Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] Essay Example for Free

Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] Essay Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] is considered the biggest advancement in supply chain management since the first barcode was scanned in 1971 (Waters). RDIF is based on technology that has been in used since the 1940s and World War II. More recently, RDIF tags have been used to track wildlife and to allow speeding cars with Smart Pass stickers to breeze through toll booths without having   to stop (Enhance Your Supply Chain with RFID). Only within the past few years has RFID been considered for supply chain applications (Kirk). RFID tags are already being used on shipping pallets, conveyor bins and totes, and packing cartons (Logimax). RFID tags have been embedded in the ears of pets, livestock, and wildlife (Walton), to track school children (Best), and for vehicle tracking systems (WhereNet). Currently, the most common use of RFID technology is to track assets such as desks, office equipment, and other inventory items. About 73 percent of all RFID chips are currently used to track assets (Logimax). That percentage, however, may eventually change. Kirk noted, Every industry will eventually identify a practical application for RFID, but prices will need to come down in order for many industries to consider the technology for enterprise-wide development. The technology received a big boost towards universal acceptance when it was adopted by Wal-Mart, Inc., the worlds largest company. Wal-Mart will require its major suppliers to include RFID tags on their products beginning January 1, 2005 (Barlas). For the end user, the concept behind RFID is the same as the concept behind the barcode. Information is recorded onto an RFID tag that is either attached to or embedded into an item. The recorded information may then be retrieved when the tag is scanned. For end users, the most significant differences between RFID and barcodes will be ease of scanning and the ability to update information. The workhorse of the RFID system is the small radio transponder, called a tag, that is either embedded in or attached to an object. The tag consists of a microchip attached to an antenna. The RFID tag transmits a low-power radio signal that is picked up by the scanner, which is essentially a radio transceiver. RFID is a new technology of storage of identified information about commodity, cargo, product or, for example, participant of some conference. Information is recorder on a micro scheme and together with miniature antenna is placed at/inside of some material. As a result, some token, label, tag appears, which is able to transfer recorder information for a small distance. It is natural that to read information from RFID-bearer we need reading or, as it is called, interrogatory device. This device has an antenna and can be fixed or portable like scanner for reading of bar-codes. Actually, RFID is a further development of technology of marking with help of code-bars.   The advantage is that radio allows reading information in conditions of absence of direct visibility between devices of reading and transferring of information. It means that reading of information with the help of RFID technology can be automated and to take place without direct participation of people. RFID is integrated with any system of coordination, and read information can be recorder into database. You can place inside of RFID-bearers any data, they can be mediators for transfer (synchronization) of information between different information systems. RFID-bearers can keep in memory the history of origin (genealogy) of the product, what allows using them together with other devices in order to increase automation level of manufacture and to preserve from mistakes in this process. There are several types of RFID-bearers. Before you choose any, you need to compare basic technical characteristics of RFID system and standards, which exist in the government regarding frequency regulation. There are two types of RFID-bearers: active and passive. Active RFID tags contain a small battery that is good for about 20 hours of transmission time. Active tags have a longer transmission range than passive tags. They are used when the tag will only be needed for a limited amount of time and/or there is a limited amount of data to store and pass. Active tags are available in read-only or read-write versions. The main characteristics of active tags are: accumulator power supply; data transfer for distance of 8-30 meters; the cost is approximately $20-70 per each; possibility to find its location in the system of two coordinates; the example of usage are cashier posts in supermarkets. The characteristics of passive RFID-bearers are: power supply from reading device; data transfer for distance from several inches to 7,00 meters; the cost is approximately $1 per each; identification of separate products; the example of usage is system of stock-taking. Passive RFID tags wake up when they are scanned. Because they have no battery to wear out, passive tags will last for the life of the object to which they are attached. Passive tags come with either read/write or read-only capabilities. Mostly all the readers follow the basic architecture as shown below. RFID systems are proposed to be used mainly in frequency ranges which don’t need to get a license, so it helps to decrease the cost for their application. There are several radio ranges like these: 125/134, 2 kHz, 13, 56 MHz, 900 MHz and 2, 4 GHz. The distance to read information from the bearer is mainly determined by area where it is used. Nevertheless, bearers which work at long and short waves, can transfer data at distances from 2,5 till 50 sm; passive bearers in frequency range of 900 MHz, work at distance till 7 meters, and in frequency rages – from 30 sm till 2 meters. The 13.56-MHz tags hold as much as 2,000 bits of data, or roughly 30 times the information of 125-KHz tags (Brewin). There is currently no FCC standard for RFID tag frequencies, although manufacturers are working towards developing standards that could be universally accepted. Sony and Philips have agreed to develop technology operating at 13.56 MHz. