Author: trakaidrev

RFID technology has existed for decades, yet new applications of RFID solutions in various industries indicate that this exciting tech revolution is just the beginning. Analysts predict significant advancements as the future of RFID promises exponential growth in many industries. Companies continue to invest in smart technology, making the adoption of RFID systems more mainstream. Here are some expected trends that you can look forward to:

1. Rising Popularity Of UHF Tags

UHF (Ultra High Frequency) tags are projected to be one of the fastest-growing segments in the RFID landscape. This is due to the functionality of UHF tags that have the fastest speed and longest read range under the right conditions. Typically, the range spans up to 12 meters for passive tags and 100 meters or more for active tags. It provides a range of choices to prospective end users since it operates on a frequency band of 300 MHz to 3 GHz.

2. Employee Credentials

By automating processes, RFID tags can help simplify personnel tracking efforts which is often a government-mandated practice for emergencies. Manual methods are time-consuming, but with RFID employee credentials, you can get up-to-the-second location data for tagged individuals. This also eliminates the need to identify authorized access to restricted sections in a facility.

3. Vaccine Safety

With effective tracking equipment, vaccine temperatures can be monitored more accurately, and adjustments can be made to ensure the required temperature is maintained. Most healthcare professionals such as manufacturers, hospitals, and clinics use RFID technology for virus vaccines to guard against expired or counterfeit doses. Technology has proved to be highly beneficial in cases where millions of doses need to be administered in a short span of time by tracking the doses and reducing waste.

4. Touchless Interactions

Although RFID was primarily designed for asset tracking, many organizations have enabled touchless technology with existing radio technologies. While the solution’s effectiveness depends on the use case, it can be helpful in certain situations, such as allowing touchless access into a building. RFID can also help to ensure product authenticity. For example, with RFID-enabled PPE, readers above doorways can detect if the individual is entering an area with approved protective gear.

5. Logistics & Supply Chain Management

By allowing companies to track their supply chain workflow, RFID provides more usable data and streamlines processes through automation. Various supply chain tasks that would generally take 2 or 3 hours can be done within a fraction of the time with RFID technology. It allows for quicker, more informed decision-making that can improve supply chain management efficiency and reduces the element of human error.

6. Smart Shelving & Store Checkout

RFID tags can store and transmit highly-accurate encoded information about individual products that can be valuable at various stages. It can help store managers locate the item in the supply chain, whether it is in a truck or a specific section of the store. This also helps plan and adjust staffing according to truck arrivals, improve pickup times for online orders and ensure proper stocking and replenishment. While the technology can ensure efficiency and accuracy in-store operations, it typically requires larger investments that might not be feasible for some use cases.

RFID technology can have a tremendous impact on the supply chain. Companies that can benefit from its implementation but fail to keep up with the latest advancement are at a considerable disadvantage. If you think it is the right solution for you, contact us at Trakaid to implement an RFID system that can maximize efficiency and streamline your business.

Asset tracking involves tracking physical assets to avoid theft or loss while gaining valuable business information to maximize operational efficiency. While several options are available, it can be challenging to determine the best choice. In simple terms, RFID tags help to automate the process of locating and managing assets. It is beneficial when a business relies on the availability of high-value assets. RFID technology allows efficient tracking and inventory management cost-effectively.

Types Of RFID Tags

1. Active: Active RFID tags can transmit real-time data signals over longer distances using an embedded battery. It is used with larger applications such as industrial containers or railcars and is more expensive to implement.
2. Passive: These RFID tags work well for the supply chain management. They are automatically scanned as they pass through the doorway, conveyor belts, rolling carts, or shelf readers equipped with scanners. Field technicians can use hand-held scanning devices to scan passive RFID tags. Its read performance is affected by the tag’s material, size, shape, and type. For example, the larger the tag size, the further away it can be read.

Advantages Of RFID Tags

• It does not require a direct line of sight for tracking
• It does not require manual human intervention
• Collects data faster
• Can hold more data than alternatives
• Improve productivity
• Boosts efficiency by scanning multiple tags
• Ensures security with data encryption
• Increases accuracy
• Reduces labor requirements

Disadvantages Of RFID Tags

• It takes a lot of testing to get a good read
• The signal can be easily blocked
• RFID tags can be read inadvertently
• Updates can overwhelm systems, leading to confusion
• Data storing can lead to duplication errors and data normalizing difficulties

Why Do People Opt For Barcodes?

