peterg2000
DIAMOND JEDI
Re: The Buzz Chat 02/07
« Reply #282 Today at 9:34am »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Look its quite simple ! RFID technology is available, but its NOT officially in use
by any of the courriers. And certainly NOT globally! The present commonly used
method is via barcode scanning! Each package is identified by a unique barcode
and ALL courriers are equiped to use the technology already in place!
With the technology already in place they can reroute packages. Scanning though
distribution centers is automated to handle that!
RFID although it may be available, is NOT viable YET! Its still experimental!
This is global! So they have to use technology in place GLOBALLY!
If our packages were to be distributed only in a few YEARS then maybe it would be
possible!
Just because a technology exists it DOESN'T mean its in use!
We are being fed mis-information to chase after! Sorry but I have to call BS on this one!
Pete
deathdlr
DIAMOND MINER
Re: The Buzz Chat 02/07
« Reply #291 Today at 11:11am »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You are quite right Peter. I have been in Supply Chain Mgmt for many many years and I just posted in the other RFID titled thread.
I think what isn't being noted here is that a manufacturer, shipper and distribution channel would have to be fully integrated with RFID technology and at each level fully integrated to track said item. This level of interaction is very expensive to integrate.
The couriers tag the item with an RFID tag to track it though their distribution point but again this doesn't come without huge costs. Think about only the cost in the label itself. UPS sorts almost 1 million packages a day. If the could get the labels for a penny or two a piece you would be over a million a day in tags alone. Then you would have to pay someone to put these labels on the packages, because when shippers affix a label it "could" come from your normal deskjet printer at work. Now you need to talk about implementing the technology into the UPS system. I couldn't imaging what the cost would be on this but I would think it would be safe to say 30-50 million domestically.
Go youtube videos of UPS distribution points. They have conveyors with bar code scanning as the package goes down there process.
The technology is surely there. But the practical application as far as this level of integration is still years off. The technology is only as good as the infrastructure that supports it.
Thanks for standing up for this as being a little far fetched Peter!
zeppos
DIAMOND MINER
Re: The Buzz Chat 02/07
« Reply #294 Today at 11:55am »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've worked for DHL for about 14 years and I know they aren't using RFID yet.
In one of our management meetings we had a discussion about RFID a few years ago.
A representative came to explain the advantages of it and he said UPS has been using it for over a decade.
He even explained in detail how their setup was.
So RFID is definately in use and not experimental.
I have a few other examples of RFID in use :
container tracking in port of Antwerp
libraries in the Netherlands
logbuilder
DIAMOND DIGGER
Re: The Buzz Chat 02/07
« Reply #295 Today at 12:03pm »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the point here is that a few days ago, someone else posted (I dont remember which thread ) saying that he/she heard about the RFID technology being used to track packages, and then Harv picked up on it and says that it is being used on our packets as a fact.....
deathdlr
DIAMOND MINER
Re: The Buzz Chat 02/07
« Reply #296 Today at 12:04pm »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPS using RFID is untrue based on computer weekly's article from 2006
www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2....ll-packages.htmCase Study
UPS rules out RFID tagging for small packages
Tuesday 20 June 2006
Global logistics company UPS has ruled out introducing radio frequency identification tagging for small-package tracking for the foreseeable future.
UPS said it would continue to evaluate the technology for possible use across other parts of its business.
However, the company said the cost of the cheapest close-range tags would have to come down substantially for RFID to have a role to play in its core small-package delivery business, which handles an average of 1.5 million international packages and documents every day.
“At package level, barcoding is effective and affordable for as far ahead as we can see,” said Nick Gray, vice-president of information services for UPS Europe.
“We have an established barcode infrastructure in place which meets our needs.”
One of the key differences between RFID and barcode technology is that RFID eliminates the need for line-of-sight reading, which barcoding depends on. Also, RFID scanning can be done at greater distances than barcode scanning.
Although RFID technology is not being used by UPS internally, the firm is monitoring advances closely, and is able to offer advice to customers and support RFID’s use in the supply chain.
“We have customers who track shipments where RFID technology is used and we have tracking systems to support them, such as WorldShip,” said Gray.
UPS last year took a stake in US-based G2 Microsystems, which makes RFID chips for managing and tracking mobile devices over Wi-Fi networks.
The chips allow businesses to track mobile hardware assets worldwide to monitor their usage and update their security.
The technology uses location-based tracking by tapping into Wi-Fi hotspots, which could include warehouses, offices and delivery locations.
UPS drivers and staff use a range of mobile devices to manage and track deliveries.
millionaires.proboards.com/index.....d=37349&page=15