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Chinas State Radio Regulatory Commission have agreed to support the 434 MHz radio-frequency band (Spiegel Supply Chain Management Review) We need to take into account that distance of action in many respects depends of material in which RFID-micro scheme is placed. Micro scheme is â€Å"tuned† for a certain material. In case you’ll put micro scheme for car windscreen, working at radio range 900 MHz, in a wooden box, there will be some difficulties to read information. Radio-specialists know also that any radio range correspond to certain antennas. RFID just stared to be used in the modern society, mainly in retail trade and storage service for automatic stock-taking. On every interesting story took place in 2003 with a famous electronic manufacturer Philips Electronics and manufacturer of clothes Benetton. In the end of March one of directors of Philips Semiconductor gave information regarding their plans for the nearest future. Particularly, he told that Philips will supply 15 millions of RFID chips to Italian company Benetton, which, in its turn, will use them in their production, selling in their own trading network consisting of five thousand shops over the world. They told that any kind of clothes which costs more then 15 dollars will have RFID chip, realized on basis of tiny micro scheme Philips I.CODE. Although RFID chips are widely used in manufacture processes of Dell computers or automobile giants like Toyota and Ford, new initiative for fashion industry is the large-scale operation. Many famous firms like Prada, Wal-Mart, Tesco already use RFID technology but in smaller quantities. The micro scheme I.CODE will be pressed into â€Å"smart teg† in the process of clothes manufacture. Benetton wanted to put information about a model type , size, color and destination in order to watch the way of every piece from manufacture and storage till retail. I.CODE chip has 1024 bytes of re-writing information (EEPROM) and works at frequency range 13,56 MHz. One can read information from micro scheme at distance till 1,5 meters (conditions of direct visibility are not obligatory). For the moment of 2003 Philips sold approximately more then half a milliard of such micro chips to different customers. The wholesale price is less then 20 cents per each (Richard W. Boss). Naturally, new initiative of Benetton aroused aversion from people who considered it a violation of privacy. The company agreed that there is not much use from such tags, and tried to find a way to deactivate chip at the moment of commodity sale, in case there will be a lot of protesting customers. For the moment, the only way out to get rid of â€Å"tag at your neck† is to cut it off from the product. What are advantages of using RFID tags? Let’s imagine that such tags will be inside of any product which is in supermarket: you just take the necessary thing and go out – without long queers to cashier and other â€Å"benefits† of modern trading system. When you go out from the shop, there is a device, which makes reading of information regarding the price of your shopping from commodity tag and from tag which is in your credit card or passport, and the bill they will send you directly home. It is very convenient to the seller as well, because it helps to simplify the process of trading. This example is the simplest one. They plan to use RFID tags almost everywhere – starting from books and clothes and finishing with money bills (European Union, 2005). Their usage will help to simplify and automate many routine operations, which we make every day. Besides, RFID tags usage will help to increase effectiveness of many processes. Let’s imagine that the buyer of clothes with such tag will come, wearing these clothes, to another shop of the same company (remember Benetton with its trading network): computer will scan it, read the tag and will get the information from internet from central database regarding what this man have bought last time and what they can offer him in first turn. But, as think numerous members of societies for human rights defense, RFID tags in clothes of human being can be used incorrectly: the government will be able to watch dislocation of people (RFID scanners will be added to places where there are a lot of people such like metro stations, squares, crossroads, etc), as well as hackers, freackers and others can use the tags with bad intentions. Access to databases will allow, without any doubt, to identify personality by tags, and this is loss of privacy. Still, it will take time to make the usage of RFID tags in such a way: nowadays RFID tags and equipment are quite expensive and not so popular. There is possibility to put inside the chip a device or program, which will deactivate tag by customer’s wish.   