While Radio Frequency Identification is a very efficient solution often deployed in isolation by tagging every item in the warehouse, ensuring item-level visibility on the warehouse floor, tracking inbound and outbound shipments, it doesn’t always cover all types of inventory items. Often, there are some items, some workflows that still need to be managed using the good old barcoding solution.
Warehousing is not alone in this. Even in manufacturing and production, some items work well with a barcode solution for obvious reasons. Many metal items on the production floor do not work well with RFID labels due to interference issues and compromised Radio Frequency Identification issues.
Similarly, in order fulfillment, where frontline workers need to quickly scan and deliver an item to a customer, barcodes seem like a cost-effective and quick solution. An enterprise mobile computer like the TC22 by Zebra can help frontline workers to seamlessly scan and fulfill orders.
So, what is the solution? How can warehouse managers benefit from RFID technology as well as barcoding technology, without having to choose one of the above?
The solution, as I explained here, is right in front of us. A hybrid solution with RFID and Barcoding technologies, where RFID tags and barcode labels can be used, selectively, to ensure efficiency at all levels.
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RFID and Barcoding Hybrid Solution
An RFID and Barcoding hybrid solution is an efficient way to ensure item-level visibility, not just in warehousing but in retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and supply chain.
The RFID-Barcode hybrid solution involves the use of both technologies, RFID and Barcoding, to tag and track assets. However, which assets need to be tagged with RFID and which need to be labelled with a barcode depends on a particular use case. ROI is also a decisive factor here. Retailers wouldn’t like to tag low-value items with RFID labels in the warehouse or stores, but prefer a barcode label here. For high-value items, it makes sense to use RFID tags. It makes it easier to manage inventory of such items, order fulfillment, and even procurement.
Solution Requirement for an RFID-Barcode Hybrid Solution in Inventory Management
Let’s get into the details of the solution requirements, hardware, and software needed to get started with a hybrid solution.
Hardware Requirements:
1.Barcode labels
2. Barcode scanners
3. RFID Labels and Hard tags
4. RFID handheld scanners
5. RFID Antennas
6. RFID Fixed Scanners
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Software Requirements:
1.Barcode inventory management system
2. RFID-based inventory management system
3. Integrations
So, how does this work? Well, to deploy an RFID-barcoding hybrid solution, first identify which items need to be labeled with barcode labels and which assets need to be tagged with RFID labels.
Post item-level tagging, you also need to configure barcode and RFID scanners. These scanners can be deployed according to warehouse or store needs. Where needed, RFID gate systems are also deployed to monitor inflow and outflow of materials in the warehouse.
Now, all barcode scans, from inventory management to order fulfillment, are recorded using the barcode-based back-end and middleware system and integrated with a centralized warehouse management system that also integrates RFID scans at various stages.
Using QR Code on RFID Labels
Another solution that is often used by warehouse managers is the use of a barcode with a UHF RFID solution.
For this purpose, QR Codes/Barcodes are printed on the RFID label itself and, when need be, scanned accordingly. All the scans, barcodes, and RFID are recorded in the centralized warehouse, and accordingly, analytics are generated, measuring operational workflows across channels, the frontline, and the back-end.
Use of QR Codes on RFID labels drives precision in data capturing and automation, scanning RFID or barcode, where required. However, this solution is not as cost-effective as using barcode and RFID labels separately because you have to mandatorily use RFID labels to accommodate barcode scanning where needed.
Use cases:
1.Warehouse inventory management.
2. Retail inventory, supplychain, and store operations.
3. Manufacturing, production and supplychain
4. Healthcare inventory tracking.
5. Logistics and order fulfillment, etc.
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Our vast catalog of RFID and barcoding solutions includes:
1.UHF RFID Asset Tags
2. RFID Pallet Tags
3. RFID Printers
4. Barcode Printers
5. UHF RFID Handheld Readers
6. RFID Fixed Readers
7. UHF RFID Antennas
8. Barcode Labels
9. Barcode Ribbons
10. Mobile Computers, etc.
To summarize, the use of an RFID-barcode hybrid solution in warehouse inventory management and order fulfillment is capable of efficiently streamlining operational workflows, from inventory counting to item-level visibility and order fulfillment.
While warehouse managers can deploy RFID and barcode labels separately for individual items, they can also print barcode on RFID labels themselves, making the solution more robust and efficient.
Barcode offers great benefits in order fulfillment, where frontline workers can quickly scan the barcode on delivery packages and ensure timely, error-free delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
● What is a hybrid RFID–barcode system?
It’s a setup where RFID and barcodes work together to track inventory and fulfill orders efficiently.
● Why use both RFID and barcodes instead of one?
RFID offers speed and bulk scanning, while barcodes are cost-effective and reliable for item-level accuracy.
● Which warehouse processes benefit most from RFID?
Receiving, bulk inventory counts, pallet tracking, and cycle counting see the biggest gains.
● Where are barcodes still the better choice?
Picking, packing, exception handling, and low-value or metal/liquid items.
● Can RFID and barcode data live in the same system?
Yes. Both feed into the WMS using a shared item or SKU master.
● What happens if an RFID tag fails?
The barcode acts as a fallback, ensuring operations continue without disruption.
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