This one-day preconference seminar will introduce participants to RFID applications in inventory and warehouse management. The course will present practical examples of how RFID technologies realistically enable inventory-management best practices. Participants will learn how to quantify savings and benefits by RFID-enabling warehouse- and inventory-management operations, and the presenter will explain how to build a working RFID portal for automated receiving and inventory tracking.
Picture : Williamson McLeod, RFID Business Development, Zebra Technologies Corporation
Williamson shared with Academia RFID some Zebra new products responding to the RFID market shift from compliance-based tracking to more item-level tracking.
“We’ve been working on some item level capabilities, (…) our latest RXi4 RFID Printer/Encoder allows on pitch item level tag encoding, for really the lowest cost of applied tags. (…) We also have a new portable printer/encoder for exception based tagging (RP4T). (…) Here at journal We’ve also given everyone a UHF RFID tag (credit card size) that work really well for access control – with up to 50 foot read range.”
Richard Philippe from Logi-D shared with Academia RFID the latest applications of their specialized supply chain automation solutions for hospitals. He introduces another area where RFID can help answer the increased regulatory requirements for tissue banking with donor-to-patient traceability.
“We’re continuing to develop our specialty solutions (…) in the last month we’ve introduced a new solution to track bone and tissue which is very important in the US (…) where there is a new JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) regulation coming out for June”
A new version of the slim track portal for security application
Picture : John E. Baker, President, Venture Research Inc.
John shared with Academia RFID some of Venture Research latest products: A new version of the Slim Line portal which combines a reader and antennas in a single ultrathin enclosure – and can be affixed into tight spaces with minimal installation effort.
“We are looking at a (battery backed up) security application within a portal (called slim track) which is only nine inches wide and a inch and a half deep, it is completely sealed so it can actually be used for outdoor application, but in that form factor, you can fit it in doorway or in hallways where you do not want something sticking out far from the walls (…) what is interesting is that we have integrated a full (touch screen) computer inside of the portal and all the sensors that are associated with that (…) So in the portal itself is the application – using a proximity sensing to detect movements, associating with the person walking through, capturing any material or badge tag they may have, registering that with the system (…) that can the be connected without middleware (in some cases) directly into a business case where you want to upload the information out of it”
Picture : Don Miller, Partner Program manager, M-ID Cargo Solutions
Don Miller from M-ID Cargo Solutions shared with Academia RFID their latest UHF passive RFID cargo tag (TIMSV11): a key element in securing and expediting shipments from suppliers to customers and ensure supply chain integrity.
“Our passive RFID seal has an extended read range and what it allows for is applications in yard management, supply chain solutions and trade corridor (…) not only do we protect the shipment but we also lock the cargo container and we’re able to take the data and have it shared between supply chain partners.”
Picture : Jeff Moore, Vice president of sales, Central Region, RF Code
Jeff Moore shared with Academia RFID their latest wire-free power distribution units (PDUs) sensor tag (R170 PDU RFID sensor tag) which enables data center managers to monitor real-time power consumption and utilization.
“This year we’ve announced wire-free power monitoring capabilities where we are actually able to leverage on our 433 Mhz reader infrastructure to monitor physical threats in the data centers, such as temperature, humidity, moisture (…) so the ability to take a wireless tag and plug it into a PDU or CDU so the customer gets the ability to monitor the power consumption of his equipment in a rack, in a data center…without having to run a dedicated (Ethernet) cable, assign a power strip and IP address…”
Picture : Evie Bennett, Vice President, William Frick & Company
Evie from William Frick & Company presents some of their custom RFID tags for harsh environment. No doubts that these RFID tags are extremely durable – they can be embedded in concrete, heat and cold resistant, metal mounted tags, Weldable Metal RFID Tag!!!
“We have exceptional tags for harsh environment, made out of metal that can actually be directly welded onto equipment, such as in the oil & gaz industry, the electric utilities…”
Picture : Rochelle L. Heinl, Manager, RFID Business Development, Repacorp Inc
Rochelle from Repacorp, Inc. presents some of their products in the (RFID) label industry and they can help in customer’s label applications.
“…as many companies are now looking for item level tagging, they may be looking for prime or high quality labels (…) we have a digital press where we can take our stock labels and imprint them with high quality four color process, UV ink and it ends up being a beautiful print ”
From Auto-ID and mobility to managing RTLS at the edge of the enterprise
Picture : Sam Falsafi is co-founder of the RFID Oil & Gas Solution Group and senior Director of Business Solutions at Shipcom Wireless
Sam Shared with Academia RFID some insights on Shipcom’s supply chain execution platform (Catamaran) new applications.
“Shipcom has expanded from auto-id and mobility for back end systems (i.e. enhancing the experience at the edge of the enterprise) to managing RTLS systems at the edge of the enterprise (…) capture the movement of goods and personnel and present it in a graphical view (…) combine the different data capture technologies from different vendors and present that in s single view”
David Shared with Academia RFID couple insights on Omnitrol application network solutions / RFID middleware platform.
“This year we are supporting new adaptors, mostly for RTLS but also new readers coming in the market (…) beside device adaptation we create services that are going to run locally on the software, so it allows you to quickly create a business workflow and deploy it immediately without having to go through the complexity of long development processes …”
Picture : John E. Baker, President, Venture Research Inc
John shared with Academia RFID some of Venture Research latest products: the mobile cart.