Ã‚  Ã‚   By information of CNET agency, aviation company Delta Air Line invests 15-25 million dollars in integration of RFID technology in its system of luggage processing, After the system will be installed, operator will be able to control dislocation and motion of passenger luggage from terminal of company, where they will put a radio tag â€Å"Destination point – (name of airport)†. The only difference of this new technology is that passenger at least, will know where is his luggage. Now the systems is as follows: radio scanners read information from tiny RFID tags, are installed in zone of passport control, along the belt of transporter which moves the luggage to cargo airliner, and finally, near the doors of cargo liner. Preliminary tests made by Delta Airlines by route Atlanta-Jacksonville, have shown that operator is able to follow up the cargo almost all the time, when the cargo is at zone of his responsibility. Quite possible, that in the nearest future this possibility will have passengers as well (Richard W. Boss). Nowadays, Delta Airlines looses four suitcases from every thousand, which costs more then one hundred million dollars per each year, spent for search of suitcases and compensation of lost things. Considering the fact that Delta, like many of American air companies experiences some financial problems, possibility to cancel these expenses from their budget was the main factor for management of company for such innovations. RFID is often used in circumstances, which can be called unusual. For example, not long time ago identification of animals and putting tags at them was considered to be a novelty. Tradition of such â€Å"strange usage† is increasing. In Las Vegas were held tests for electronic management and identification of value in BlackJack games. All chips-stakes in system â€Å"Safe Jack† contain components Hitag from Micron Identification – Austrian company, belonging to Philips. When the player puts tag in the field of stake, they are recognized and the stake is taken. Several chips can be recognized even if they are put into pile. Given cards are recognized automatically, so every game is under control. Increasing of safety and protection from cheating, collection of statistic data as well made a number of casino owners to show interest to such an interesting system. Because â€Å"Safe Jack† doesn’t prevent a usual way of game, players adopted new system and moreover, novice usage of technology in this field added to the game attraction. These RFID tags will help also to avoid false casino dibs. Usually owners of casino used colors luminescent in ultraviolet. Such protection wasn’t effective enough, so from time to time they were forced to change all the casino dibs, and this procedure not only costs a lot of money, but irritates casino players as well. This idea will prevent robberies from side of stuff as well and owners of casino will get opportunity to watch players which squander money and will have a chance to work with them in order to force them spend more money, for example, proposing them a room in hotel or free drink. Nowadays, the researchers develop works, which will allow finding out if this system will be also good for other games (Richard W. Boss). German company Metro Group also starts RFID identification at chain of supply of its production. Twenty suppliers of company will deliver identification tags to their distribution centers. Company declared that will start to use new technologies on computer basis and information technologies of IBM corporation, which will be used in order to provide standard infrastructure of deliveries in process of manufacture and delivery during collecting, analysis and management of information regarding supplies, received with the help of identification tags and reading devices. â€Å"Means of identification will lift up the industry of retail to a new level†, these are words of Gerd Wolfram, manager of project Metro Group Future Store Initiative. Taking into account Metro, this system will provide constant control under the process of delivery in internet, which will allow the sellers to determine exact dislocation of commodity at any stage of delivery process from supplier to distributor storage facilities and centers. The Metro supermarket in Reinberg is full of technical novelties, which make contact of shop with the customers more personalized. The customer can take in the entrance to the shop a small computer, a personal helper. Gerd Wolfram enters code of his loyalty card inside the computer. We can see personified greeting note and proposition of special individual discounts. â€Å"Really, I buy this kind of bread very often, tells Gerd, the technology allows us to give personal promo-offers, which the customers like very much† (Richard W. Boss). The clever court has other functions as well. For example, we can send from home computer a list of products (About 61,3% of customers in Germany prefer make shopping in accordance with a list), and when you’ll authorize your loyalty card, the list will appear at the monitor. The computer will play a role of navigation system then – it will show direction to the noted product. All shelves in supermarket are supplied with electronic prices (there is about 37  000 of prices). Some of them contain two prices: usual and with discount. â€Å"You can refresh information for prices very quickly†, notes Wolfram and goes to information desk. There are 16 such desks in supermarket. Wolfram puts to scanning device of terminal a bottle of wine. The monitor displays information about manufacturer – region, recommended temperature of storage, etc. If we put there meat, monitor displays schematic picture of caw, and the back flashes. The screen offers to look through and to print the recipes. All these 16 RFID terminals give the managers an opportunity to watch all dislocations of people inside the supermarket. People, who took the commodity with RFID chip. It shows how many minutes he spends, how he is going, what is he interested in. Advertising displays react to this customer as well – when he approaches, different advertisings are been played – but they consist of information that interests the customer. RFID helps against thefts as well. â€Å"Within 10 years RFID system will appear on all commodities†, optimistically notes Wolfram. We go to cashiers. You can pay with a help of cashier or scan the commodity by yourself with the help of interactive sensor monitor. The buyer scans commodity and puts it into a plastic bag, which is located on a special device – controller. â€Å"In case somebody forgot to scan a commodity and put it into the bag, the system will remind him. Besides, the process is controlled with help of video cameras, notes Wolfram.    