RFID And Logistics Management

Logistics assets that have a circular flow are an essential part of the distribution network of any business. These assets are often reusable such as totes, racks, bins and roll cages, shipping containers, gas containers etc. used to transport goods from one place to another. Procuring, maintaining and managing these assets often forms a significant part of a company?s annual expenses. Since theft, damage and replacement erode asset productivity, these assets have to be managed in such a way as to minimize loss as possible. That is when RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Devices) and logistics management comes into effect.

Using RFID to Manage Assets:

Businesses have resorted to using radio frequency identification devices come in handy. These devices or tags are helpful in locating these reusable assets as well as have control over them. This greatly reduces loss due to theft as well as misplacements. It is also useful in locating particular containers containing specific products etc. Their use has greatly reduced costs such as replacement costs as well as avoiding shrinkage. It has also helped reduce capital costs, increase customer satisfaction, as well as ensuring the assets are in the correct place at the right time. An added advantage is the reusability of these tags, so companies, which want greater control over assets and their management, have opted to use RFID and logistics management techniques. Using RFID and logistics management strategies will serve to improve capital utilization lower the total operational costs as well as improve the availability of assets. The use of these asset management techniques has improved customer retention significantly. This technique will help improve visibility of assets in transit, availability management of much needed assets, transportation management etc. these techniques have to be reviewed periodically to ascertain if they have effected a significant change as also to take necessary action where required.

The use of RFID and logistic management techniques are especially useful for manufacturers, where parts bins feed parts in an automated plant, since the placement of the right part in the right place is critical. The company can use these techniques in areas where they have expertise whereas professional help can be sought for areas where they lack control such as transportation, delivery, pick up etc.

Companies should consider implementing RFID and logistics management techniques, as they will greatly benefit from it. It will reduce cost, increase control and availability, decrease chances of loss of assets due to various factors as well as prove to be very economical. Most of them are currently using manual techniques, which is not as efficient as RFID. They have to understand that asset management will be a key factor in improving customer satisfaction as well as help in customer retention.

Many firms offer professional help as well as products to run a business efficiently and effectively.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

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RFID Tags

When RFID tags started gaining popularity the general view was that they would revolutionize the world and the industry. However, it did not happen and people were not so fast to accept RFID technology and its advantages. Nonetheless. RFID technology has evolved and new advances in this industry have been made.

The RFID industry is designing better systems and tags while ensuring the cost factor for both active and passive RFID tags reduce. It is a lot cheaper today to take advantage of RFID technology than it was ten years ago. The RFID tags have become smaller in size and have better batteries.

However, RFID technology is still a long way from taking the world by storm. If we take RFID tag use in Wal-Mart, one will realize that this giant uses it minimally. While Gillette?s dream for distribution and robotic factories has not been realized. Still, Gillette and the US military are taking this technology seriously and trying to find ways of using it better and more effectively.

The real challenge for the RFID industry, many say, could be the inability of the industry to produce the tags and readers cheaply and quickly on labels. If this can be done, then it would bring the RFID tags and readers at level with the bar code industry and will enable the retail industry to effectively use this technology. At the moment RFID technology is more popular with shipping and transporting companies to keep a track on consignment.

With companies like Horizon Components who have taken the RFID technology beyond the realms of shipping and transporting companies, the future for RFID technology is bright and optimistic. It will be real soon when we see this technology being a part of our day to day life.

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Nissan Chooses WhereNet Locatable Active RFID System

Nissan North America, Inc. announced earlier that it will be using WhereNet Locatable real-time locating system (RTLS) technology to automate both its inbound supply chain and outbound delivery chain.

The automaker partners with WhereNet Corp., a leader of wireless solutions, to strengthen continuous improvement initiative at its four-million square foot assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi. Said partnership is aimed at improving the North American vehicle production, labor productivity, and auto parts Nissan quality.

"Amidst soaring demand and several new model introductions each year, the WhereNet system gives Nissan the agility to manage its inbound supply chain on a just-in-time basis to support flexible manufacturing processes. In addition, WhereNet assists on the outbound side by automating predelivery processes to bring more new vehicles to the marketplace faster," said Chantal Polsonetti, vice president of manufacturing advisory services for ARC Advisory Group.

