SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

OF RFID


AUGUST 30, 2014


i
United International University

Course Name: Supply Chain Management
Course Code: MKT-4308
Supply Chain Management of RFID

Submitted to:
Mimnun Sultana
Assistant Professor
UIU

Submitted by:
Name ID
Md. Nurul Afsar mazumdar 111 102 034
Nuruzzaman Bablu 111 102 073
Sanjida Parveen Tarin 111 101 043
Sohag Chandra Roy 111 102 119
Md. Imran Hossain 111 101 214

Sec: A
BBA
Date of Submission: August 30, 2014




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Letter of Transmittal

August 30, 2014
Mimnun Sultana
Senior Lecturer
United International University, Bangladesh

8/A, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
Dear Mam,
In compliance with the fulfillment of the requirements on the subject Supply Chain
Management of RFID the proponents would like to present the proposal entitled supply chain
management of RFID, in accordance with your instructions.
The main purpose of the report is to understand the supply chain management of RFID. This
will help to know about the supply chain management of RFID which helps to manage the
parties involved in supply chain.
I hope that this proposal will meet your approval.
Very truly yours,
Md. Nurul Afsar Mazumder
(On the behalf of group)


Accepted By
Mimnun Sultana


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Acknowledgement
Praise is to Allah Almighty, the one testing us all at all times and making decisions about what
we dont know and cant know. Writing this report appeared to be a great experience to us. It
added lot to our knowledge while we were working on this report. If we say that this report is
one of our memorable experiences in student life, then it would not be wrong. We owe
profound gratitude to Mimnun Sultana stimulating our creative abilities by assigning this report
to me. We are immensely obliged to all our fellow friends who guided us in making this report,
without those considerate attention and interest; it would be difficult to complete this report
on time. Whatever we have learnt from them and this Assignment report has put indelible
impression on my mind. It is my conviction that this learning experience will always be a source
of help in my practical life and professional career.




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Executive Summary



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Contents
Introduction: ................................................................................................................................................. 1
RFID: .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
Operation of RFID: ................................................................................................................................ 2
History: ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
RFID System Work: ................................................................................................................................ 4
Application of RFID: .............................................................................................................................. 6
1. Commerce ..................................................................................................................................... 7
2. Transportation and logistics.......................................................................................................... 9
3. Human identification .................................................................................................................. 10
4. Institutions .................................................................................................................................. 10
Sports .......................................................................................................................................... 14
RFID use in Libraries: ............................................................................................................................... 14
Components of an RFID System .............................................................................................................. 15
1. Tags ............................................................................................................................................. 15
2. Readers ....................................................................................................................................... 16
3. Antenna ....................................................................................................................................... 17
4. Server .......................................................................................................................................... 17
5. Handheld Reader/Inventory Wand ............................................................................................. 18
6. External Book Return .................................................................................................................. 18
Key Features of RFID in Libraries ............................................................................................................ 18
Self-charging/Discharging ................................................................................................................... 19
Reliability ............................................................................................................................................. 19
High-Speed Inventorying..................................................................................................................... 20
Automated Materials Handling ........................................................................................................... 20
Tag Life ................................................................................................................................................ 20
Disadvantages of RFID Systems: ............................................................................................................. 20
Installations ............................................................................................................................................. 23
Recent Developments ............................................................................................................................. 23
Next-Generation Uses of RFID ................................................................................................................ 23
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 24


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Recommendations for ................................................................................................................................ 25
Reference: ................................................................................................................................................... 26





1
Introduction:
Radio Frequency Identification or RFID has sprung into prominence in the last five years with the
promise of providing a relatively low cost means for connecting non electronic objects to an information
network. In particular, the retail supply chain has been established as a key sector for a major
deployment of this technology. This short report provides a background to the technology and its
position with regard to competing technologies. A range of applications is reviewed and we conclude
with some comments on the likely societal impact of RFID and potential barriers to deployment. This
report is aimed at a non-technical audience, namely senior staff from a spectrum of areas, such as
insurance, banking, telecommunications, government institutions and academia. The report does not
cover any technologies other than RFID, in particular those that may be candidates for tracking people.
RFID:
RFID stands for Radio-Frequency Identification. The acronym refers to small electronic devices
that consist of a small chip and an antenna. The chip typically is capable of carrying 2,000 bytes
of data or less. RFID( Radio Frequency Identification) is the use of radio waves to read and
capture information stored on a tag attached to an project a tag can be read from up to several
feet and does not need to be within direct line-of-sight of the reader to tracked. It also means
that wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically
identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. The tags contain electronically stored
information. Some tags are powered by and read at short ranges (a few meters) via magnetic
fields (electromagnetic induction). Others use a local power source such as a battery, or else
have no battery but collect energy from the interrogating EM field, and then act as a passive
transponder to emit microwaves or UHF radio waves (i.e., electromagnetic at high frequencies).
Battery powered tags may operate at hundreds of meters. Unlike a barcode, the tag does not
necessarily need to be within line of sight of the reader, and may be embedded in the tracked
object.


