RFID solutions are ideal for manufacturers who build several products on a single production line, or manufacture complex or customized products such as building a chicken coop in several variants. Assembly line personnel could use an RFID reader to verify which processes have been completed, to determine which inspections or tests are required and to automatically update the central production database. And production planners and inventory control personnel could use the GAO RFID tags to automatically update the customer database and finished goods inventory, using an RFID reader and PC, rather than manually creating data entry sheets, which could introduce errors into the system. In addition, GAO RFID system shows the real-time location and status of each single component in all processing lines.

For today’s manufacturer, processing lines can be immense and complex constructs and the volume of materials and goods flowing through them can also be staggering. Timing and materials’ coordination are critical functions through these processes that determine the level of profitability for your operation. This is why manufacturers today look to RFID technology to help them run more efficient operations that help minimize production down time, optimize material and parts inventories, improve and maintain optimal labour output.

Benefit

Real-time tracking of inventory, part kits and sub-assemblies.
Maintains current item information on the tag - ideal for managing production of complex or customized products and assemblies, eliminates the need for separate paperwork on assembly status and content
Can automatically notify the central product database when each process has been completed
Field personnel could use RFID tag to determine product features, date of manufacture, revision levels.

GAO RFID Inc. has a very capable RFID Engineering Team to provide the professional design, deployment, integration, training and customer service that will maximize your return-on-investment. To find out if we have a solution for the challenges in your manufacturing environment that will keep you ahead of the competition, please contact us.

GAORFID Technology Solutions Team
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/rfid-solutions-for-manufacturing-industry-96181.html

Technorati Tags: building a chicken coop, RFID manufacturing

Can you imagine 100% visibility of product in a Supply Chain with RFID tags to whole warehouse? RFID is major advancement in supply chain management. Although large range of applications supported by the radio-frequency identification technology, now supply chain management is on its focus. RFID is taught as the ultimate Supply Chain solution that will drive millions if not billions of savings throughout the supply chain and other areas. The question in the air is: Does RFID really has this “healing” power? From the ordinary process, such as moving goods through loading docks, to the complex, such as managing huge amount of data as information about goods is collected in real time makes RFID as an ultimate supply chain solution.

The way we handle products in the Supply Chain will radically change the transformational RFID technology. It brings transparency in supply chain by cut out-of-stocks, counterfeit and shrinkage. Manpower savings is one of the most important features of the RFID supply chain management system. It is flexible for all kind of applications; range will grow when RFID combined with other sensors.

Initially RFID is used to manage the large amount of goods like pallet and carton labels, identification. So RFID tags must have unique serial identifier for each batch of the product at the lading time, on the bill. It makes the less possibility of redundant data entry by scanning the RFID tag. The reason is RFID tag reader can scan many tags during a 1-second period.

There are 2 types of RFID tags: passive and active. When reader reads the passive tag, Reader received the energy through tag’s antenna and transmits the data in the form of energy back. The main reason of widely used passive tags is its low cost.

Active tag uses own power supplies mostly battery and transmit data to the reader. Battery is also used with other devices. For e.g. Active tags may be used with some kind of unpreserved goods that have thermometers to ensure the goods are kept at an acceptable temperature.
It is very difficult to standardize the encoding information on RFID intelligent tags for supply chain management for bar codes.
The standards for basic product information are encoded in RFID chips and standard to manage UPC information in bar codes are presented by EPCglobal Inc.
The entire standard for information passing from RFID readers to other applications and from application to application, in supply chain are established by EPCglobal.
These standards become useful when goods are ship from one company to company in terms of electronic transaction that will occur in between organization’s enterprise resource planning systems. These standards maintain every time when middleware handles data scanned by an RFID reader as goods enter a warehouse and will pass the data to an enterprise application.

On the other hand it includes costs to the supply chain. But the investment in front of good ROI is not matter in case of RFID solutions.

Diana
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/rfid-remodels-supply-chain-management-71407.html

Organizations employing fieldworkers all have business influences such as worker productivity, customer service and cost reduction that flow directly to the bottom line profitability of the business.

