic reorder for retailers. This concept is more feasible but may be an expensive measure to conduct inventory, although if reducing the human element in inventory is executed then maybe the costs will balance out. 

Student 3 Kurt

This week we covered radio frequency information (RFID) technology. I love this technology because it saves my blood pressure from shooting through the roof every day when dealing with my supply chain at work. I deal with RFID tags every day when we order parts to conduct vehicle repairs.  The RFID tag is great when it is paired with automated information system (AIS) technology. The RFID tag allows me to see the last location of where my items are that I ordered around the world. Say I find a rare part on the shelf in a warehouse from a military base located in Korea and I am training in Australia. Through the AIS I utilize, I can order the part and track it as it moves through the supply chain. If my boss asks why it is taking so long for a vehicle to get fixed, AIS paired with RFID technology allows me to give a better answer than “we are waiting on parts.” I can say, “the part we are waiting on left a warehouse in Germany two hours ago and is on its way.” RFID technology paired with AIS also allows for customer wait times to be computed and put into averages to allow for companies to streamline their supply chain processes by being able to reference quantifiable data relayed to the AIS from the RFID tag. I say this because an even better answer to the scenario I gave earlier would be telling my boss that “the part will be here in approximately 36 hours because it left the warehouse in Germany two hours ago.” How do you like RFID technology? Do you think there is more possibilities to this technology than what it is currently used for?