Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Bar-Code Scanners
A bar-code scanner employs a laser scanner to read a bar-coded label. This form of input is
used widely in grocery store checkouts and warehouse inventory control. Often, bar-code
technology is combined with other forms of technology to create innovative ways for cap-
turing data.
Radio Frequency Identification
The purpose of a
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
system is to transmit data by a
mobile device, called a tag (see Figure 3.12), which is read by an RFID reader and processed
according to the needs of an IS program. One popular application of RFID is to place a
microchip on retail items and install in-store readers that track the inventory on the shelves
to determine when shelves should be restocked. Recall that the RFID tag chip includes a
special form of EPROM memory that holds data about the item to which the tag is attached.
A radio frequency signal can update this memory as the status of the item changes. The data
transmitted by the tag might provide identification, location information, or details about
the product tagged, such as date manufactured, retail price, color, or date of purchase.
Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID)
A technology that employs a
microchip with an antenna that
broadcasts its unique identifier and
location to receivers.
Figure 3.12
RFID Tag
An RFID tag is small compared to
current bar-code labels used to
identify items.
(Source: Courtesy of Intermec
Technologies Corporation.)
RFID tag
Boekhandels Groep Nederland (BGN) is a major book retailer with 40 stores in the
Netherlands that sell to roughly 30,000 customers per day. BGN implemented item-level
RFID tagging to track the movement of topics along with new software to create a tightly
integrated warehouse-to-consumer supply chain. With this solution, BGN simplified the
inventory process, reduced errors in inventory, and improved the entire supply chain
process.
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Read the Ethical and Societal Issues special feature to learn about the various approaches
being taken to capture votes in an accurate and verifiable manner.