2

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is part of the family of Automatic Identification and Data
Capture (AIDC) technologies that includes 1D and 2D bar codes. RFID uses an electronic chip,
usually applied to a substrate to form a label that is affixed to a product, case, pallet or other
package. The information it contains may be read, recorded, or rewritten.
Operation of RFID:
RFID relies on radio frequency communication. The RFID reader emits energy, in the form of a
radio wave at a particular frequency, which is used to power and to communicate with the RFID
tags. In other words, the maximum operating distance between the RFID reader and a tag is
limited. The exact range depends on a great many factors, including the radio frequency being
used for communication, the power emitted by the RFID reader, sources of radio interference
and objects in the environment that are likely to reflect or absorb radio waves. A typical range
for a passive RFID system will be anywhere between a few centimeters and a few meters. If a
battery is incorporated into the tag, the range is increased dramatically, too many tens of
meters or more. Since the communication mechanism is based on radio wave propagation, a
direct line of sight between the reader and the tag is not required. This means that tagged
objects may be identified even if the tag or even the entire object is not in direct view of the
reader for example they may be inside packaging or hidden behind other objects. Also, most
modern RFID systems can identify multiple tags in very quick succession (from tens to hundreds
per second). This means that many tagged objects can be read in effect simultaneously as they
pass by an RFID reader, something that is not easily achievable with other technologies such as
barcodes. Although the relative orientation of the tag and the reader does alter the operating
range to some extent, it is often possible to set up an RFID system so that this effect is not
important in other words, tagged objects may pass by a reader with little constraint on their
orientation or alignment, another big advantage over many other identification technologies.


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RFID systems rely on the use of a radio communication channel for their operation. This has
a number of implications relating to the security of system operation. The most fundamental
consideration is that the channel is by its very nature, shared within any given vicinity.
This means that
Any transmissions that occur may be detected by any other equipment within range
Any other equipment may also make transmissions which will potentially interfere.
The former of these two observations is often considered to be a significant security risk,
especially given the non line-of-sight operation of the system that may make it relatively easy
for an eavesdropper to remain hidden. However, the signals that emanate from the tag are
incredibly weak, so an eavesdropper would need to be quite close by (certainly no further from
the tag than the genuine reader). It is possibly to design an RFID system that uses completely
secure communications, where the information that is communicated is encrypted, but this will
impact the cost of the tags and the performance of the system (range, communication speed
etc.) and is not currently seen to be commercially viable.
There are a number of aspects to the security of RFID systems, such as anti-counterfeiting,
privacy, detection of communication errors, and reliability of communication.
History:
In 1945 Lon Theremin invented an espionage tool for the Soviet Union which retransmitted
incident radio waves with audio information. Sound waves vibrated a diaphragm which slightly
altered the shape of the resonator, which modulated the reflected radio frequency. Even
though this device was a covert listening device, not an identification tag, it is considered to be
a predecessor of RFID technology, because it was likewise passive, being energized and
activated by waves from an outside source.
Similar technology, such as the IFF transponder, was routinely used by the allies and Germany
in World War II to identify aircraft as friend or foe. Transponders are still used by most powered


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aircraft to this day. Another early work exploring RFID is the landmark 1948 paper by Harry
Stockman.

Stockman predicted that "... considerable research and development work has to be
done before the remaining basic problems in reflected-power communication are solved, and
before the field of useful applications is explored."
Mario Cardullo's device, patented on January 23, 1973, was the first true ancestor of modern
RFID, as it was a passive radio transponder with memory. The initial device was passive,
powered by the interrogating signal, and was demonstrated in 1971 to the New York Port
Authority and other potential users and consisted of a transponder with 16 bit memory for use
as a toll device. The basic Cardullo patent covers the use of RF, sound and light as transmission
media. The original business plan presented to investors in 1969 showed uses in transportation
(automotive vehicle identification, automatic toll system, electronic license plate, electronic
manifest, vehicle routing, vehicle performance monitoring), banking (electronic check book,
electronic credit card), security (personnel identification, automatic gates, surveillance) and
medical (identification, patient history).
An early demonstration of reflected power (modulated backscatter) RFID tags, both passive and
semi-passive, was performed by Steven Depp, Alfred Koelle, and Robert Frayman at the Los
Alamos National Laboratory in 1973. The portable system operated at 915 MHz and used 12-bit
tags. This technique is used by the majority of today's UHFID and microwave RFID tags.
The first patent to be associated with the abbreviation RFID was granted to Charles Walton in
1983.
RFID System Work:
A RFID system is made up of two parts: a tag or label and a reader. RFID tags or labels are
embedded with a transmitter and a receiver. The RFID component on the tags has two parts: a
microchip that stores and processes information, and an antenna to receive and transmit a
signal. The tag contains the specific serial number for one specific object.


5
To read the information encoded on a tag, a two-way radio transmitter-receiver called an
interrogator or reader emits a signal to the tag using an antenna. The tag responds with the
information written in its memory bank. The interrogator will then transmit the read results to
an RFID computer program.

