MIS Week 7 Discussion - 12 Hours

The use of RFID at organizations like Wal-Mart helps to evolve current technology and helps to identify emerging technologies by uncovering system shortcomings or needs.  Starting with the barcode companies were better able to identify their products and boxed quantities.  The barcode is a simple system of lines that can be read by a bar code reader.  Barcodes represent a numeric or alphanumeric code that is tied to a specific product or group of products.  The product information is entered into a database that stores information related to a specific barcode.  The radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or chip is the realized evolution of barcode technology.  The difference between the barcode and the RFID is the fact that product information is stored on the item itself.  Data is once again entered into a database and then downloaded into the individual RFID chip.  Although not limitless, the extent of entered information available on these chips could be considered extreme.  Information pertaining to the specific product, quantity, quality, build date, builder, supplier, sold to, address information, are just a few of the data blocks available at the touch of a finger.  RFID technology is passive meaning it requires a reader to access the information.  Each chip transmits its information upon being turned on by a transmitter.  Once activated, a reader accesses unique data pertaining to product contained in a box or package. 

The question states do RFID tags at Wal-Mart help emerging technologies?  I believe the answer to this question is yes due to the facts.  As industry explores the possibilities of a product they find ways to refine technology and meet existing needs or ways to reduce costs associated with further development of the technology to reach a new expectation.  I think companies like Wal-Mart can be disruptive to developing small business, but also offer technology gains that can help small companies better compete in the long run.  Technology is a double-edged sword.  Mega corporations seek to better understand a business market and drive out competition all the while evolving the technology to allow its competitors to compete in saturated markets by analyzing sales data to target niche markets that are unsupported by larger retailers. 

We have discussed using RFID technology at my current organization.  Our purpose was to better track inbound and outbound product through our warehouse.  We currently use a canned enterprise software program known as SAP.  The program is designed to handle inventory, but is limited by the data entry step.  As we say in the industry Crap in Crap out.  If the information is lacking or not entered properly errors occur.  For example if we scan a barcode or label and place a packaged product on a shelf on Aisle 3, Row 2, top shelf, but find later that the product was placed on Aisle 3, Row 4, top shelf we might miss an order thinking we have a product in stock.  Because we have misplaced the product nothing on the product is able to explain what it is other than its bar code, which must be scanned.   Now if we utilized an RFID tag we can simply search for the packages signal.  The ability to take an inventory by reading product tags would also be a time saver in our industry.   Lots of opportunities are currently available in the technology field currently and the future of this industry looks to be extremely active.