Commercial and Residential HVAC, Utility Power Generation and Distribution, Subway, Railway, Electrical Contractors, Commercial Lamping and relamping, Mechanical Contractors, White Goods Repair, Commercial Freezers and Cooling Repair, specialist vehicle parts such as classic vw campers, Plumbers, ATM Service and more carry specialized inventories that are needed to perform the correct services within a reasonable timeframe.

While many of these service organizations are now using mobile devices for dispatch and collecting some service information, RFID technology offers a superior benefit over manual data entry or bar code technology.

RFID tags can be read when dusty or dirty and in almost any environmental condition offering a superior alternative to inaccurate manual data entry or bar code label technology that does not have the life or readability rate that RFID tags do. Some RFID tags also have additional memory capacity making them ideal for the fieldworker industries to store maintenance and repair histories.

Organizations that repair and maintain assets can utilize RFID technology to reduce the number of parts required on a service vehicle, eliminate manual data entry, improve productivity, and improve customer service. These benefits all contribute to the overall health and profitability of the business.

When a field worker reads an RFID tag they accurately identify the asset. The RFID reader dates and time stamps this read eliminating the need for the worker to enter a start and stop time of the repair.

Economical paper RFID labels can be used to accurately identify the parts required for the repair and memory RFID tags can be utilized on the asset to collect the history of what work was performed, eliminating the need to be in constant contact with the dispatch office in order to “know” what happened in the past and what “should be” required to fix or maintain the asset.

The benefits of fieldworker RFID technology further extends into the vehicle replenishment system, the vehicle service history, accurate forecasting of inventory requirements, reduction of standing inventories, increasing accuracy of service scheduling, improving fieldworker Key Performance Indicators, and increasing first time service rates. RFID technology has excellent ROI when applied to mobile field service industries.

GAO RFID Inc. has an experienced RFID Engineering Team to provide the professional design, deployment, integration, training and customer service that will maximize your return-on-investment.

What We Do:

GAO RFID delivers RFID readers, RFID tags, as well as turnkey system RFID solutions that consist of highly integrated hardware and software and professional services. These professional services include ‘proof-of-concept’, systems integration and ‘prototyping’ services. Our team of experienced technology professionals has a mandate to recognize and understand your business’s RFID needs. Through this knowledge, we are able to help you deploy RFID technology that will maximize your return on investment (ROI) right from the start and ensure its expandability as the applications grow through the evolution of the technology (future-proofing).

Zhen Dong
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/rfid-solutions-for-field-service-122957.html

Technorati Tags: mechanical contractors, specialist vehicle repair, vw campers, white goods repair

Event management is a rewarding and difficult business. The challenges include event and exhibit design, budgeting, creation of props and decor, security and accounting. One of the key components is processing and managing secure entry of potentially thousands of people and in county shoes, livestock, to special events such as conferences, trade-shows, concerts and sporting events. How to handle admission to events can be an enormous job. Passes and tickets using RFID have made the task just a little bit easier and much more secure. There have been particualr successes in using RFID in livestock intensive shows - from ticketing small chickens in chicken arks to prize bulls being unloaded from large trailers.

Issues and Opportunities:
Ticketing for exhibitions, conferences, concerts, sporting events, leisure parks, and trade shows share some common challenges but not in all cases. Here is a list of common concerns:

1. Authenticate attendees
2. Streamline registration
3. Eliminate attendee flow bottlenecks
5. Manage restricted area access
6. Attendee identification
7. Eliminate counterfeit pass/ticket problems
8. Reduce operating costs with unmanned control
9. Capture data for analysis

What’s Available
There is a wide range of solutions available for event access management. Some organizers do not require a high level authentication or validation capability and use simple printed tickets and passes.
When additional tamper proofing is required there is a choice of:

1. Tamper Proof Design
2. Serial Numbers
3. UV/Black Light Ink
4. Coin Rub Ink
5. Bar Code Security
6. Hologram
7. Sequential Numbering
8. RFID

RFID-The Next Level
RFID takes event access management to the next level. To start with, RFID gives the organizer the ability to uniquely identify each attendee or paying customer. An RFID pass can be read from a distance. Line of sight is not required to read RFID passes. An RFID pass can hold information about the pass holder. RFID passes can be written to. RFID passes can be reused. RFID passes can not be forged or duplicated.