Fig: RFID system
There are two types of RFID tags: passive and battery powered. A passive RFID tag will use the
interrogators radio wave energy to relay its stored information back to the interrogator. A
batter powered RFID tag is embedded with a small battery that powers the relay of
information.
In a retail setting, RFID tags may be attached to articles of clothing. When an inventory
associate uses a handheld RFID reader to scan a shelf of jeans, the associate is able to
differentiate between two pairs of identical jeans based upon the information stored on the
RFID tag. Each pair will have its own serial number.
With one pass of the handheld RFID reader, the associate can not only find a specific pair, but
they can tell how many of each pair are on the shelf and which pairs need to be


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replenished. The associate can learn all of this information without having to scan each
individual item.
Application of RFID:
The RFID tag can be affixed to an object and used to track and manage inventory, assets,
people, etc. For example, it can be affixed to cars, computer equipment, books, mobile phones,
etc.
RFID, Radio Frequency Identification is a technology, which includes wireless data capture and
transaction processing. Proximity (short range) and Vicinity (long range) are two major
application areas where RFID technology is used. Track and trace applications are long range or
vicinity applications. This technology provides additional functionality and benefits for product
authentication. Access control applications are Short range or proximity type of applications.
Agile Sense Technologies is focused on delivering innovative, high value RFID solutions assisting
companys track assets, people and documents. Agile Sense provides robust and complete RFID
solutions built on top of its extensible middleware/framework for Government, Healthcare,
Manufacturing and Aerospace industries.


RFID can be used in a variety of applications, such as:
Access management


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Tracking of goods
Tracking of persons and animals
Toll collection and contactless payment
Machine readable travel documents
Smart dust (for massively distributed sensor networks)
Tracking sports memorabilia to verify authenticity
Airport baggage tracking logistics
Timing sporting events
In 2010 three key factors drove a significant increase in RFID usage: decreased cost of
equipment and tags, increased performance to a reliability of 99.9% and a stable international
standard around UHF passive RFID. The adoption of these standards were driven by EPC global,
a joint venture between GS1 and GS1 US, which were responsible for driving global adoption of
the barcode in the 1970s and 1980s. The EPC global Network was developed by the Auto-ID
Center, an academic research project headquartered at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) with labs at five leading research universities around the globe: Cambridge,
Adelaide, Keio, Shanghai, Fudan, St. Gallen. At RFID Journal Live 2010 in Orlando, Airbus
detailed 16 active projects, IBM andmost recently added to the teamCSC. The two other
areas of significant use are financial services for IT asset tracking and healthcare. RFID is
becoming increasingly prevalent as the price of the technology decreases.
1. Commerce
The value of the RFID market in 2012 was projected to be US$7.46 billion versus US$6.37 billion
in 2011. The RFID world market is estimated to surpass US$20 billion by 2014.


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a) Asset management
RFID combined with mobile computing and Web technologies provide a way for organizations
to identify and manage their assets. Mobile computers, with integrated RFID readers, can now
deliver a complete set of tools that eliminate paperwork, give proof of identification and
attendance. This approach eliminates manual data entry.
Web based management tools allow organizations to monitor their assets and make
management decisions from anywhere in the world. Web based applications now mean that
third parties, such as manufacturers and contractors can be granted access to update asset
data, including for example, inspection history and transfer documentation online ensuring that
the end user always has accurate, real-time data. Organizations are already using RFID tags
combined with a mobile asset management solution to record and monitor the location of their
assets, their current status, and whether they have been maintained.
RFID is being adopted for item-level retail uses. Aside from efficiency and product availability
gains, the system offers a superior form of electronic article surveillance (EAS), and a
superior self-checkout process for consumers.
2009 witnessed the beginning of wide-scale asset tracking with passive RFID. Wells Fargo and
Bank of America made announcements that they would track every item in their data centers
using passive RFID. Most of the leading banks have since followed suit. The Financial Services
Technology Consortium (FSTC) set a technical standard for tagging IT assets and other
industries have used that standard as a guideline. For instance the United States Department of
States now tagging IT assets with passive RFID using the ISO/IEC 18000-6 standard.
b) Inventory systems
An advanced automatic identification technology based on RFID technology has significant
value for inventory systems. The system can provide accurate knowledge of the current
inventory. In an academic study performed at Wal-Mart, RFID reduced Out-of-Stocks by 30
percent for products selling between 0.1 and 15 units a day. The RFID can also help the