RFID tags can be bulky, which is not ideal for end-user equipment. It can lead to damage or accidental removal in some cases. While barcodes are small, they are accurate and can be certified to ISO standards. From retail to manufacturing to medical, barcodes can be customized to include specific inventory and pricing data for receiving, stockroom inventories, check-in/check-out, audit, disposal, and other tracking activities.

Whether it is hand-held, in-counter, or omnidirectional, most scanners are budget-friendly. Industrial-grade barcode readers can even weather through harsh conditions.

Hybrid Barcodes & RFID Tags

Pre-printed or pre-encoded hybrid tags with matching barcodes and RFID values provide maximum flexibility, allowing users to scan the asset with any device. By using both barcodes and RFID tags, you can get the benefits of both systems.

Here’s what you need to consider before evaluating RFID technology:

• The volume of transactions expected in a multiple-year period
• Types of assets to track
• The convenience of the location of RFID tag placement
• Cost of human involvement compared to investment in the RFID system
• Accuracy of data required
• Requirement of real-time information
• Management of RFID reading devices
• Total budget for the adoption and implementation of tracking system

RFID tags fail when the use cases aren’t compatible with the RFID technology chosen for the purpose, so it is vital to consult a professional who can suggest the perfect solution for your needs. If you want to determine which system or technology is best suitable for your needs, contact us at Trakaid.

More and more businesses embrace technology solutions like radio frequency identification technology (RFID) to automate their data capturing and tracking processes. Despite its popularity and proven values, there are many misunderstandings about RFID and its effectiveness. Here are a few of them:

RFID Is Only Used By Big Brands

Since RFID provides an efficient way of tracking, tracing, and monitoring assets, big companies were one of the first to adopt this technology. However, today, enterprises of all sizes can benefit from improved visibility and management aided by RFID regardless of their budget limits.

RFID Requires A Barcode System

Many businesses that use barcode systems have adopted RFID to transition from manual operations to a fully automated system. But a barcode system is not necessary for RFID. You can shift straight to RFID exclusively or improve incrementally and start with barcoding while working towards a more sophisticated approach.

RFID Will Replace Barcoding

In the early days of RFID, many thought that it would completely replace barcoding. This is not true. RFID is more expensive, and many use cases highlight that barcoding is sufficient to meet a business’s needs. On the other hand, if barcoding requires your workers to do too much manual work during scanning, RFID technology will help to make this process more efficient and accurate with a better ROI.

RFID Provides Real-Time Location Information

While it’s a great benefit, not everyone needs to track the location of the items in real-time. Passive RFID solutions offer previously known location information that is sufficient and produces the desired outcomes. Most assume that active RFID tags can give more accurate location information than passive ones, but properly designed RFID tags are accurate within 2-4 feet.

RFID Is Only For Inventory 

While RFID is widely used in inventory management, it has many other applications as well. Whether it is equipment and asset tracking, work-in-process tracking, checking items in or out, monitoring chain of custody, or maintenance, RFID has applications in various fields. RFID helps to accurately identify, track and locate items, which is particularly handy when the items are business-critical or high-value assets.

RFID Produces A Privacy Problem

Many are concerned that the RFID tags that track company assets can be used to track their movements or create profiles. RFID technology helps to track employee movement on the premises and limit access to restricted areas. If the building needs to be evacuated because of a fire, the tracking system can help confirm that employees are out of harm’s way.

RFID Can Solve Any Inventory Problem

Just like any other technology, RFID does not solve any conceivable business problem. Not to mention that not every RFID system is the same. Each solution is unique to the business and is tailored to their needs. While RFID can solve most asset tracking and inventory problems, it is best to work with an experienced technology partner who can help you design, implement, and maintain the right system for your needs.

RFID Is Completely Accurate<

While RFID is accurate up to 99.5%, complete accuracy is not guaranteed since it depends on how and where you implement this technology. An RFID provider can help you construct the best solution for each use case and determine whether active, passive, or a combination of both works for you using the right components, including tags, readers, and antennas.