Everyone is Unique:
RFID tags can store information. The information can be written on the RFID tag using one of the RFID readers. The RFID tag can be manufactured into a pass and take on different forms. The pass can be a label, ticket, Smart Card or wrist band. Information about the pass holder can be stored on the RFID pass before an event begins and additional information can be placed on the pass during the event. This pass holder information can be useful to trade show exhibitors by identifying important prospects. Pass holder information can be used by organizers to screen entry to secure areas at different times of the day or event.

Secure and Private:
Organizers can be confident that RFID passes have not been duplicated. By using strict distribution control of the RFID passes an event can be made very secure. RFID offers the potential to assess how many people will be in a particular place, at a set time. This information can be channeled into your business strategy, enabling you to focus your service more accurately and reap significant benefits for your business. Privacy is of course always a consideration. Therefore, RFID systems can be customized based on the needs of the conference. Occasions that deal with topics where attendees may want to remain anonymous would obviously require a system that is less intrusive. This is exactly why the solution is set up to be highly and conveniently customizable.

RFID can help you implement automated (hands free) reading. That will facilitate much faster movement of people with shorter line-ups. Turnstiles equipped with readers can be used to reduce or eliminate staffing requirements at some entrances and exists. Accurate data can be captured such as real-time and date and movement information. By integrating readers to an intelligent backend system access can be controlled to different areas at different times of the day to different pass holders.

Other Benefits of RFID Passes
a) Passes, such as for ski lift operators or leisure parks, can be manufactured to be durable enough to be used for extended periods of time such as an entire season
b) RFID tags are very difficult to duplicate, reducing the chance of fraud
c) RFID offers greater data-collection capabilities than other ticketing systems

Zhen Dong
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/rfid-for-event-access-management-126786.html

Railroads face a complex set of economic and operational challenges like competitive freight pricing, asset utilization and competition with trucking, capital expenditure levels, industry consolidation and debt management. Technology applications from GAORFID can aid the rail industry to evolve business solutions in enhancing revenue growth while reducing cost through efficient operations, maintenance, asset utilization and capacity management.

The GAO RFID systems technology provides exact location and status of any individual objectives mentioned above, and predicts their dynamic changes from the system, particularly the change of rail-wagon throughput at the marshalling sites, interface between local railways, confine interface. This enables timely, accurate and integral information and decision assistance for the management of train transportation and the customer. The system contains the sub-systems of Confirmation, Freight Billing, Transportation Planning, Train Marshalling, Train Dispatching, Real-time Tracking of Train and Container, Prediction of Train Throughput and Revenue Run, etc. GAO RFID provides end-to-end Railroad / Transit application management services

APPLICATIONS

A GAO RFID Railway system is available in a number of configurations designed to economically meet a full range of service requirements. Reader systems provide automated tracking of railcars via RFID tags, and make railcar location information available to railroads for asset management and other purposes.

Traffic and Passenger Information: The system provides accurate and reliable information about where a train is located. This real-time information is forwarded to IT systems and used to update the passenger information displays at stations and terminals.
Operation and Maintenance: Precise information about the configuration of wagons within a train can be provided automatically by the system. This information can be integrated with other systems such as track inspection systems, so that the recorded information can be automatically matched to the actual wagon, thus eliminating errors.
Location of the Train: The System with the help of the reader determines the location of the train by reading the tag identity as the train passes over the tag at speed. This location data is transferred to the onboard system and can be used to update passenger information automatically
Controlling and Positioning of Trains: Some onboard systems require a precise position of the train, for example to control stopping positions. The reader accurately reports the position when the train passes over an ID-tag.
In combination with requirements new applications can be rapidly prototyped and deployed. In addition to the standard configuration, our team of experienced engineers can design systems to meet specific application requirements. Some of the customized applications developed to integrate with the system