“we are working on a number of applications that are more focused on tracking for tools, security, check in check out kind of applications …For example we are looking here at a mobile cart solution that can be used to track small assets, doing put away in a warehouse, (…) tool tracking in general, or also in pharmaceutical industry or in hospitals where you are moving material (…). RFID antennas and the reader are actually built into the cart – in fact, the shelf is the reader and the antennas infrastructure – with the ability to deliver the information(movement of the products, cart location, etc.) using WIFI or GSM ”
The word “standards” often elicits a yawn from users who implement RFID, and
standards are often the last thing considered when designing and deploying
an RFID system. But consider this:
- There are over two dozen RFID “middleware” products that implement the EPCglobal Application Level Events (ALE) standard. Choosing ALE as the
foundation for business application software preserves your investment as
technology changes, instead of being locked into the proprietary interface
provided by a single middleware vendor. Plus, ALE provides for rapid
application development through XML and web services frameworks, allows
different applications to share data from an RFID data network without prior
coordination, and lets application writers focus on “what” data they want
from RFID tags instead of “how” to command readers to get that data.
- Using proprietary interfaces to an RFID reader locks deployments into a
single hardware vendor, but use of EPCglobal’s Low-Level Reader Protocol
(LLRP), Reader Management (RM), and Discovery, Configuration, and
Initialization (DCI) standards provides a plug-and-play basis for managing a
heterogenous network of RFID readers, future-proofing against changes in
technology.
- Every enterprise RFID application delivers data from RFID readers up to
application software, but an ill-considered interface between data capture
and enterprise applications results in a brittle system in which data
capture technology cannot be updated without disturbing the enterprise
applications and vice versa. Use of the EPCglobal EPC Information Services
(EPCIS) standard avoids this pitfall, provides the basis for seamless
combination of RFID with bar codes and other data carriers, and provides
access to over two dozen commercial data capture and data analysis products
that are compatible with EPCIS. And, EPCIS can be used even in closed loop
systems and systems that do not use Electronic Product Code Identifiers.
How Tallahassee Memorial l Healthcare (TMH) succeeded in its Real Time Location System (RTLS) implementation project What are the benefits and limitations of the technology
Some Lessons learned And key inputs of how to improve location accuracy at the very end of this podcast.
Picture : Ygal Bendavid (Academia RFID) & Jay Adams, IT Enterprise Architect, from Tallahassee Memorial l Healthcare
Tallahassee Memorial 1 Healthcare implemented a RTLS to have accurate & real time visibility on people (i.e. patients & staff) and assets. Following the implementation, the hospital
Reduced capital purchase savings and lower rental costs
Reduced annual operating cost, for example, in term of process improvement such as equipment inventory
Improved staff, patient and asset workflow
Increased equipment availability
Decreased staff frustration
And more importantly, increased in nurse time with patients – therefore Improving patient care
Picture : Tomorrow’s Mother RFID fixture in Herberger’s St. Paul store. The SightWare module is inside and the clothing on the fixture is being scanned.
Tomorrow’s Mother was recently nominated as a finalist in the Most Innovative Use category for the 2009 RFID Journal Awards. Their RFID in-store pilot is all about getting accurate real time inventory data at the item level to improve replenishment and reduce Out of Stocks. Seems like just another retailer that’s experimenting with RFID smart shelves? Not quite. What makes this pilot so interesting is Continue reading ‘RFID “Drag and Drop” in Retail (Episode 017)’
AgileTag and SSS Research have teamed up to offer retailers an RFID tagging system that can be installed by store employees. This means a very lean and simple implementation.
Find out about a new RFID tag that operates in harsh environments.
Learn about the plasmonic structure now used for RFID.
Find out how Omni-ID used biomimetics to develop their new tags.
Picture : Omni-ID tag attached to metal and being read through water and a metal mesh
The runner-up for the “best in show” category at the RFID Journal Awards 2008 was Omni-ID. They presented a truly innovative RFID tag that can be read through water and on metal with 99.9% reliability. Here’s an interview we did with their president and CEO, Thomas C. Pavela.
Harold Boeck (1.28) : This is Harold Boeck from RFID Radio at RFID Journal Live! 2008 in Las Vegas. And I’m here with Thomas Pavela, President and CEO of Omni-ID. First of all Thomas, I’d like to congratulate you on being a finalist for the Best in Show Category.
Find out more about the product that won the “Best in Show” category at the RFID Journal Awards 2008 in this episode.
Picture : Kevin Duffy from Mojix giving a presentation just before the interview
Harold Boeck was judge for the RFID Journal Awards 2008 so he had the incredible opportunity to review all the submissions that were sent in for the prestigious RFID Journal Awards 2008. The winner for this year’s “Best in show” category would be one of RFID’s best kept secrets called Mojix. Here’s an interview he did with them right after one of their presentations at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas during RFID Journal Live! 2008.
What major benefits are early adopters in retail seeing?
How do you choose which RFID application to implement?
Can retailers leverage their EAS investment?
Picture : André Côté from Checkpoint Systems
In this episode of RFID Radio, Anthony Palermo from Academia RFID presents his third and last interview from the American Apparel and Footwear Association RFID Summit that took place in New York city. He asks André Côté, Senior Director at Checkpoint Systems his approach to identify which RFID application to implement, what are the most common RFID applications being implemented and the major benefits gained by retailers. He also presents an interesting alternative that Checkpoint offers retailers who want to leverage their EAS investment towards RFID.
