Smart Packaging focuses on radio frequency identification (RFID) strategy, design and deployment to improve supply chain efficiency. RFID was patented in 1973 and involves attachment of an antenna and a tiny 1/3 mm microchip to an item. This chip/ antenna combination is called a tag and can transmit a unique electronic product code (EPC) to a reader, which then sends information on the item to a database. The technology is used in the retail supply chain, pharmaceutical/healthcare, government sector, as well as other markets, but the prices of RFID tags with an average price of around US$0.50 each have created a cost barrier for companies worldwide to adopt the RFID solution as the replacement of the barcode technology.
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