Data Quality at Coca Cola

Products > GS1 EPCglobal (RFID) > What is RFID & EPCGlobal?

What is RFID & EPCGlobal?

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) - is a technology that allows the identification of tagged items without a line of sight. It includes a tag, a reader and a computer system. A RFID tag containing a tiny microchip and an antenna is placed on an object. Most of the RFID tags, which usually carry information in the form of a unique serial number, require no external power.

If a Bar code label is ripped or has fallen off, there is no way to scan the item, and standard bar codes identify only the manufacturer and product, not the unique item. The bar code on one carton of milk is the same as every other, making it impossible to identify which one might pass its expiration date first. An RFID tag with a unique serial number can be easily identified.

RFID is not necessarily "better" than bar codes. They are two different technologies and have different applications, which sometimes overlap.

The big difference between the two is bar codes are line-of-sight technology. That is, a scanner has to "see" the bar code to read it, which means people usually have to orient the bar code toward a scanner for it to be read.

Radio frequency identification (RFID), by contrast, doesn't require line of sight. RFID tags can be read as long as they are within range of a reader.

The tag is activated by radio waves emitted from an RFID reader. The reader communicates wirelessly with the tag. Once activated, the tag sends data stored in its memory relating to the item back to the reader. This data can then be used within and between organisations and trading partners in a secure manner via the EPCglobal Network.

The use of RFID enables businesses to manage their supply chains with unprecedented levels of automation and a vastly improved degree of control.

What is GS1 EPCglobal?

EPCglobal is leading the development of industry-driven standards for the Electronic Product Code (EPC) to support the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in today's fast-moving, information rich, trading networks.

The EPCglobal Network is a suite of tools utilising RFID technology for automatic identification of items moving through the supply chain. It uses the principle of the internet to easily locate and exchange information.