The new RFID Labeling: Smart Labeling Concepts & Applications for the Consumer Packaged Goods Supply Chain, gives readers a firm grasp of this timely topic. The 211 black-and-white pages, written by four Printronix staffers headed by company founder Robert Kleist, serve as a welcomed primer on smart labels and radio-frequency identification.
It extracts and organizes information from the equivalent of what would otherwise be 10 to 20 RFID white papers. I like the book’s size and feel, and even the typeface is user friendly—Printronix didn’t try to cram too much information or shrink down the font size. There’s plenty of room for notes along the margins, a nice touch for what is a softbound handbook.
Another major plus is that the largely packaging-centric approach remains true to the title; you won’t be distracted by RFID applications outside the packaging world such as for airline baggage or library books.
Near the front is a helpful 10-page glossary that defines terms from Absorption to XML, and other terms are well defined throughout. The nine chapters include “RFID Basics,” “From UPC to EPC,” “Smart Labeling Approaches,” and “Industry Initiatives.” Although it would be nice to read more about Wal-Mart’s program, RFID isn’t all about Wal-Mart.
Listing sources and further references at the end of each chapter rather than together near the book’s end is a convenient choice. Along the way, RFID Labeling offers a generous helping of appealing charts, illustrations, and diagrams that strike a good balance between too much and too little detail.