The Canton assembly plant of the automaker is capable of producing 400,000 vehicles annually. It assembles Nissan Maxima auto parts and other significant vehicles of the automaker. Nissan Altima sedan, Armada and Infiniti QX56 SUVs, Quest minivan, and Titan full-size pickup truck are also produced in said plant.

"As one of the most efficient vehicle manufacturers in North America -- according to the 2006 Harbour Report -- Nissan is setting the standard for manufacturing by embracing new technologies like WhereNet to continuously improve processes," said Tom Bacon, vice president of the automotive division for WhereNet. "WhereNet's locatable active RFID system provides a critical foundation for flexible manufacturing as it enables automakers to manage multiple models with meticulous precision, ensuring that the right part is delivered to the assembly line just in time. In addition to helping manufacturers maintain a lean inbound supply chain, WhereNet also drives efficiency on the outbound side, accelerating delivery of new vehicles to dealers through our industry-first, automated VTMS solution."

In the partnership with WhereNet, Nissan also expects to reduce labor cost, on-site dwell time for parts and vehicles, improve responsiveness to customers, and to produce high-quality vehicles as ensured by the system. This is because the system also immediately detects quality defects in vehicles hence; rework costs will be prevented.

As a manager of one of the largest auto store in Springfield,Massachusetts, Sarah has extensive expertise on auto parts and automotives in general. This 42 year old is a certified car enthusiast.

RFID buzz creates market for more secure services

RFID or Radio Frequency Identification for a layman is all about collecting data at the physical level using RFID readers and tags and then using that data for business applications.

RFID number plates are expected to bring in a revolutionary transformation in the traffic monitoring system. Those gazing surveillance cameras on the roads are soon going to be outdated with the introduction of these hi-tech number plates.

Only 5-6 sectors are utilizing this technology at present. The areas where this technology has already made its place include Security & Access Control where RFID is used for authentication of products, documents & asset management, validation & verification of vehicles and people & attendance check etc.

Besides installing RFID number plates to watch the movement of vehicles on the road, the transportation sector also employs the RFID technology to collect taxes with contact-less cards and keep an eye on public and cargo vehicles.

RFID plays a major role in health care services equipments such as mobile diagnostic equipments or RFID patient wristband. Quality checks in retail & consignment tracking, point of sale terminals, luggage handing and other areas of commercial services also use RFID technology.

Besides assisting the suppliers in meeting the requirements of the retailers, the inclusion of RFID system in supply chain management has also broadened the marketing scope for service providers.

As per a latest research report published by RNCOS named ?RFID: Outlook China? predicts that the application of RFID in the shipment system of China's Ministry of Railway will save more than $ 36Mn, i.e. 300Mn Yuan, during the current financial year.

The report also offers statistical information of the RFID market in China. As per the report, the RFID market in China that was worth $150 Mn in 2004, which is expected to cross $621 Mn by the year 2009 at a CAGR (Cumulative Annual Growth Rate) of 32%.


As per the analysts, China is becoming the latest center of this technology with RFID-based systems being included in Shanghai and Guangzhou?s subways and several buses are also equipped with card reader in Beijing.

As per the report ?RFID: Outlook China?, RFID has entered in every sphere of the Chinese Market. The 2G identity cards cover approximately 50%, whereas each of the sectors such as e-ticketing, expressway toll taxation, university campuses & community services on an average adds to 6% of the RFID market with public transport and subways making a contribution of 10%.

The report offers a complete overview of the current trends and activities in the RFID Market in China. The international exhibition of RFID technology called RFID CONNECT CHINA 2006 event is also discussed in this report.

To purchase your copy: http://www.rncos.com/Report/COM27.htm
For more information please visit www.rncos.com

RFID Passports Make a Lot of Sense

Soon Passports maybe a little harder to forge and contain much better information as the authorities are looking into RFID Radio Frequency Identification enabled passports to insure we know who is coming and going. The State Department is going to roll-out this concept on a prototype basis for government officials and employees first to see how it goes and if all goes well are wishing to have it set up for all citizens by Next year this time.