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company to ensure the security of the inventory. With the just in time tracking of inventory
through RFID, the computer data can show whether the inventory stored in the warehouse is
correct with quantity currently. Other benefits of using RFID include the reduction of labor
costs, the simplification of business processes, and the reduction of inventory inaccuracies.
In 2004, Boeing integrated the use of RFID technology to help reduce maintenance and
inventory costs on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. With the high costs of aircraft parts, RFID
technology allowed Boeing to keep track of inventory despite the unique sizes, shapes and
environmental concerns. During the first six months after integration, the company was able to
save $29,000 in labor. Airbus began an RFID program in 2006 that received the 2008 Best RFID
Deployment award at the RFID Journal Live event.
In 2007, Recall Corporation integrated the use of RFID to help organizations track and audit
their records, to support compliance with regulations such as the SarbanesOxley
Act and HIPAA.
c) Access control
RFID tags are widely used in identification badges, replacing earlier magnetic stripe cards. These
badges need only be held within a certain distance of the reader to authenticate the holder.
Tags can also be placed on vehicles, which can be read at a distance, to allow entrance to
controlled areas without having to stop the vehicle and present a card or enter an access code.
2. Transportation and logistics
Logistics and transportation are major areas of implementation for RFID technology. Yard
management, shipping and freight and distribution centers use RFID tracking technology. In
the railroad industry, RFID tags mounted on locomotives and rolling stock identify the owner,
identification number and type of equipment and its characteristics. This can be used with a
database to identify the lading, origin, destination, etc. of the commodities being carried. In
commercial aviation, RFID technology is being incorporated to support maintenance on
commercial aircraft. RFID tags are used to identify baggage and cargo at several airports and


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airlines. Some countries are using RFID technology for vehicle registration and enforcement.
RFID can help detect and retrieve stolen cars.
3. Human identification
People tracking system are used just as asset tracking system. Hospitals and jails are most
general tracking required places. Hospital uses RFID tags for tracking their special patients. In
emergency patient and other essential equipment can easily track. It will be mainly very useful
in mental care hospitals where doctors can track each and every activity of the patient.
Hospitals also use these RFID tags for locating and tracking all the activities of the newly born
babies. The best use of the people tracking system will be in jails. It becomes an easy tracking
system to track their inmates. Many jails of different US states like Michigan, California, and
Arizona are already using RFID-tracking systems to keep a close eye on jail inmates.
4. Institutions
Hospitals and healthcare
Adoption of RFID in the medical industry has been widespread and very effective. Hospitals are
among the first users to combine both active and passive RFID technology. Many successful
deployments in the healthcare industry have been cited where active technology tracks high-
value, or frequently moved items, where passive technology tracks smaller, lower cost items
that only need room-level identification. For example, medical facility rooms can collect data
from transmissions of RFID badges worn by patients and employees, as well as from tags
assigned to facility assets, such as mobile medical devices. The U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) recently announced plans to deploy RFID in hospitals across America to improve
care and reduce costs.
A physical RFID tag may be incorporated with browser-based software to increase its efficacy.
This software allows for different groups or specific hospital staff, nurses, and patients to see
real-time data relevant to each piece of tracked equipment or personnel. Real-time data is
stored and archived to make use of historical reporting functionality and to prove compliance


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with various industry regulations. This combination of RFID real-time locating system hardware
and software provides a powerful data collection tool for facilities seeking to improve
operational efficiency and reduce costs.
The trend is toward using ISO 18000-6c as the tag of choice and combining an active tagging
system that relies on existing 802.11X wireless infrastructure for active tags.
Since 2004 a number of U.S. hospitals have begun implanting patients with RFID tags and using
RFID systems, usually for workflow and inventory management. The use of RFID to prevent
mixups between sperm and ova in IVF clinics is also being considered.
In October 2004, the FDA approved USA's first RFID chips that can be implanted in humans. The
134 kHz RFID chips, from VeriChip Corp. can incorporate personal medical information and
could save lives and limit injuries from errors in medical treatments, according to the company.
Anti-RFID activists Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre discovered an FDA Warning Letter that
spelled out health risks. According to the FDA, these include "adverse tissue reaction",
"migration of the implanted transponder", "failure of implanted transponder", "electrical
hazards" and "magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] incompatibility."
Libraries



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Libraries have used RFID to replace the barcodes on library items. The tag can contain
identifying information or may just be a key into a database. An RFID system may replace or
supplement bar codes and may offer another method of inventory management and self-
service checkout by patrons. It can also act as a security device, taking the place of the more
traditional electromagnetic security strip.
It is estimated that over 30 million library items worldwide now contain RFID tags, including
some in the Vatican Library in Rome.
Since RFID tags can be read through an item, there is no need to open a book cover or DVD case
to scan an item, and a stack of books can be read simultaneously. Book tags can be read while
books are in motion on a conveyor belt, which reduces staff time. This can all be done by the
borrowers themselves, reducing the need for library staff assistance. With portable readers,
inventories could be done on a whole shelf of materials within seconds. However, as of 2008
this technology remains too costly for many smaller libraries, and the conversion period has
been estimated at 11 months for an average-size library. A 2004 Dutch estimate was that a
library which lends 100,000 books per year should plan on a cost of 50,000 (borrow- and
return-stations: 12,500 each, detection porches 10,000 each; tags 0.36 each). RFID taking a
large burden off staff could also mean that fewer staff will be needed; resulting in some of
them getting laid off, but that has so far not happened in North America where recent surveys
have not returned a single library that cut staff because of adding RFID. In fact, library budgets
are being reduced for personnel and increased for infrastructure, making it necessary for
libraries to add automation to compensate for the reduced staff size. Also, the tasks that RFID
takes over are largely not the primary tasks of librarians. A finding in the Netherlands is that
borrowers are pleased with the fact that staff is now more available for answering questions.
Privacy concerns have been raised surrounding library use of RFID. Because some RFID tags can
be read from up to 100 meters (330 ft.), there is some concern over whether sensitive
information could be collected from an unwilling source. However, library RFID tags do not
contain any patron information and the tags used in the majority of libraries use a frequency
only readable from approximately 10 feet (3.0 m). Further, another non-library agency could


