Supply chain inventory tracking requires some of the most cutting edge technology to keep up with the international marketplace in this day and age. Simple paper documentation just doesn't cut it when it comes to tracking inventories in complex supply chains, from the manufacturer to the transportation to the warehouse to the retail setting. Portable printers are required to quickly produce receipts, labels, tags, tickets and full pages with detailed information and barcodes. RFID antennas are used to track inventory on the ground or en route to the next stop in the supply chain, all using radio frequencies.

Portable printers are some of the most commonly used inventory tracking tools in supply chain settings today. Many of the portable printers on the market are designed to withstand punishing field conditions in warehouses, manufacturing facilities and shipping centers where dirt, moisture, extreme temperatures and physical shock are common. Mobile receipt printers, label printers, work board printers and full page printers make supply chain inventory tracking more efficient with high-speed performance that can save hours of time every day.

The new face of supply chain inventory tracking is RFID technology, which is an automatic identification method of storing and remotely retrieving data from products using radio frequency identification tags or transponders. RFID antennas are available for fixed applications or vehicle mount applications where shock and vibration are a factor. With RFID antennas, supply chain members have a vital link that serves as the conduit moving data back and forth between the radio frequency identification reader and the tag.

These new supply chain inventory tracking technologies make every process more efficient and reduce the possibilities of inventory shortage, from manufacturing the products to transporting the products to storing the products to moving them into a retail setting. In a global business environment, supply chain partners must be able to use these technologies to their advantage in order to keep up with the competition.