This should help secure our borders and let us know who is in our country and it will make airline travel safer and speed up the long lines too. The reader will be able to read the passport with a quick swipe of about 5 inches away or less and it will be read only like a CD ROM and only be able to be read by an official machine. It will have anti-skimming material so no one can illegally read it by walking by; unless it is open, even if they do figure out how to make a machine to read them. Every RFID Passport will have unique chip number. Some privacy right activists are a little concerned but the chips cannot be used to track individuals. Others ask why not? Why can’t we track those who come to our country, what are they trying to hide?

What sorts of information might the have? Well they can store 37 Kb or a small file with things like name, nationality, sex, etc, but will not have social security numbers or residence addresses? Some say big deal you could look that up and then someone could rob their house knowing they are gone? The electronic passports will also contain a digital signature and have enough data storage for biometric information too. Since there are 57 million people with passports now it may be awhile as only about 8-million come up for renewal annually, but many feel this is a giant step needed for Global Security. What do you think?

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

American Libraries and RFID Tags

 

RFID Tags seem to be perfectly suited for library inventory control. Many bookstores are planning on having them on every book to prevent theft and keep track of inventory, which makes sense.

Now with this new technology they are teaching the old world all it’s applications and bringing the most unexpected organization into the Modern Age:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/09/va...n_library_rfid/

We are seeing TI- Texas Instruments and other companies leading the charge. Even Microsoft is building a custom operating system especially designed to incorporate RFID tags for Small and Medium sized Businesses. With Wal-Mart, Gillette and the Department of Defense moving forward on projects, we are seeing huge increase in the venture capital and investment bank spending on the companies who will be leading the way in this new technology as well as large old companies spending on capital investments in research and development. What is so wonderful is that all this technology will be available to so many other important needs for instance Libraries, book mobiles and School Districts. This is an awesome advantage of transfer technologies and we should be thanking the US Military, Wal-Mart, The Free Market and the Financial Markets for this forward progression to make our lives run smoother and more efficient as we know that budgets are tight and every dollar counts in our libraries and schools.

One new technology being developed by Flash Scan, Corp.

http://www.flashscan.net/

Libraries are much easier to develop the technology for than let’s say Military Humvees, Wal-Mart Wooden Pallets, Gillette’s Fiber Board Pallets. One cannot but be impressed with the ingenuity of American entrepreneurs and the intensive capital being risked on up-coming innovations on nothing more than a chance to play. Anyone who thinks that American Business is down and out need to look no further than their local public library and the new hardware being installed which would make even Carnegie smile.

This white paper on Page: 6 has a couple of paragraphs of what some of these early adopters can expect for Video, Audio and Book Inventory Applications, which obviously lends itself to uses for libraries and school districts from: Zebra Technologies:

http://www.zebra.com/whitepapers/11315Lr2RFIDTechnology.pdf

Now then if we look at the Training Sessions for Homeland Security, FBI, Annapolis Naval Academy, West Point, etc. By allowing the military which is already heavy into the RFID game and is learning a lot and moving the ball forward and allowing some of this basic research and development to be used in their libraries, universities, academies and top notched training facilities, we can have a world class system ready for transferability into other public sectors which can assist streamline efficiencies in education to make good on America’s commitment to the “No Child Left Behind Act” possible by freeing up monies and re-investing those monies into books, educational material for the class rooms so teachers do not have to use their own money. Also by having a more efficient system in America’s libraries, they can afford to run the air conditioning more in the summer thus attracting more people to come and read and better heat in the winter to make it comfortable to stay and read.

RFID makes sense for library inventory control, simplicity and efficiency which will provide greater cost savings to re-allocate for those things they desperately need. RFID on Book Mobiles also makes sense as the entire control system could be run by a PDA Windows CE Program which when not in use can be charged by the cigarette lighter in the vehicle since smoking is not allowed in book mobiles because the paper holds such scents. Any ideas along this line are welcomed.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for < id="link_63" target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ourspokanemagazine.com/">Our Spokane