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potentially record the RFID tags of every person leaving the library without the library
administrator's knowledge or consent. One simple option is to let the book transmit a code that
has meaning only in conjunction with the library's database. Another possible enhancement
would be to give each book a new code every time it is returned. In future, should readers
become ubiquitous (and possibly networked), then stolen books could be traced even outside
the library. Tag removal could be made difficult if the tags are so small that they fit invisibly
inside a (random) page, possibly put there by the publisher.
Museums
RFID technologies are now also implemented in end-user applications in museums. An example
was the custom-designed temporary research application, "eXspot," at the Exploratorium, a
science museum in San Francisco, California. A visitor entering the museum received an RF Tag
that could be carried as a card. The eXspot system enabled the visitor to receive information
about specific exhibits. Aside from the exhibit information, the visitor could take photographs
of themselves at the exhibit. It was also intended to allow the visitor to take data for later
analysis. The collected information could be retrieved at home from a "personalized" website
keyed to the RFID tag.
Schools and universities
School authorities in the Japanese city of Osaka are now chipping children's clothing,
backpacks, and student IDs in a primary school. A school in Don Caster, England is piloting a
monitoring system designed to keep tabs on pupils by tracking radio chips in their uniforms. St
Charles Sixth Form College in west London, England, started September, 2008, is using an RFID
card system to check in and out of the main gate, to both track attendance and prevent
unauthorized entrance. Similarly, Whitcliffe Mount School in Clack heat on, England uses RFID
to track pupils and staff in and out of the building via a specially designed card. In the
Philippines, some schools already use RFID in IDs for borrowing books and also gates in those
particular schools have RFID ID scanners for buying items at a school shop and canteen, library
and also to sign in and sign out for student and teacher's attendance.


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Sports
RFID for timing races began in the early 1990s with pigeon racing, introduced by the company
Demister Electronics in Germany. RFID can provide race start and end timings for individuals in
large races where it is impossible to get accurate stopwatch readings for every entrant.
In the race, the racers wear tags that are read by antennae placed alongside the track or on
mats across the track. UHF tags provide accurate readings with specially designed antennas.
Rush error, lap count errors and accidents at start time are avoided since anyone can start and
finish any time without being in a batch mode.
The design of chip + antenna controls the range from which it can be read. Short range compact
chips are twist tied to the shoe or Velcro strapped the ankle. These need to be about 400mm
from the mat and so give very good temporal resolution. Alternatively a chip plus a very large (a
125mm square) antenna can be incorporated into the bib number worn on the athlete's chest
at about 1.25m height.
Passive and active RFID systems are used in off-road events such as Hare and Hounds racing.
Riders have a transponder on their person, normally on their arm. When they complete a lap
they swipe or touch the receiver which is connected to a computer and log their lap time.
RFID is being adapted by many recruitment agencies which have a PET (Physical Endurance
Test) as their qualifying procedure especially in cases where the candidate volumes may run
into millions (Indian Railway Recruitment Cells, Police and Power sector).
A number of ski resorts have adopted RFID tags to provide skiers hands-free access to ski lifts.
Skiers do not have to take their passes out of their pockets. Ski jackets have a left pocket into
which the chip+card fits. This nearly contacts the sensor unit on the left of the turnstile as the
skier pushes through to the lift. These systems were based on high frequency (HF) at 13.56
megahertz. The bulk of ski areas in Europe, from Verbier to Chamonix use these systems.
RFID use in Libraries:


15
RFID can be used library circulation operations and theft detection systems. RFID-based
systems move beyond security to become tracking systems that combine security with more
efficient tracking of materials throughout the library, including easier and faster charge and
discharge, inventorying, and materials handling (Boss 2004).
This technology helps librarians reduce valuable staff time spent scanning barcodes while
charging and discharging items. RFID is a combination of radio -frequency-based technology
and microchip technology. The information contained on microchips in the tags affixed to
library materials is read using radio frequency technology, regardless of item orientation or
alignment (i.e., the technology does not require line-of-sight or a fixed plane to read tags as do
traditional theft detection systems). The RFID gates at the library exit(s) can be as wide as four
feet because the tags can be read at a distance of up to two feet by each of two parallel exit
gate sensors.
Components of an RFID System
A comprehensive RFID system has four components:
RFID tags that are electronically programmed with unique information
Readers or sensors to query the tags
Antenna
Server on which the software that interfaces with the integrated library software is
loaded.
1. Tags
The heart of the system is the RFID tag, which can be fixed inside a book's back cover or directly
onto CDs and videos. This tag is equipped with a programmable chip and an antenna. Each
paper-thin tag contains an engraved antenna and a microchip with a capacity of at least 64 bits.
There are three types of tags: "read only", "WORM," and "read/write" (Boss 2003). "Tags are
"read only" if the identification is encoded at the time of manufacture and not rewritable.
"WORM" (Write-Once-Read-Many) tags are programmed by the using organization, but