Device takes credit cards and cash. With the help of this system we managed to make process of client servicing faster† (Richard W. Boss). In the middle of November the biggest world trading network Wal-Mart and manufacturer of cosmetics Procter Gamble were in the centre of scandal as a result of high-tech. They put in one of supermarkets in Tals as experiment, a shelf with lipstick Max Factor LipFinity, each package of which had RFID tag. Besides, they put a web-camera, which allowed specialists of company-manufacturer to watch the process of trading. The representative of lipstick manufacturer explained: â€Å"We wanted to understand, if this technology will help to provide availability of our production on shelves. We know tat our clients are irritated when they cannot find necessary product which is absent or isn’t in the right place†. Control of commodity in real time almost without participation of human is able to influence the volumes of trading and concurrent struggle, simultaneously decreasing the manufacturer’s expenses. The customer who bought a lipstick with RFID tag and who has it in her bag, will be noticed during her next visit to the shop. This scandal, possibly, will be an obstacle in the way of usage of RFID technologies in retail networks, but RFID tags are already used where the defenders of private life don’t have access. First of all, RFID technologies are used in non-contact access cards and tickets. Here is used a high principle of high-tech application â€Å"don’t want – don’t use†. Sure, you can refuse from high-tech access card or a ticket, but at the same time you’ll loose work or discounts for travel. The manufacturer of domestic electric appliances company Merloni is ready to supply washing machines with system of support of RFID tags – because tags can contain coded recommendations for washing. Company Goodyear plans to supply with RFID tags tires, which it produces. Here tag should reflect their basic features, as well as height of protector and pressure. Quite probably this will be for tires for commercial transport (trucks). Russian company Luxsoft develops connections between RFID tags and sensor networks (networks of miniature sensors, possessing calculation possibilities, means of wireless connection and number of sensors) – it will allow in perspective to add into tags additional information, for example, about temperature or humidity at separate stages of transporting. The Ministry of Defense of the United States, which is known for its love to new technologies, announced that till year 2005 all suppliers of USA army should put on commodity, except of friable products and big volumes of liquids, by RFID tags. By opinion of military, this approach will allow to improve control for commodity presence and for its supply. Still, don’t forget the fact that spies will have possibility to watch the dislocation of military supplies and separate subdivisions. Basic tasks in library business are to prevent robberies, to make a database for books and cd-s, and search some definite books with certain criteria. All these tasks cannot be fully realized with help of barcodes and usual means of theft prevention. The French company Tagsys offers specialized decision for libraries. RFID tag realizes simultaneously all these functions and allows keeping information regarding definite book or CD, for example, place where it should be kept. The system consists of the following parts: Terminal for reading of barcodes and reading/writing of radio tags. It allows connecting a usual scanner of barcodes and presents convenient and quick transfer of information from barcodes to RFID tags. Scanning of barcode, recording of RFID tag and activation of safety function is made within one second. With the help of terminal we are able to read and program new RFID tags by any kind of data. Terminal for simultaneous reading of several tags (till 16) This is terminal for table of registration. Is has more functions than the previous one. It consists of separate control block and one or two antenna. It allows scanning till 16 RFID tags at the same time, what allows fastening in dozens of time work with clients. System of safety. System of safety in order to prevent theft of books, which don’t have activation of safety in RFID tags. This is an independent device, consisting of two posts, which is able to produce controlling signals to close the doors, recording of camera or give siren signal. It can be put on any surface, which doesn’t conduct current. Barcodes can only hold a relatively small amount of information. RFID tags can hold much more information, including serial numbers, shipping information, name, price, and any other information that might be useful for a specific purpose. Unlike barcodes, which cannot be updated as the product moves from place to place, the information on RFID read/write tags may be updated as the product passes