RFID Tagging Tips

• Determine what items need to be tagged. We focused on items that cost over $100. 
• Figure out the material the items are made of. Certain RFID tags can work on metal and and others on non-metal, but figuring that out before actually ordering or printing tags saves time  and money.   
• Create a spreadsheet first, before any items is physically tagged. The spreadsheets we created allowed multiple people to work on the same project easily.
• Our spreadsheet contained the following information
• • Tag number 
  • Item description
  • Item location  
• Tags might need to be strategically placed for optimal readings. Our experience told us that visible tags were read the easiest by our handheld reader. 
• Arranging the tags so that they're all on roughly the same level also helped make the scans go faster. 
• Using the Nox Core to keep track of the items being tracked allowed the person tagging to change the spreadsheet on the fly. This can then be synced up with the master list on the computer later. Of course, it's much easier to do the changes on the computer, but the Nox Core can still be used as an editor. 

More Thoughts on RFID Asset Tracking

 What was one of the the other thoughts we had during this process? It was very easy! Our project leader said she would be confident in letting anyone handle the tagging and scanning, with very little training necessary. As long as the proper tags are chosen for the project, it can be completed in relatively little time, as well. For our group of about 70 items, it only took about an hour.

Once the tagging is completed, we now plan on scanning our items once every few weeks. That process should only take about 15 minutes at a time. In our case, the biggest delay comes from traveling between all the different rooms the items are located in. If the items were all in a central location, it would be even faster to scan everything.

Final Thoughts

Now that we're finishing this initial asset tracking project, we've got plans for the future using all that we've learned. We also are learning even more about the process so we can help all of our customers use our system more efficiently in the future. If you need help with your asset tracking systems and want to know if RFID could work for your company, contact us at support(at)simplyrfid.com address, or by calling 1 703.343.1689

Of course, SimplyRFiD will be there, showing off our asset tracking solutions and answering questions about using RFID to solve a variety of problems. If you'd like to join us there, we have a special offer for you! Follow the link in the graphic below to get a special discount off of a conference package and free admission to the Exhibit Hall. It's an unbeatable deal. We'll see you at booth 2061!

Usefulness of Asset Tracking

Why that number is useful might be the next question to answer. Considering the meaning of the word "asset" as anything of value owned by a business or person, it makes sense that as an owner, keeping track of possessions makes good financial sense. This is especially true in the world of retail or manufacturing, where items are physically moved often. 

What might come as surprising to some is that even in places where it's not expected for items to move   often it can be a smart idea to find ways to track the item. For instance, employee theft can put assets at risk that might never be moved or touched under normal circumstances. If an office gets a lot of foot traffic, it makes sense to have ways to guard assets that could be at risk from crimes of opportunity. One potentially devastating loss for any business would be the loss of laptop, especially if it stores important information. Due to their portability and cost, they're very vulnerable to theft. Tracking this item, even if it never leaves the office, can be a worthwhile investment if it prevents the loss of valuable information and time. 

For manufacturers, keeping on top of orders and knowing that each shipment that went out was the correct shipment can require more than just humans and their error prone nature. The results of human error can be devastating, too, as anyone who has ever been late with an order can report

RFID Can Solve Asset Tracking Problems 

Asset tracking can solve many of the problems listed above, and at SimplyRFiD, we believe that RFID solutions can solve many of the problems with asset tracking itself. In the next post in this series, we'll describe how we're using RFID solutions for our own in-house asset tracking needs.