Case Study Analysis: Radio-Frequency Identification

Case Study Analysis Name: Institution: Introduction Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is a form of wireless communication which uses radio waves to read and capture information which is stored in a tag attached to an item. An RFID component comprises of different parts such as a microchip which stores and processes information and an antenna which helps to receive and transmit a signal. Usually, an RFID tag may be small in size by it can store large amounts of data. The use of these tags has increased over the years due to new innovations and technology development. However, RFID technology has its own controversies, due to the nature of how the devices work, it might not be inconceivable that an individual who is not supposed to access the information on the tags would be able to. Additionally, there are also concerns that personal information may be accessible without consent, since the frequencies may be transmitted over larger distances. Many organizations and companies in different sectors have implemented these technologies because they provide several benefits to their businesses. Some of the advantages of using RFID technologies include providing real-time data through its tracking capabilities. This is particularly essential because today’s world is data-driven. Most importantly, RFID provides insights that lead to better decision making. This because it enables businesses to get more accurate data at all times. Availability of reliable data also aids the managers in implementing actions that improve the business. It is keynoting that technology has become remarkably more advanced, more ingrained in our everyday life and it has also tuned more invisible. As a result, people have become more concerned and worried about the influence of these technologies and innovations in their personal lives as well as their privacy. This is an issue to worry about because the tags on the consumer products enable the merchants and businesses to do location-based tracking or profiling of their customers. Roberta A. Fusaro in his article “None of Our Business?” he outlines and discusses the reasons why organizations integrate RFID tags in their commodities, the legal and ethical concerns that make and users of these technologies are faced with and the worries of the consumers and the general public. Ordinarily, disruption, innovation and technology are all inter-related. Technological development promotes and facilitates innovation. On the other side, if the innovation developed results to the introduction of a product or a service which performs better in an already established industry than the existing offerings, it ends up displacing the market leaders in that specific market space and also transforms the industry. This causes business-related disruption and this type of innovation is known as disruptive innovation. In relation to this case study, technology has made it possible for companies such as the Raydar Electronics to develop innovations such as the inventory-tagging technologies which have significantly changed how businesses in companies are carried out. For example, the tags have made it possible for the manufacturers and retailers to organize and effectively manage their supply chains (Fusaro, 2004). Moreover, these technologies have also benefited the companies because they hardly ran out of items which are on high demand. Additionally, the innovation has also made people’s lives more interesting and convenient through the use of electronic toll collection and online bill payment among others. The interaction between disruption, innovation and technology may have both positive and negative outcomes. Technology and innovation enhance the production of smart objects which facilitates smart businesses. For example, the RFID tags have been used by the United States military in checking and tracking the containers carrying battle supplies when they are in wars (Fusaro, 2004). Additionally, the technology has also implemented by tire maker companies where the tags are able to notice when the tire begins to go flat. In such a situation the tags send the information to the vehicle’s computer system which then signals the driver. Furthermore, innovation has also made it possible to provide RFID tags which may be used by pharmaceutical companies to help in preventing and intercepting illegal or expired drugs before reaching to the consumers. The RFID tags were also being used by parents and guardians to provide protection to their children. This initiative was being tested in Austin, Texas where the parents from the selected schools were required to provide the local police with their children’s information, this comprised of their names, addresses, school information, medical histories as well as...