RFID Enabled Appliances, Products, Etc. Term Paper

If the household possess a storage rooms, RFI tags will help locate the olive oil among other supplies or the location of a certain spice. This is something that increases efficiency when cooking, thus reducing overall time-associated costs.

Logistics

Logistics is closely tied with the supply management issues previously described. Logistics cost decreases within the household because, due to a better supply management guaranteed by RFID usage, the individuals in the household will need to make less trips to the hypermarket in order to ensure that supply are at the same level. The coordinated centralization of supply data and information, guaranteed by RFID, also ensure lower logistics costs.

Transportation and access

In terms of transportation and access, the RFI system will ensure a higher level of security for the household and a lower risk of burglary incidence at a lower cost. Indeed, the alternative solution would have been for the household to hire a 24 hours surveillance team that would have implied a regular monthly expense. With the implementation of RFID access, the security threat is down to minimum levels, which means that the monthly expense for surveillance no longer needs to be paid.

A further expense reduction is done by lowering insurance taxes paid, because of a lower degree of need to insure the goods in the house. The better security system, guaranteed by the use of RFID, also means that lower insurance taxes will be charged.

In terms of transportation, moving around the household is easier with the RFID system and the individuals can use the access facilities in the house much easier as well

Device coordination

This is an important operational function in the household that increases overall productivity of the different appliances in the household. Reverting to the precedent example of the refrigerator, the microwave oven and the TV, an analysis of what the regular operational process is in absence of RFID will show the benefits of the RFID system in the household.

Indeed, the absence of RFID implies the fact that each of the three operations (cooling the fridge to a lower level, starting the micro wave and making the popcorn and opening the TV) would have do be done independent of one another, despite the fact that the three products are correlated in terms of use (the cold beer, the popcorn and the TV are all part of the same operation of watching the game, they come in this together). Doing them separately might mean that the beer is cooled too early before the game and that it will have time to go warm by the time the game starts. At the same time, it also means that the popcorn might become cold by the start of the game.

With RFID, all these are coordinated, as they should be, make the appliance not only more productive, but also more in line with their actual functions (cooling the beer to the right level, making the popcorn just right before the game etc.).

Time management

All of the above referred to a better time management as one of the most important benefits of RFID usage in the household, but this part extends the analysis from operational processes to items such as clothing or leisure items. It is often difficult to locate a particular tie that is needed in the morning to go with the shirt and suit that were picked out. Further more, it is even more difficult to know whether that tie should be in the cupboard, whether it was sent to the dry cleaner or whether it was given as a present to someone in the family. The RFI tags will minimize the time spent on searching for different clothing items, at the same time minimizing stress associated with such an experience. This, in turn, will increase individual productivity in the workplace following a less stressful morning.

The principle of information centralization applied in supply management in the household can also be successfully used here: the individuals will know if they are in need of any clothing item.

CONCLUSIONS

The paper has shown that RFID tags use in the household can contribute both to increasing household income (with better time management, less stress for the working individuals etc.) and by decreasing operational costs and expenses. The business model used has identified several potential areas of RFID usage in the household, as well as benefits results from this use.

References

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