16
without the ability to rewrite them later. "Read/write tags," which are chosen by most libraries,
can have information changed or added. In libraries that use RFID, it is common to have part of
the read/write tag secured against rewriting, e.g., the identification number of the item.
2. Readers
RFID readers or receivers are composed of a radio frequency module, a control unit and an
antenna to interrogate electronic tags via radio frequency (RF) communication (Sarma et al.
2002). The reader powers an antenna to generate an RF field. When a tag passes through the
field, the information stored on the chip in the tag is interpreted by the reader and sent to the
server, which, in turn, communicates with the integrated library system when the RFID system
is interfaced with it (Boss 2004).
RFID exit gate sensors (readers) at exits are basically two types. One type reads the information
on the tag(s) going by and communicates that information to a server. The server, after
checking the circulation database, turns on an alarm if the material is not properly checked out.
Another type relies on a "theft" byte in the tag that is turned on or off to show that the item
has been charged or not, making it unnecessary to communicate with the circulation database.
Readers in RFID library are used in the following ways (Boss 2003):
Conversion station: where library data is written to the tag
Staff workstation at circulation: used to charge and discharge library materials
Self-check-out station: used to check out library materials without staff assistance
Self-check-in station: used to check in library materials without staff assistance
Exit sensors: to verify that all material leaving the library has been checked out
Book-drop reader: used to automatically discharge library materials and reactivate
security
Sorter and conveyor: automated system for returning material to proper area of library
Hand-held reader: used for inventorying and verifying that material is shelved correctly.


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3. Antenna
The antenna produces radio signals to activate the tag and read and write data to it. Antennas
are the channels between the tag and the reader, which controls the system's data acquisitions
and communication. The electromagnetic field produced by an antenna can be constantly
present when multiple tags are expected continually. Antennas can be built into a doorframe to
receive tag data from person's things passing through the door.
4. Server
The server is the heart of some comprehensive RFID systems. It is the communications gateway
among the various components (Boss, 2004). It receives the information from one or more of
the readers and exchanges information with the circulation database. Its software includes the
SIP/SIP2 (Session Initiation Protocol), APIs (Applications Programming Interface) NCIP (National
Circulation Interchange Protocol) or SLNP necessary to interface it with the integrated library
software but no library vendor has yet fully implemented NCIP approved by NISO (Koppel,
2004). The server typically includes a transaction database so that reports can be produced.
Optional Components
Optional RFID system includes the following three components (Bibliotheca 2003):
RFID Label Printer
Handheld Reader
External Book Return
RFID label Printer
An RFID printer is used to print the labels with an individual barcode, library logo, etc. When the
print is applied, it simultaneously programs the data in to the chip. After this process, the RFID
label is taken from the printer and applied to the book.


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5. Handheld Reader/Inventory Wand
The portable handheld reader or inventory wand can be moved along the items on the shelves
without touching them. The data goes to a storage unit, which can be downloaded at a server
later on, or it can go to a unit, which will transmit it to the server using wireless technology. The
inventory wand will cover three requirements:
Screen the complete book collection on the shelves for inventory control
Search for books, which are misshelved
Search for individual book requested.
Other applications can be written for the inventory wand, since the system utilizes a personal
data terminal (PDT).
6. External Book Return
Libraries can offer a distinct service that is very useful for users, such as the ability to return
books when the library is closed. An external book return is a machine with a slot with a chip
RFID reader integrated into the wall. It works the same way as the self checkout station. The
user identifies himself/herself (if required by the library), and then puts the book(s) in to the
slot. Upon completing the return, the user will receive a receipt showing how many and which
books were returned. Since they have already been checked in, they can go directly back onto
the shelves. These units can also be used with sorter and conveyor systems.
Key Features of RFID in Libraries
The reliability of the system, its ease of operation, and the flexibility of tagging all kinds of
media easily, are important criteria in choosing an RFID system. The main aim for today's
libraries in adopting RFID is the need to increase efficiency and reduce cost. Automation and
self-service can help libraries of all sizes achieve these aims, and RFID has the added advantage
that it can also provide security for the range of different media offered in libraries. The
technology can also improve circulation and inventory control, which helps allocate human and


