scope:

This document covers Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in communications service providers' warehouses. Part two of this business case will address RFID in communications service providers' distribution hubs/central offices. Communications service providers are continually looking for new processes and technologies to improve managing material within their warehouse(s). Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) technologies have provided increased efficiencies in the past through use of bar codes and two dimensional (2D) symbols for picking, processing shipments, handling receipts, and managing inventory.

The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) AIDC Committee has studied current warehouse processes and related processes of handling assets1 that move between warehouses and distribution centers. This guideline covers estimated projected benefits of migrating and incorporating RFID usage in these processes. The details and results of this study are included in this report.

This document is not restricted to the telecommunications industry and is intended for a broader audience use so that if RFID becomes a common practice, the issues that are defined are for all types of customers who provide communications assets and services.

Purpose

This study seeks to determine the feasibility of using RFID for managing plug-in circuit cards and other network equipment in a warehouse and its movement within a supply chain. It seeks to determine if there is an incremental benefit over the current processes that use bar code readers, which support linear bar code labels and current practices that include 2D labels.

NOTE: RFID is not seen as a replacement for human readable and other machine-readable symbols, but it can be a complementary solution if found beneficial. Similarly, linear bar codes never replaced plain text marking and 2D is more of an enhancement than a replacement for linear barcodes - especially on packages in open supply chains. A new marking technology typically adds on to the existing technologies. Redundancy of other AIDC technologies is an effective tool for supply chain shipping and receiving package label applications that are at various stages of AIDC maturity/improvement.