through the supply chain. Updates may include logging the time of receipt, sales order numbers, quality control information, or even data that would allow the tag to serve as a bill of lading for shipping (Logimax). Proponents of RFID point out that the system boosts productivity and is cost-effective, eliminating scanning times required by barcodes and reducing paperwork. RDIF is fast, although not as fast as some may believe. Current RFID readers are reported to read up to 150 tags per second, not thousands (Kirk). Still, scanning 150 tags per second with RFID is much faster than the time required to scan 150 barcoded items. In inventory management alone, Logimax estimates productivity gains in the 5 to 10 percent range. Additional time would also be saved by being able to know exactly where product is along the supply chain: on the shop floor, in the warehouse, or in the store. WhereNet estimates that RFID can reduce the delivery chain by 1 to 3 days. If companies deploy RFID and data synchronization, the total savings on improved information can reach $200 to $400 billion (Spiegel,RFID and data sync seen delivering billions in savings.). Kirk is more conservative with his estimates, noting that early adopters of RFID technology have seen 3 percent to 5 percent reduction in overall supply chain costs and 2 percent to 7 percent increases in revenue from inventory visibility (Kirk). Kirk lists five ways by which RFID improves productivity and increases profits: Reduced labor in high-volume product identification Reduced labor in lot tracking Increased information accuracy throughout the supply chain Automated proof of delivery Real-time inventory levels The power of RFID could increase exponentially when the tags are linked to the Internet. A article from Sun notes that information on RFID tags could be hyperlinked to additional information, including manufacturing batch and production history, product handling instructions, storage or delivery instructions, expiration dates, and other details. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination. (Enhance Your Supply Chain with RFID). Kirk, however, points out what RFID is not capable of doing. RFID can tell the distributor if the product is in the warehouse, what time it arrived, and when it is expected to leave, but it cannot locate an item. RFID is not a Global Positioning System [GPS] (Kirk, emphasis as it appears in the original). RFID may, however, be used along with a GPS system to locate items with an accuracy of 10 feet. RFID radio waves cannot penetrate liquids, may have trouble penetrating metal, and may pick up interference from electric motors and other electromagnetic devices. These potential limitations could affect how RFID will be used in some production facilities and warehouses. The benefits of RFID come at some price. Spiegel reports that suppliers to Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense and their customers will need to spend $3 million to $35 million implementing RFID in 2004 (Spiegel, R. RFID and data sync seen delivering billions in savings). Per unit costs decrease with volume, which is why Wal-Mart can afford to implement the system. Smaller businesses might not be able to afford the upgrade to RFID. For those who will not be buying literally billions of RFID tags at a time, the low-end cost is about 30 cents per tag, depending on the type of the chip, how it is housed, and the volume purchased. More durable tags that are designed to withstand the harsh environments found in manufacturing applications can cost between $2 -$4 each at volumes of tens of thousands (Kirk). Prices for tags and other RFID technology will no doubt drop over time. Early cell phones and Palm Pilots were much more expensive and did much less than models that are sold today. Eventually, prices for RFID tags and systems will almost certainly drop as use of the technology becomes more widespread. As with any new technology, there are some concerns regarding issues surrounding security and abuse. RFID tags can carry a lot of information, including an items manufacturing and distribution history. Tags could also record credit card information, which presents another potential security risks. In order to be able to meet the demands of industry, RFID tags must transmit indiscriminately to any scanner that is in the area. Tags and scanners could be misused to gain unauthorized information. There are also concerns about privacy. Actually, all rumors regarding unsanctioned usage of RFID tags are a result of ignorance of different things about RFID technology. It is not a secret that practice to implant tags to people in USA and Mexico.   In 2002 company Applied Digital Solutions got right to sell microchips VeryChip, which are implanted to people and containing his identification code. This code can be connected with database, where any kind of information can be contained, as well as any medical data. The matter is that such chip is a possibility to get medical help in time for many families, who have ill people at home, or for example, to find a person until he gets into trouble. From the other side, and this information can be confirmed by any expert in this field,- it is possible to defend from RFID tags. The idea is to make a â€Å"jammer† which will be able to oppose the reading device. Sure, the best way is to make it in the image and likeness of RFID tags. The â€Å"jammer† should present a device, copying work of radio-identifying micro schemes, with the only difference that it should present as a reply for requests of scanners not correct information, but some accidental garbage. Two moments are important in work of