Summary

Cost-benefit analysis is critical to the successful deployment of an RFID project. If an RFID project cannot be evaluated in terms of its potential benefits to the company, and if those benefits don't exceed the benefit threshold required, the solution is not likely viable in the long term. The benefits of an RFID project can be direct or indirect, long term or short term. As shown in the chapter, the pricing of RFID components varies based on the solution type. A sample cost-benefit characterization of some of the key applications provides you with a tool to develop your own cost-benefit analysis. In the next chapter, we describe what to look for in vendors, and how to evaluate them.