There was an excellent session this week at AAM comparing RFID technology with Barcode technology. The upshot was that Bar Coding is a tried and true, reliable technology -- while RFID had some drawbacks. One of the drawbacks was the considerable cost differences between the labels for each technology. Bar code labels cost pennies, while RFID labels are much more expensive. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has conducted extensive testing of RFID technology. They wanted to know if they could track the movements of objects using sensors/readers embedded in doorways. The results were frequently inaccurate. Accuracy was guaranteed only when an RFID label was directly scanned with a reader at close range. But the same label reading accuracy can be achieved using barcode technology, and at considerably less cost. When we considered the options for our storage warehouses several years ago, we gave both technologies extensive review and finally decided on bar code labeling. At the time the RFID tag costs were close to $ 1.00 each and we required over 100,000 labels for objects in storage, with additional quantities for future inventory needs. Our cost for a case of 12,000 Bar Code labels is $80.00. At this pricing 2 cents will purchase 3 labels at 2 x 4 inches each. These are good quality labels with reliable adhesive. We ran tests on labels by subjecting various papers, label adhesives and ink formulations to some extreme conditions. Labels were attached to boards and left in the sun for two months to determine which ones would survive intact. We also scuffed and burnished printed labels to ascertain the resilience of inks.
Our data base program is Filemaker Pro 10 and it easily handles input from bar code readers. Inventory controls take considerably less time than the old pencil and paper look/see methods. We are very pleased with our bar code system. We also use FIlemaker for our bills-of-lading. Filemaker is inexpensive and very easy to program. It will support photo records as well as bar code technology. I hope this information assists you. If you need more help or information you can contact me: bryan@cookescrating.com Best regards, Bryan Cooke
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