such device. First of all, it should understand requests of different scanners. Second of all, the best way is to give as answer for one request a lot of answers simultaneously. This is supposition that in such situation scanner will simply confuse. This idea belongs to company RSA Security, which for the present moment is researching it in its laboratories and plans to make test micro schemes in the nearest future. So, actually, strugglers for freedom can sleep with calm. At least, this not so revolutionary technology will not bereave them of freedom. Rumors about RFID technology being used to track products to the homes of individuals are probably exaggerated. The limited transmission range of the chips and the lack of GPS capabilities rules out any feasible use of RFID as a system for tracking individual items beyond the store or warehouse. Wal-Mart will be using RFID to track pallets and other shipping containers and not to track individual items. Wal-Mart had explored the possibility of using Smart Shelves equipped with RFID to indicate when inventory was running low or to detect the possibility of theft. Gillette announced that it would work with Wal-Mart to develop packaging that was compatible with the Smart Shelf system. However, the project was deferred after concerns over consumer privacy were raised by consumer groups (Gilbert). Organizations that use RFID will save money in the long-term through increased productivity, decreased inventory loss, and more reliable tracking of inventory. However, these long-term benefits will only be reaped by those who can afford the high start up costs of the technology. There is currently no race to the bottom for RFID technology. Although the price of tags may have dropped since the first tags were introduced, these savings are typically realized only by those organizations that are large enough to buy large quantities of tags – literally billions – at a time. Smaller firms will continue to pay higher prices for RFID tags. High cost of implementation combined with the tendency of some organizations to stick with proven technologies until all the kinks are worked out of the latest generation of products means that barcodes will continue to be in use for some time. It is unlikely that the barcode scanner at the supermarket will be replaced with an RDIF scanner in the near future, although RFID could easily be used for that application. It is more likely that the two systems will exist side-by-side for some time to come, with RFID being used for manufacturing, shipping, and other large-scale business purposes and barcodes being used for smaller, more individual applications, such as pricing individual items. So, a short summary for usage of RFID tags will be as follows: By some forecasts, year 2005 will be decisive for RFID technologies: we expect decrease of prices – XEROX announced the new method of jet-print of RFID tags. Till 2007 market of equipment and service for RFID will be more then 4 milliard dollars. This fact proves the concept that RFID technology is very perspective and has numerous variants of usage. Data of RFID tag can be re-writed and added, it can be classified; tags are more long-termed; the location of tag isn’t of any importance for tag reader; the tag is better protected from influence of environment. In case the RFID scanners will be systematized and work in all used frequencies, the usage will be simpler and more effective. So, finally, we can conclude that RFID technology has a great future. Works Cited Barlas, Demir. Wal-Marts RFID Mandate Line56.com June 04, 2003. Online. 13 August 2004 http://www.line56.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=4710 Best, Jo. Schoolchildren to be RFID-chipped Slicon.com 8 July 2004. Online. 13 August 2004 http://networks.silicon.com/lans/0,39024663,39122042,00.htm Brewin, B. Radio Frequency Identification Computer World. 16 December 2002. Online 13 August 2004 http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/technology/story/0,10801,76682,00.html Enhance Your Supply Chain with RFID. Sun. Online 13 August 2004 http://www.sun.com/br/manufacturing_1120/feature_rfid.html Gilbert, A. Major retailers to test smart shelves' CNET News.com 8 January 2003. Online: 14 August 2004 http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-979710.html Kirk, Julie. Pennies a Tag: Making Cents Out of RFID Myths. White paper. Applied Creative Technologies. May 2004. Online. 13 August 2004 http://www.appliedcreativetech.com/pdfs/RFIDMyths.pdf Logimax Making Sense of RFID White paper. Online 13 August http://www.e-logimax.com/downloads/l_making_sense_of_rfid.pdf Spiegel, R. RFID and data sync seen delivering billions in savings. Supply Chain Management Review; 1 May 2004. HighBeam.com Database. 13 August 2004. http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc3.asp?DOCID=1G1:118850308 Speigel, R. Supply Chain Management Review 8.5.66. ProQuest Database 13 August 13, 2004. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004 Walton, Marsha. USDA steps up efforts to track livestock CNN 28 May 2004. Online. 13 August 2004 http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/05/24/animalidentification/index.html Waters, Jennifer. Wal-Marts muscle advancing use of RFIDs Investors Daily 6 July 2004. Online. 13 August 2004 http://www.investors.com/breakingnews.asp?journalid=22013065brk=1 WhereNet. WhereNet Automates Vehicle Tracking and Management for Automotive OEMs 10 August 2004. HighBeam.com Database. 13 August 2004 http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc3.asp?DOCID=1G1:120383879 Richard W. Boss, RFID Technology, Public Library Association (PLA) Tech Notes