Aria EDI now features RFID Technology.

Aria has integrated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology into our EDI module as a direct response to the compliance mandate issued by many of our customers' trading partners.

RFID has been attracting considerable attention recently with endorsements from major retail chains such as Wal-Mart and Sears, promising improved supply chain visibility for suppliers and retailers. As always, Aria Systems is keeping abreast of the developments in the industry anticipating and proactively addressing the needs of our customers.

The Aria software now supports the new RFID barcode standard, which allows the printing of RFID labels.

What is RFID?

If you are not familiar with RFID technology, this short primer will familiarize you with the technology and its components.

1. RFID is a method of identifying unique items using radio waves.
2. Typical RFID systems are made up of 2 major components: readers and tags.
   • The reader, sometimes referred to as the interrogator, sends and receives RF data to and from the tag via antennas. A reader may have multiple antennas that are responsible for sending and receiving the radio waves.
   • The tag, or transponder, is made up of the microchip that stores the data, an antenna, and a carrier to which the chip and antenna are mounted. RFID technology is used today in many applications including security and access control, transportation, and supply chain tracking.
3. RFID is a technology that works well for collecting multiple pieces of data for tracking and counting purposes in a distribution environment.

Advantages of RFID technology

RFID is poised to improve performance and productivity since it will allow the quick and more efficient tracking of merchandise movement.