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financial resources. This means that libraries can relieve their professional employees of routine
work and operational tasks.
All of the tags used in RFID technology for libraries are "passive." The power to read the tags
comes from the reader or exit sensor (reader), rather than from a battery within the tag. A few
libraries use "smart" card, which is an RFID card with additional encryption, is an alternative to
merely adding an RFID tag on staff and user identification cards (Boss 2004). Not only does that
identify users for issue and return of library materials, but also for access to restricted areas or
services. This would make it possible to make it into a "debit" card, with value added upon pre-
payment to the library and value subtracted when a user used a photocopier, printer, or other
fee-based device, or wished to pay fines or fees.
Self-charging/Discharging
The use of RFID reduces the amount of time required to perform circulation operations. This
technology helps librarians eliminate valuable staff time spent scanning barcodes while
checking out and checking in borrowed items. For the users, RFID speeds up the borrowing and
return procedures. Library employees are released for more productive and interesting duties.
Staffs are relieved further when readers are installed in book drops.
Reliability
The readers are highly reliable. Several vendors of RFID library systems claim an almost 100
percent detection rate using RFID tags (Boss 2004). Some RFID systems have an interface
between the exit sensors and the circulation software to identify the items moving out of the
library. Were a library user to leave the library and not be caught, the library would at least
know what had been stolen. If the user card also has an RFID tag, the library will also be able to
determine who removed the items without properly charging them.
Other RFID systems encode the circulation status on the RFID tag. This is done by designating a
bit as the "theft" bit and turning it off at time of charge and on at time of discharge. If the
material that has not been properly charged is taken past the exit gate sensors, an immediate
alarm is triggered. Another option is to use both the "theft" bit and the online interface to an


20
integrated library system, the first to signal an immediate alarm and the second to identify
what has been taken out.
High-Speed Inventorying
A unique advantage of RFID systems is their ability to scan books on the shelves without tipping
them out or removing them. A hand-held inventory reader can be moved rapidly across a shelf
of books to read all of the unique identification information. Using wireless technology, it is
possible not only to update the inventory, but also to identify items, which are out of proper
order.
Automated Materials Handling
Another advantage of RFID technology is automated materials handling. This includes conveyor
and sorting systems that can move library materials and sort them by category into separate
bins or onto separate carts. This significantly reduces the amount of staff time required to
ready materials for re-shelving.
Tag Life
RFID tags last longer than barcodes because the technology does not require line-of-sight. Most
RFID vendors claim a minimum of 100,000 transactions before a tag may need to be replaced
(Boss 2004).
Disadvantages of RFID Systems:
High cost:
The major disadvantage of RFID technology is its cost. While the readers and gate sensors used
to read the information typically cost around $2,000 to $3,500 each; and the tags cost $.40 to
$.75 each.
Accessibility to compromise: It is possible to compromise an RFID system by wrapping
the protected material in two to three layers of ordinary household foil to block the
radio signal (Boss 2004). It is also possible to compromise an RFID system by placing two


21
items against one another so that one tag overlays another. That may cancel out the
signals. This requires knowledge of the technology and careful alignment.
Chances of Removal of exposed tags: RFID tags are typically affixed to the inside back
cover and are exposed for removal. This means that there would be problems when
users become more familiar with the role of the tags (Boss 2004). In Indian libraries, it is
a major challenge to keep the tags intact.
Exit gate sensor (Reader) problems: While the short-range readers used for circulation
charge and discharge and inventorying appear to read the tags 100 percent of the time
(Boss 2004), the performance of the exit gate sensors is more problematic. They always
don't read tags at up to twice the distance of the other readers. There is no library that
has done a before and after inventory to determine the loss rate when RFID is used for
security.
User Privacy Concerns: Privacy concerns associated with item-level tagging is another
significant barrier to library use of RFID tags. The problem with today's library RFID
system is that the tags contain static information that can be relatively easily read by
unauthorized tag readers. This allows for privacy issues described as "tracking" and
"hotlisting" (Ayre 2004). Tracking refers to the ability to track the movements of a book
(or person carrying the book) by "correlating multiple observations of the book's bar
code" (Molnar and Wagner 2004) or RFID tag. Hotlisting refers to the process of building
a database of books and their associated tag numbers (the hotlist) and then using an
unauthorized reader to determine who is checking out items in the hotlist.
Reader collision: The signal from one reader can interfere with the signal from another
where coverage overlaps. This is called reader collision. One way to avoid the problem is
to use a technique called time division multiple access, or TDMA. In simple terms, the
readers are instructed to read at different times, rather than both trying to read at the
same time. This ensures that they don't interfere with each other. But it means any RFID
tag in an area where two readers overlap will be read twice (FAQ 2004).
Tag collision. Another problem readers have is reading a lot of chips in the same field.
Tag clash occurs when more than one chip reflects back a signal at the same time,


