RFID in Warehouse: Notes from the Floor

When I First Saw It

The first time I saw RFID at work, I honestly thought it was overkill. A truck pulled in, pallets rolled through a gate, and somehow everything got logged without anyone stopping to scan. It felt like cheating compared to the old barcode gun routine.

Why People Even Bother

Warehouses are messy. Boxes stacked wrong, labels ripped, scanners dying right when you need them. Barcodes help but only if people actually scan every single thing. RFID takes away some of that human step. I’ve seen inventory that used to drag across two full shifts get wrapped up before lunch. That’s the kind of change people remember.

The Not-So-Great Part

Of course, it’s not magic. Metal racks, liquids, shiny surfaces—RFID hates those. We once had a batch of washing machines that just refused to read unless you stood in one weird corner waving the scanner like a wand. Honestly, a kid with a barcode reader would have finished faster. That day I stopped believing the “flawless automation” sales pitch.

About the Money

Then there’s the cost. Readers, antennas, cables—it adds up. Smaller warehouses look at the numbers and laugh. And even when you do set it up, what you get isn’t “real-time GPS.” It’s just: “last seen near Dock 4 at 10:37.” Useful, yes, but not the futuristic tracking dashboard vendors like to show in slides.

Where It Actually Helps

Fashion retail is the one place I’d say RFID earns its keep. Counting clothes piece by piece is torture. With RFID you sweep a handheld around and you’re done in minutes. Cold storage is another: tags plus sensors keep both stock and temperature in check, which saves fights later.

Things I Wish Someone Told Me

• Put the antennas where forklifts actually pass, not where IT thinks they should.
• Test it in the ugliest corner of the warehouse first.
• Tags fall off. They always do.
• Data filters matter—otherwise you end up with ten reads of the same box and no idea which one to trust.

My Take

RFID in warehouse management isn’t the silver bullet it’s often sold as. Sometimes it shines, sometimes it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I’d say it’s a tool, not a solution. If you expect it to solve all your problems, you’ll be disappointed. If you just want to save time on the tasks everyone hates, it’s worth a shot.

Like a supervisor told me once: “Don’t buy a forklift to move a chair. And don’t use a hand truck when you’re hauling a pallet.”

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