RFID et cetera

One thing I have always liked about RFID is its ability to provide endless data.  The DIKW Hierarchy suggest a continuum whereby data is turned into information and information is turned into knowledge.  I tend to omit the final point, wisdom, stopping short at knowledge.  Why?  The old axiom: knowledge is power.  I truly believe that the collection and refinement of data leads to a strategic advantage.  One of the blogs I read, RFID 24-7 wrote an interesting article about cloud computing trends in the RFID space. According to John R. Johnson:

Many experts believe that a cloud-based architecture will quickly enable scalable RFID, eliminating one of the biggest roadblocks to adoption of the technology. Many technology providers are leveraging the cloud to deliver solutions that make RFID and the data mined by the technology more valuable than ever before.

I think this type of commentary is evidence of the useful data that RFID creates.

Posted in RFID

The Hong Kong company is testing the use of EPC Gen 2 tags to track Canon cameras and lenses as they are packed and shipped to local retailers.

http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/8037/1/1/

Until the RFID system was launched monthin mid-2010, verifying that an order was filled correctly required employees to look up each product’s serial number and associated stock-keeping unit (SKU) number, in order to confirm that the items being packed matched the order, and to then scan the bar-coded number printed on the packaging and corresponding to the product’s serial number. While workers rarely make mistakes, Lee says, the process is slow. RFID, he notes, should reduce the time spent ensuring the proper items are being packed.

Time will tell, but this type of application should continue to provide immediate ROI.  Ensuring order accuracy has always been a time-consuming part of the fulfillment process.  With relatively high-cost products like camera electronics, errors can be quite costly, and as a result, companies don’t take any chances, putting systems in place to verify order accuracy very meticulously.  RFID should provide a very effective alternative with the wave of a wand.

Posted in Logistics, RFID, Supply Chain Excellence

Several years ago, while enrolled in a business strategy seminar, I had the opportunity to create a business plan with Marshea Fenderson, a project manager at IBM.  (See post1 and post2)  Marshea and I, along with an adviser, developed a business plan for a company that could use RFID—RTLS more specifically—to track Alzheimer’s patients.  We found that there was a true market for this type of real-time location of patients and believed that there was a tremendous business opportunity.  I’m happy to report that I have stumbled across a local company that does just that.

RadarFind uses active RFID tags with an RTLS component to provide real-time location of both patients—not specifically Alzheimer’s patients—and equipment to improve hospital operations.  it goes without saying that losing patients or equipment is unacceptable for myriad self-evident reasons.  I look forward to learning more about how RadarFind has put this powerful technology into action.

Years later, it is exciting to see that our foresight was on point.

Posted in Et cetera, RFID, Supply Chain Excellence

PC World has a great article about the use of RFID in the postal service.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU), an arm of the United Nations that coordinates international postal mail services, has embarked on a project to use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) to track the speed of international deliveries. The program, using tag processing systems from Reva Systems, will begin a test phase later this month in 21 countries. The UPU expects it to be used in 100 countries by 2012.

This is an outstanding example of something I’ve talked about before.  RFID doesn’t have to be used to tag every little thing.  Sometimes the best solutions are merely on the margin.

Posted in Et cetera, Logistics, RFID, Supply Chain Excellence

Odin does it again.  Are your socks ever knocked right off you feet, not once, but twice, by the same press release?  Always outdoing themselves, Odin Technologies released an intelligent asset management system (I AM, get it?) this week.  Using passive RFID, Odin has created an inexpensive (relatively) way to facilitate asset management with an RF setup.

So, I AM is sock number one.  Number two is their sales pitch: IEEE.

• Inexpensive
• Easy to Implement
• Easy to Use
• Easy to Integrate

How much better can you get?

Posted in RFID
Tags: asset tracking, I AM, IEEE, Odin, RFID

What blogger could not use 101 Great Posting Ideas:

http://www.ihelpyoublog.com/20070316-101-great-posting-ideas-that-will-make-your-blog-sizzle

Thanks, Philip, by way of Chris.

Posted in RFID

Reik Read is one of my favorite commentators on RFID. I think he’s spot on with his pricing analysis on RFID Monthly.

Pricing
As a follow-up to UPM and Avery putting forward announcements of a 10% price increase, we have a few observations and a comment. With respect to our observation, we have heard of several instances where existing customers have been told that their pricing won’t change, potentially undermining the cost increase effort. Our view is that this is a natural phenomenon as customers place significant resistance to the increase and individual salesmen seek to protect their relationships. Our view is that it is too early to truly understand to what extent the price increase will take hold. Our comment is this – the companies should be absolutely focused on pricing the tags appropriately to make a profit. It is time to focus on customers that will gain appropriate value from RFID and are willing to pay accordingly. And, it is sure not time for one vendor to play price games to gain share. It is an emerging market that needs to realize value to progress, playing a share game is not helpful.

I think it would be premature for the major players to wage war on market share by dumping or loss-leading.

But, then again, I’ve always advcated a price-plus pricing model.  I believe in this day and age, consumers are sympathetic to the constrains on an organization.  They recognize that companies are out there to make a modest profit.  So, if there is transparency, and companies are saying “hey, this is how much it costs us to produce product or service x and we’re going to charge you x plus y% profit,” consumers get that–they’re okay with it.

Posted in RFID
Tags: pricing, Reik, RFID

According to their website, nearfield.org is research project that investigates near field communications, specifically the link between cell phones and other technologies.  I remember when this topic came up, and it’s quite interesting, really.  The iPhone is well on its way—if its not there already—to ubiquity.  Pushing it into the NFC, RFID space could do wonders for RFID and its ease of implementation.

Look how quick this works…

Posted in RFID

From North Texas RFID’s Friday Lunch:

Retailers are looking for ways to retain existing customers. Using advanced technologies that involve radio frequency identification, digital displays, interactive screens, etc retailers can create a new experience for their existing and new customers. At the same time the retailers can gather valuable information about which products are being evaluated, not just purchased and what is in inventory. Understanding the value of item-level business intelligence.

Should be a good meeting.

Posted in RFID