Track Inspection System
Signal Asset Tracking System
Safety Audit
Inventory and Maintenance
Equipment Distribution and Management
Car Accounting Systems
Rail Yard Information Management
FEATURES/BENEFITS

The System stores tag data including time, date, train direction and speed.
It also responds to inquiries via modem and interfaces to scales, video systems and diagnostic and monitoring devices.
Timely data to increase capacity, speed, automation and operational flexibility
Arrival and departure data for signal and control operations
GAO Products for demanding RAIL RFID Applications

RFID technology developed a range of readers and ID-tags that fulfils the tough requirements of the rail industry. These products are used worldwide in railway applications which require identification and positioning at high speed, with high precision and in demanding environments.

GAO ID-tags
The ID-tags are mounted on the front, side, top or underneath each individual vehicle or on the sleepers in special tag fixings. The ID-tag is an extremely resistant, totally encapsulated and maintenance free. It has a predictable life of 6, 8 or 10 years, depending on model.

GAO Fixed Reader
Standard readers are suitable for Rail track-side installations. Readers can be installed at key locations such as stations, terminal entrances or maintenance locations. The reader identifies the ID-tag at a range of up to 6 meters and at passage speeds of up to 300km/h.

GAO Handheld Reader
The Handheld a 2.45 GHz RFID reader. The versatility of the industrial PDA together with the flexibility of RFID technology makes the Handheld reader an ideal supplement to stationary readers in applications such as train maintenance. The reader allows for quick and reliable on-the-spot identification and verification of objects such as wagons.

GAO Heavy Duty reader
Heavy Duty readers are ruggedized, designed to withstand environmental factors such as temperature, moisture, shock and vibration. This allows them to be mounted directly on the outside of vehicles. This reader can be used to provide positioning information for onboard systems on a train.

GAO RFID has a solution for the unique challenges of your rail or inter-modal operations. To learn more, please contact us at sales@gaorfid.com.

GAORFID Technology Solutions Team
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/rfid-for-railway-industry-96180.html

RFID Technology also enters in the world of Pharmaceutical, distributors, and hospitals to discourage drug counterfeiting, both for drugs intended for humans and animals. The report of The World Health Organization shows between 5 to 8 percent of global pharmaceuticals is counterfeit. In some countries, it is higher and between 25 to 40 percent. RFID can help in tracing, say, antibiotics supplied to poultry feed manufacturers as well as hospitals.

Counterfeiting has led to more demand for food without drug input. Some chicken feed for the hobby farm and backyard chicken ark market is now protected by RFID to ensure feed is pharma free.

In the fight against counterfeit drugs RFID have it’s own additional benefits. The pharmaceutical industry runs on the data information of throughout the process of drug trials, manufacturing, distribution and retail sale. RFID is known for it’s tremendous ability to uniquely identify each item and securely capture date without during whole supply chain. Pharmaceutical industry is blessed by RFID technology:

Supply Chain: RFID has ability to deep insight, visibility and efficiency during the supply chain. RFID present a good chance to provide 100 percent visibility of inventory, making it easier and quicker to handle goods transaction to the right place in the right channel. The technology improves productivity in shipping and receiving, reduce touch labor, increase the assurance of shipping and providing accuracy, and expanding product availability at the retail store, thus reducing customer complaints and charge backs.

Pharmaceutical responsibility and Brand Protection: Technology helps to reduce the responsibility at every point of supply chain, reduces the inventory losses. Every year 6-10 percent of retail inventory is stolen and diverted. Benefit of the new technology is presented when returns are properly shipped from right manufacturer, at proper price. RFID also helps to prevent “gray market” distribution, which costs companies and their customers hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
Pharmaceutical Product: RFID provides Safety, Recalls, and Regulatory Requirements. RFID take care about the expiration dates and improving expiration management. The technology can store preliminary information that satisfying regulatory requirement. RFID reduce the time spent to identifying products targeted for recall and reducing the likelihood of a mass-market recall of branded products by zeroing individual items and capturing manufacturing data.
RFID technology improves the drug usage tracking during whole clinical-phase testing. Technology Improve the reliability and speed of the United States Food and Drug Administration to drug approval process by improved tracking and accountability. So the use of RFID is going to be standard for pharmaceutical companies.

