RFID

Radio frequency identification (RFID) has been hailed by many as a disruptive technology in the same vein as cellular phones. RFID technology uses small, low cost antennae inside any product to enable you to track the product via remote receivers. Immediate check out at shops, number plates that cannot be falsified and that track your vehicle’s speed and Star Trek-like access control are some of the possibilities mentioned.

For many the promise of RFID has disappointed. Many have used it as a remotely accessible barcode and have started tracking products from a distance as they pass. Scanning for RFID-tags and collecting the information that they contain are relatively easy, but finding the right use for the newly found information stumps many a project.

The question of using information from any form of tag has been TrenStar’s obsession since it started individually identifying each container in its very large pool of containers more than 15 years ago. This field of research focuses on using the identification information to enable better business decisions and ultimately better management. Here are some examples of what we have been doing through barcode and RFID-development:

• Tracking containers in a supply chain:
  This project enabled the client to link the content of any container to the container itself and then feed the information directly into his Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. By doing this, the information collected become intelligence, showing dwell times and product movement. By using TrenStar’s Command Centre, the client was also able to analyse payment cycles, supplier discipline, warehousing efficiency and time in transit.
• Tracking foodstuffs:
  In much the same way as standard supply chain tracking, this client was able to better understand customer preferences by monitoring the movement of product. The system further allowed it to track expiry dates on products in the warehouse.
• Security and tracking of beer kegs:
  Forget for a moment the golden liquid inside the stainless steel beer keg and think of the cost of manufacturing a keg from precious stainless steel. Too many kegs was emptied and then stolen (possibly by someone less sober than prior to the act). In this instance, the client in the United Kingdom used RFID-tracking as a way of monitoring the issuing and return of kegs, turning RFID into an active watchdog of its assets.
• Monitoring high value electronic equipment:
  This major cellular provider in South Africa opened a flagship store filled with the best, brightest and most expensive electronic goodies they could find. Customers are invited to browse the store and place an order on anything from a Tag Heuer cellphone to a 90 inch plasma TV. The problem was keeping an eye on the products, especially those small, high value goods, whilst not creating a feeling that Big Brother was restricting their shopping experience. In this instance TrenStar used a mixture of active and passive tags to monitor product movement, without disturbing the many, drooling tech fans.

There are many other projects that we can tell you about. TrenStar used RFID to track hospital equipment in the USA and several other projects are currently on the boil. TrenStar has also partnered with solution specialists Roan Systems to not only group RFID and tracking skills, but also ensure a full suite of skills, from antennae and tag sourcing to engineering and project management support to tag printing and final project roll-out. Roan Systems is an subsidiary of the TrenStar group.

Read more about TrenStar's Container Management system and its capabilities in tracking and tracing products using RFID and barcodes. Learn about how TrenStar has given RFID further application in the tracking and management of fixed assets through its RFID-enabled Fixed Asset Management (FAM) system.