A barcode needs the reader pointed at each tag in turn. RFID is a small chip in the tag that a reader picks up at close range without anyone handling the piece, and it reads a whole tray in moments. But the chip knows nothing about the piece until you pair it in the software. This guide explains how to start with RFID in your shop: tags and readers, pairing each tag with its piece, identifying pieces by passing the reader over them, and what happens to a tag when its piece is sold or moved.
The barcode identifies the item; the tag identifies the piece
A gold barcode points to an item by branch, karat, colour and weight, so identical pieces share it. A tag's number, however, is unique across the whole company, so it identifies one particular piece. That is why a tag is counted once in a stock count however often it is read, and why the software knows when a piece is in the wrong branch. The barcode's own cycle is explained in Barcodes in a gold shop: from reserving the code to printing the tag.
What you need to start
- Factory-encoded RFID tags: each chip comes with its own unique number, so you need no device to write to it. You print the barcode on it with your thermal printer like any tag.
- A handheld RFID reader: it connects to a computer or a phone and types what it reads as a keyboard would, so it works with the browser without extra software.
- Time for pairing: you pair each tag with its piece once, and it serves you in every count after that.
Pairing a tag with a piece
Pairing takes two scans: the piece's barcode, then its tag. Before accepting the pairing, the software should check three things:
- That the read is complete: a partial read from the reader is rejected rather than saved as a wrong number.
- That the tag is not in use: a tag paired with another piece cannot be paired again, and you are shown which piece it belongs to.
- That tags do not exceed stock: an item with three pieces in stock cannot carry four tags.
And follow the coverage in each branch: how many pieces have a tag out of all pieces. An RFID count is only complete once coverage is.
Identifying pieces in seconds
Pass the reader over a tray or a shelf, and a card appears for every piece read: its picture, name, karat, colour, weight, stock and barcode. At the top of the screen is the total of what was read: the number of pieces, their total weight, and the number of unpaired tags. So you know what is in the tray before you open it, and which tags still need pairing.
What happens to the tag next?
| Event | What happens to the tag |
|---|---|
| Sale | When the last of an item's stock is sold, its tags are released and can be paired with another piece. |
| Selling part of the stock | If the item still has stock and now has more tags than pieces, the software alerts you, and you scan the sold piece's tag to release it. |
| Transfer between branches | If all of the item's stock moves, its tags move with it to the receiving branch. If only part moves, the tags stay, and the alert catches any surplus. |
| Write-off and scrapping | A final exit: when the stock runs out, the tags are released. |
| Stock count | Each tag is counted once, with alerts for unpaired tags and for pieces in the wrong branch. Details in How to run a gold shop stock count with barcodes and RFID. |
Questions to ask any vendor
- Does it reject partial reads and tags already paired with another piece?
- Does it show the share of pieces with tags in each branch?
- What happens to a tag on sale, transfer and write-off?
- Does the reader work with a phone, and does it need special software?
- What does RFID do in its software, and what does it not do?
How RFID works in ZMZMGold
| Stage | In ZMZMGold |
|---|---|
| Tags and readers | Factory-encoded tags, and a reader that types like a keyboard by cable or Bluetooth, on a computer or a phone. |
| Pairing | The “RFID Lab” screen (experimental): scan the barcode, then the tag, with partial reads and tags in use rejected, and no more tags than stock. |
| Identification | On the same screen: a card for every piece read, and totals of pieces, weight and unpaired tags. |
| Coverage | The share of pieces with tags in each branch. |
| After a sale | Tags released when stock runs out, and an alert and reconciliation when tags outnumber pieces. |
| Stock counts | A count session that reads barcodes and tags together, and the stock-count app on a phone with a Bluetooth reader. |
Details on the gold and jewellery shop management software page.
In short
Start RFID with pairing, not with counting: factory-encoded tags, a reader that works with the browser, pairing that checks every read, and coverage you follow until it is complete. After that, identifying a whole tray takes seconds, and stock counts become much faster.