RFID solution implemented for many more different fields:
Corporate Security
Fraud Prevention
Legal & Regulatory Affairs
Loss Prevention
RFID Technology
Security Operations
Supply Chain
Transportation & Distribution
RFID made data maintenance easier. Data capturing, managing, and reviewing data anywhere and anytime affect your business directly or indirectly. Dynamic maintenance of your huge data and any kind of asset provides you better flexibility.

Diana
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/rfid-pharmaceutical-services-71410.html

Technorati Tags: chicken arks, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, inventory, RFID

From Sprinwise - a digest of new business ideas:

“When we wrote about RFID-enabled pokens last month, we noted that business professionals might prefer something slightly less cute than pandas on their keychains for exchanging digital contact details. As if on cue, Virginia-based Mingle360 recently launched the MingleStick, a small, sleek keychain device that serves as an electronic business card.

The MingleStick is a single-button device with an infrared sensor on one end and a capped USB connector on the other. When two users meet, they both point their MingleSticks at each other and click the button to create a successful connection, which is indicated by a small green light. At the end of the day, they can each plug their device into their computer; the Mingle360 website automatically launches and they can log into their account to view the connections they made that day. Address book, calendar, messaging, group organization and content sharing features are all available through the company’s MingleManager application, as are privacy controls that let the user decide how much information to share with each new acquaintance. Currently, the MingleStick is aimed at organizers of trade shows and other events. Service pricing includes a setup fee, security deposit and per-device rental fee that begins at USD 20 but is negotiable based on volume and other factors. Branding opportunities are also available.

The MingleStick has already been used at multiple trade shows, conventions and singles events, and provides yet another excellent example of the digital lifestyle lubricants that are increasingly blurring the lines between online and off. It’s also the first we’ve seen offered on a rental basis for events, sidestepping entirely the problem of achieving the critical mass that would otherwise be necessary to make the devices useful. One to try out, partner with or otherwise get involved in early….? “

Website: www.mingle360.com
Contact: connect@mingle360.com

Technorati Tags: RFID business cards

Imagine the hospital of the future where unnecessary expenses will be cut and more patient lives will be saved. Say goodbye to the inefficiencies of the old hospital and welcome the new, highly cost-effective system of asset and personnel tracking, patient care, and billing, the keystone of which will be radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

GAO RFID envisions such a world, as we are a leading RFID solutions provider. The applications for the healthcare industry are several, asset tracking, patient tracking, staff location, baby monitoring, blood bank distribution, etc. Here we define two such applications:

Asset Tracking:

Healthcare facilities invest millions of dollars in upgrading and maintaining expensive equipment that aid the healthcare professional in the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients. It is incumbent on these professionals to maximize the use of such machines to maintain cost controls and yet meet the ever evolving and extremely dynamic needs of the patients. When the equipment needed is not readily available this leads to many undesirable outcomes:
(1) Staff are then sent scrambling through many corridors, sometimes over many floors to find the equipment they need,
(2) The Facility procures added machinery that taxes capital resources while existing assets remain under-utilized and
(3) The patients very well being could be at risk without the machine available at the time it is needed.

RFID technology solves all of the above by simply affixing an RFID tag to the equipment and strategically locating readers throughout the area of operations where the hardware is needed. In this way, as the device passes through a read point, it is registered in the applications software in real time to be in that area. In this way, staff will know what area of the facility each piece of equipment is located when they really need to have it. The results are less time wasted for healthcare professionals scrambling to find equipment, better utilization of existing assets that reduces capital expenditures and most importantly, a patient gets the best care available reducing the likelihood of liability because of poor health care services.

