“Nothing in the world is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.” Victor Hugo, Writer
What Does AIS Offer?
RFID was first introduced in the 1970s and is now a proven technology with a bright future. As the functionality & cost of RFID equipment, and particularly tags, has improved, RFID has rapidly moved to the mainstream. However, RFID is typically not an “out of the box” solution. Most RFID hardware and software deployments require specific configuration for each unique location and environment.
AIS’ team of RFID experts will assist you determine the viability of a proposed RFID project, and once justified, help you define exact requirements, determine the most appropriate equipment and implementation approach to manage costs and provide an acceptable RoI. Typically, we will offer a then provide a hosted solution which is simple to create, deploy and manage, including full ongoing support.
What is RFID?
According to the RFID Journal:
“Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects”. There are several methods of identification, but the most common is to store a serial number that identifies a person or object, and perhaps other information, on a microchip that is attached to an antenna (the chip and the antenna together are called an RFID transponder or an RFID tag). The antenna enables the chip to transmit the identification information to a reader. The reader converts the radio waves reflected back from the RFID tag into digital information that can then be passed on to computers that can make use of it.
The Benefits Of RFID
Overall, RFID technology enables businesses to automate labor-intensive processes, authenticate, track and safeguard their people, goods or assets, improve accuracy of shipping and receiving documentation, and achieve both real-time inventories and asset visibility.
Specific Asset Tracking benefits include locating assets: in large inventory locations like warehouses; outside in fields or yards; across multiple sites/buildings
The primary benefit of RFID tags over barcodes is the simultaneous and automatic reading of multiple RFID tags, while barcodes must be visible and scanned manually one-by-one. RFID tags can be read or written at distances of several feet, in motion, in any orientation, through intervening objects, and without the need for line-of-sight access.
Research shows that RFID delivers:
• 20% reduction in labor-intensive processes
• 99% inventory visibility
• 3-4% increase in sales versus traditional tracking technologies
RFID technology can therefore provide you with increased efficiency, security, and visibility into your business processes and improved profitability.
Some Of The Most Common Applications For RFID
- Vehicle Asset Tracking (e.g. PDI to Delivery Locations, Showrooms)
- Vehicle Servicing Operation; Car Park Management
- Supply Chain Management
- Secure Entry Point Monitoring
- High Value Asset Control / Alarms
- Industrial Equipment Tracking
- Vehicle Tracking / Fleet Management
- Retail Ingress/Egress Monitoring
- Medical Supply Control
- Work-in-Progress
- Corporate Event Management
What Do I Need To Know?
- RFID is not the best fit for every application, and the technology may be expensive depending on the size of the application. The return on investment of the necessary hardware, software, and labor hours must justify the expense. Many times RFID is the right fit – other times barcodes or only a process change may be the solution.
- Keep environmental conditions in mind when selecting an RFID system. Some environments are not well-suited for certain types of RFID equipment. Steps may be taken to mitigate environmental factors, but it is important to consider all variables that may affect tag readability.
- RFID tag pricing is heavily dependent upon tag type and tag volume. Metal-mount RFID tags and rugged RFID tags are more expensive than RFID wet inlays or RFID labels. Also, pricing on 100,000 tags will be much different than pricing on 10,000, 1,000, or 100 tags.
OmniRFID
The OmniRFID Dealership Vehicle Management System is an automated vehicle management solution that helps automobile dealerships manage new vehicle inventory by improving the inspection process and tracking vehicle movement as they are delivered to the vehicle showroom or storage locations.
- Prepare for the delivery of new vehicles by pre-assigning RFID tags to each vehicle based on VIN number
- RFID tags hang on each vehicle’s windshield or rear view mirror and enable the tracking and monitoring of new vehicles as they arrive from the port to your dealership
- With all vehicle and RFID tag information imported into the system, the data is then synchronized with mobile handheld readers, allowing your delivery inspection team to verify vehicles and perform inspections on-site at time of delivery
- On-site delivery inspections are made more accurate & efficient: once the pre-assigned RFID tags are with each corresponding vehicle, your team can carry out the inspection entirely on a handheld reader
- Information including the make, model, color, any damage, comments, and even the assigned driver are all collected electronically
- Once vehicles arrive at your dealership lot they can be tracked: know when they arrived, which lot they are parked at, & be alerted if they are removed from the premises
- Gain access to robust reports that provide important vehicle movement data filtered by vehicle, lot, status, day, & more
- Every report can be emailed as an alert & exported as a CSV or PDF.
- Our user-intuitive software is entirely web-based. This means that as long as you have an Internet connection, you can connect into our user dashboard from any device, anywhere.
Contact Us
If you are considering an RFID solution, or wish to replace an existing asset tracking system that is under-performing and over-expensive, why not contact us now for an obligation free discussion on how we can assist you achieve your operational & business objectives?