The Use of RFID enables a holistic Information Management within Product lifecycle Management (PLM)

The product components and related data today represent a unit only in the early phases of the product lifecycle, this means that they build a virtual product unit in the phases of development and construction, only. In the late phases of their lifecycle (manufacturing, use and disposal) this product unit is splitted, separating the physical product from the related product data. This is exactly the point, where RFID opens new doors and provides new solutions. Many organisations use RFID in their manufacturing to identify product components, to find, differentiate and trace them. In a RFID managed product life cycle, the generated product data can be read automatically and forwarded to different IT systems such as quality management (CAQ) or product data management (PDM) systems. Thus, the product number recorded on a RFID tag allows the immediate access to the product information required from the data base. Specially the integration of product components and product data has a huge innovation potential. The use of RFID in the product life cycle neutralises the physical separation of product components and the related information. In this way, the product data related to a certain product make an impact on all phases of the product life cycle revolutionising the gain of information and the subsequent conclusions related to the product planning, development, production and deployment until recycling. Finally, the information which joins the product along its complete life cycle creates the individual product.