Skills Challenges in RFID Implementation

A 2005 survey commissioned by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) and conducted by Frost & Sullivan, a global leader in strategic growth consulting, found that just over one-half of more than 500 organizations surveyed in North America had either completed RFID implementations or planned to do so within the next 12 months. This includes companies that are evaluating, pilot testing, implementing, or currently using RFID.

Among specific industry sectors, the most aggressive adoption of RFID is planned in the automotive industry, where 59 percent of companies surveyed said they will deploy the technology over the next 12 months. The consumer goods industry and the transportation and logistics sectors were close behind, at 58 percent each.

The key early market driver for RFID implementation continues to be mandates from the likes of retailing giant Wal-Mart and the United States Department of Defense. As many as 60,000 companies are facing such mandates from their customers and trading partners over the next few years. Retailer and government mandates have pushed many end users into a technology they might not otherwise use until it was more affordable and mature. Many organizations have adopted a “slap-and-ship” approach to RFID implementation simply to meet compliance deadlines.

Increasingly, however, manufacturing and distribution companies are exploring options for making better use of all that RFID has to offer. They understand that many of the benefits of the technology – better supply chain visibility and reduced out-of-stock – will be realized only by devising a long-term strategy beyond compliance. Critical to that long-term strategy is investing in education, training and professional certification for the personnel that are called on to implement RFID solutions.

RFID is a complex and still evolving technology. Expertise is absolutely required for its usage to be a success. The skill sets and “need-to-knows” related to RFID are many and varied. The pros and cons of slap-and-ship deployments; the landscape for RFID mandates; financial models to realize return on investment; and how to achieve real business benefits from RFID implementations are just a few examples.