The Brimmer College of Business and Information Science at historically Black Tuskegee University in Alabama has partnered with the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Lab at Auburn University to create hands-on experience opportunities for students studying supply chain management at Tuskegee.
RFID technology is found in a wide range of products including retail security tags, pet microchips, airline baggage tags, and guest experience bracelets at entertainment venues. It has become a real-time asset in supply chain management. The research conducted at Auburn’s RFID Lab focuses on developing and integrating RFID into various industries and applications.
“RFID comes in many different flavors and has become a catch-all term for several hundred different technologies that fall under that umbrella and that trace back several decades,” said Justin Patton, director of Auburn’s RFID Lab. “The technology offers the retail sector greater efficiency and more precise inventory control, tracking and product safety beyond the barcode’s capacity.”
The Auburn lab has collaborated with many corporate partners, which has allowed students to manage real-world data. In addition, the students are also able to network with these corporate partners, leading to internship and employment opportunities. During the last academic year, Tuskegee University students made up one third of the RFID Lab’s team.
“When you have a group of students like this who are learning this technology as it develops, the sky’s the limit for them,” said Jack Crumble, an associate professor in Tuskegee’s Brimmer College. “Professional opportunities abound for these graduates with suppliers, manufacturers, distribution centers, and retailers. The entire industry is looking for data solutions to reduce costs, so a group of students with hands-on experience like this certainly has a tremendous employment advantage when they graduate.”