Patient Tracking Solutions:

Hospitals and Health Care facilities are more concerned these days about having the ability to accurately track their patients. Whether it’s dispensing medication or identifying the individual for procedures or pulling up a history of treatment on a patient; RFID technology is a way to manage the information much more efficiently.

An RFID system is used for accurately locating and tracking people, equipment and objects in a hospital. The system is designed to track hospital assets, curb excess expenditures, increase safety and ensure security and access control by placing small radio frequency identification devices, or ‘RFID tags’ on people and objects.

Hospitals and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are facing daily challenges especially when responding to disasters, such as severe weather conditions, toxic chemical spills and terrorism. They need to manage a large quantity of patients from the disaster area to nearby hospitals effectively and efficiently.

The responsibility for the safety of patients, who may be missing from hospital beds or emergency wards rests with the healthcare worker. RFID makes tracking patients easier giving care takers the ability for fast, accurate identification and verification.

Encoded RFID Bracelet data can be read through bed linens, so patients don’t have to be disturbed when sleeping. They can be used with fixed readers in doorways and corridors, to help staff keep track of ambulatory patients.
RFID Bracelet solutions can encode patient information in RFID tags to have better tracking performance especially when access to a remote database is not available.
RFID Bracelet solutions provide a convenient, one-step solution for patient IDs. Text or graphics are produced directly on the Bracelet. There is no need for handwritten or typed inserts, or stick-on labels, which saves time and eliminates a potential point of failure.
Newborn Baby Tracking Solutions
For the most part, the Maternity Ward is thankfully a great source for joy and celebration as new family members are welcomed into the world. The ward staff shares some of this joy by playing their part throughout the labor and the post-partum care of mother and newborn child. However anxiety levels rise for the patients, families and staff when there are complications during the labor and/or when the newborn needs neonatal care. In many of these instances the baby and the mother need to be separated, a scenario that creates anxiety. Anxiety can easily turn to anger and a possible law suit when there is a mother-baby mix up; the wrong baby being sent to the wrong mother for the crucial early bonding period, breast-feeding etc.

RFID technology will help both these difficult and challenging situations. At the time of admittance the mother is provided with a patient’s RFID tag that will start the process of tracking all procedures relevant to that labor. Once the child is born, an ankle tag is provided to the baby as well and immediately cross-referenced to the baby’s mother and the mother’s tag.

Family Access to Babies in Neonatal Care:

In the case of the newborn needing neonatal care, family members are almost as anxious as the new mother, to greet and bond with the new family member. When the newborn needs to be in an intensive care unit (ICU) this becomes very difficult due to the restricted access in the ICU. RFID solves this problem by making available to families the ability to view on a computer monitor outside of the ICU the key data about the baby, a photograph, the height, weight, skin color and temperature after keying in, for example, the mother’s family name and first name.

Mother-Baby Mix-ups Eliminated:
Even when the mix up is uncovered moments after the mistake is made, this can cause heightened levels of anger and dissatisfaction with the services rendered. Any mother-baby mix up is a potential liability to the hospital. This scenario can be guaranteed not to happen when staff follows a procedure of reading the baby’s tag and then reading the mother’s tag and re-confirming the match that was initiated at the birth.

GAORFID Solution:
GAO RFID can bring a turnkey RFID solution to your asset tracking and patient tracking challenges for any medical facility including the hardware, software and systems integration services. To learn more about how RFID technology can help solve your patient tracking needs, please contact us at sales@gaorfid.com.

GAORFID Technology Solutions Team
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/rfid-solutions-for-healthcare-industry-96183.html

A chicken ark RFID system for tagging poultry has recently been launched by Zigbee Systems, following a range of successful applications in a number of livestock industries.

This is another demonstration of the flexibility of RFID and how ubiquitous it is becoming.

RFID Sniffer workshop in Amsterdam

A chance to nake an RFID sniffer and netwrk with like-minded people. Continuing the Zapped! workshop tradition, but in the Netherlands. There are still spaces at this workshop if you get a move on.

Technorati Tags: RFID sniffer, RFID workshop