Should you use barcode or RFID technology to automate data collection? In order to answer that question, it is important to know the differences between barcodes and RFID tags.

A barcode is a visible series of bars (lines) or other shapes (1 or 2 dimensional) on paper that represent a set of data that, when scanned, is converted into a numeric code for further processing.

A radio frequency identification technology (RFID) tag affixes to, identifies and tracks an item using radio waves.

RFID and barcodes both automate the data collection process and have advantages and disadvantages. This infographic provides a brief comparison.