Q.  What kind of tracking system would RFID replace (bar codes, for instance)?

A.  RFID will supplement, not supplant bar codes for tracking items. The difference between RFID and bar codes is that RFID does not require line-of-sight. The bar code must be seen by the scanner in order to read it, while an entire shipment of goods labeled with passive RFID tags can be moved through an RFID reader, and all items in the shipment are identified at once. Since RFID tags include unique identifier information, RFID readers can scan tags several times in a short time period but only record the item once. This reduces multiple item data capture errors that can occur with the use of bar codes.

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