22
confusing the reader. Different vendors have developed different systems for having the
tags respond to the reader one at a time. Since they can be read in milliseconds, it
appears that all the tags are being read simultaneously (FAQ, 2004)
Lack of Standard: The tags used by library RFID vendors are not compatible even when
they conform to the same standards because the current standards only seek electronic
compatibility between tags and readers. The pattern of encoding information and the
software that processes the information differs from vendor to vendor; therefore, a
change from one vendor's system to the other would require retagging all items or
modifying the software (Boss 2004).
Best Practices for Libraries
As libraries are implementing RFID systems, it is important to develop best practices guidelines
to utilize the technology in best way and to keep the privacy concern away. The following may
be the best practices guidelines for library RFID use (Berkeley Public Library n.d., Ayre 2004):
The Library should be open about its use of RFID technology including providing publicly
available documents stating the rational for using RFID, objectives of its use and
associated policies and procedure and who to contact with questions.
Signs should be pasted at all facilities using RFID. The signs should inform the public that
RFID technology is in use, the types of usage and a statement of protection of privacy
and how this technology differs from other information collection methods.
Only authorized personnel should have access to the RFID system.
No personal information should be stored on the RFID tag.
Information describing the tagged item should be encrypted on the tag even if the data
is limited to a serial number
No static information should be contained on the tag (bar code, manufacturer number)
that can be read by unauthorized readers
All communication between tag and reader should be encrypted via a unique encryption
key.
All RFID readers in the library should be clearly marked.


23
ISO 18000 mode-2 tags should be used rather than ISO 15693.
Installations
While there are over 500,000 RFID systems installed in warehouses and retail establishments
worldwide, RFID systems are still relatively new in libraries. Fewer than 250 had been installed
as of the first quarter of 2004 (Boss 2004). Most installations are small, primarily in branch
libraries. The University of Connecticut Library; University of Nevada/Las Vegas Library, the
Vienna Public Library in Austria, the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, and the National
University of Singapore Library are the only sites that appear to have tagged more than 500,000
items each. So far in India, only two University libraries have adopted the RFID system. First
among them is Jayakar Library of Pune University and second is Dhanvantri Library of Jammu
University. The use of RFID throughout Indian libraries will take at least four to five years.
Recent Developments
Recent developments in hardware and software for RFID systems have increased the potential
of this technology in library automation and security. 'Today, the one important result for
libraries is the ability to use non-proprietary systems, now that the new generation of RFID-
chips with standard ISO 15693 (to be integrated into ISO 18000-3) is available,' explains Dr
Christian Kern, system development manager of Bibliotheca RFID Library Systems, a Swiss
company specializing in such systems for libraries. "With this technology, libraries do not have
to depend on one single supplier for tags. As libraries make a long-term investment, which
mainly consists of the quantity of tags needed, this is a very important requirement."
Next-Generation Uses of RFID
Some vendors have been combining RFID tags with sensors of different kinds. This would allow
the tag to report not simply the same information over and over, but identifying information
along with current data picked up by the sensor. For example, an RFID tag attached to a leg of
lamb could report on the temperature readings of the past 24 hours, to ensure that the meat
was properly kept cool.


24
Over time, the proportion of "scan-it-yourself" aisles in retail stores will increase. Eventually, we
may wind up with stores that have mostly "scan-it-yourself" aisles and only a few checkout
stations for people who are disabled or unwilling.
Conclusion
This report has described the fundamentals of operation of radio frequency identification
technology and the application areas in which such systems have traditionally been used. As
the sophistication of the technology increases, and the component costs drop, there will clearly
be an increasing number of application areas in which the technology is cost-effective.
Additionally, the standardization of a number of aspects of RFID implementation means that
systems deployed in different industries and by different companies will be interoperable,
which further increases the cost-effectiveness of RFID deployment because the same
infrastructure can be shared. The most immediate expansion of RFID deployment is likely to be
in the consumer packaged goods supply chain, so that product
Manufacturers, logistics companies and retailers can monitor the movement of goods much
more accurately. By doing this, they hope to reduce shrinkage, mis-deliveries, diversion of
goods and so on. The largest supermarket chain in the world, Wal-Mart is actively moving to
RFID for this application on a very aggressive timescale, and is therefore driving their suppliers
to adopt the technology too. Other retailers and also government organizations are also moving
in this direction that will again drive adoption of RFID in the CPG supply chain. Recent and
planned legislative changes in a number of areas are likely to further drive adoption of RFID
technology either because the use of this specific technology is mandated or recon- mended,
or because RFID is simply the most cost-effective way to comply with the new legislation.
Whilst there are factors that may act to slow the technology adoption, such as the concerns of
consumers or the cost of systems integration, it currently looks like there will be a significant
adoption in certain application areas in the relatively near term.




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Recommendations for
With multiple stores in Dhaka, Agora is a leader in superstore retail organizations. The combination of
quality and price under various brand name offers customers value for their money. I have examined
and evaluated the operations of Agora, LTD including its strengths and weaknesses. I recommend the
following in order to ensure continued success for the future of all Marks and Spencer stores:
1. Find alternative sources to supply resources to Marks and Spencer stores abroad.
2. Increase marketing efforts.
3. Strengthen existing resources, add complementary resources, and develop new resources.
4. Evaluation of Current Objectives and Current Strategy



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Reference:
https://www.google.com.bd/
http://www.studymode.com/subjects/agora-supermarket-chain-superstore-in-bangladesh-page2.html
http://www.reportbd.com/articles/149/10/Agora---Supermarket-Chain-amp-Superstore-in-
Bangladesh/Page10.html