RFID Transition Is A Tough Challenge 

Implementing RFID systems can be challenging, especially if the business needs a highly complex, sophisticated, and comprehensive large-scale solution. By working with an RFID expert, you can identify your business goals and explore how RFID can help you improve your workflow and achieve your goals.

RFID Is Difficult To Implement For Effective ROI

While the cost of implementing RFID solutions is more, it also reduces time and improves ROI when it is tailored specifically to your business needs and processes. Partnering with a trusted provider who can implement the right RFID solution is a good start.

If you are considering RFID for inventory management, asset tracking, maintenance, or any other application, feel free to contact us at Trakaid.

Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM) involves managing an organization’s IT infrastructure completely or in parts from a remote location. RIM helps in managing the IT infrastructure remotely with better coordination for easier maintenance.

Effective monitoring of IT infrastructure can help organizations create a better user experience. Managing it can prevent and control sudden downtime for maintenance and other purposes. Users can be alerted in advance to avoid any unexpected issues and inconveniences.

How to make a RIM contract successful?

• Plan Your Goals: What do you want to achieve through RIM? Look at the bigger picture and make your expectations apparent. It would be best if you worked with your strategy team to define the business road map.
• Strategize and Measure: Strategically divide all the tasks and measure the results to keep track of progress. It is vital to determine the business processes that can be done remotely and establish a performance measurement system.
• Change Management: Initially, your decision of outsourcing will be scrutinized due to the transition. Effective change management involving all the stakeholders would minimize this issue.

Benefits of Remote Infrastructure Management for Businesses

1. Reduced cost It lowers operational costs across the value creation process, which provides a competitive advantage. With RIM, businesses can mitigate their expenses by setting up separate on-site IT departments, employing extra staff, and augmenting the additional power supply. For a business spread across different regions and time zones, a reliable RIM vendor will deal with the stress and expense of your remote work in the best possible way.

2. Flexible Outsourcing Remote infrastructure management companies provide customized services for all the different business needs and requirements. You can enjoy the flexibility of accessing individualized services and choose the services you want to outsource and the ones you plan to keep on-site. They also offer additional services such as infrastructure analysis which allows organizations to save costs and minimize downtime.

3. Round The Clock Service At times, IT infrastructures can witness malfunctions or even breakdowns. Immediate corrective measures are imperative to ensure any potential problems are handled. A dedicated team monitors the IT environment round the clock for seamless tech support, maintenance services and faster data.

4. Improved Uptime With less reliance on on-site IT resources, your business will benefit from better system availability and improved uptime. RIM vendors provide high standard equipment, technicians & management expertise that ensure smooth and uninterrupted service by integrating the latest technologies. The combination of advanced technologies & top-notch equipment coupled with 24X7 support of experts brings you unparalleled network redundancy and uptime.

5. Optimized productivity To frame a custom RIM solution, your RIM vendor comprehensively evaluates infrastructure. The information collected becomes the source to detect and resolve the issues in your existing IT management process. It allows you to improve performance and optimize your business operations for better results.

Most organizations outsource the entire RIM process to those with more experience and expertise in managing IT infrastructures. We can simplify infrastructure management and provide RIM solutions that are reliable, secure and agile. To learn about how you can make the most of your resources through RIM, contact us at info@tspllc.com.

With the help of RFID technology, organize your business’ inventory management efficiently. The technology puts your items in the order and visible throughout the supply chain. Achieve maximum productivity at work because, with this technology, you replace assumptions with observation, estimates with facts, and confusions with certainty.

RFID provides insight into your business

RFID can solve insufficient insight in the business, stores and warehouse if you have numerous stores and don’t know how to manage them. RFID technology can help you. The technology identifies objects and items through radio waves that communicate with the tag on the item, and the RFID reader recognizes it. This technology also identifies the location of the item, no matter whether it is in cardboard or the back room. The primary aim of the technology is to ensure the availability of a specific item and keep them safe and protected within the premises.

Read about three reasons why RFID boosts your business below.

#1 RFID transforms your inventory management processes

As we all know, the manual inventory counting method is a hassle for businesses worldwide. The manual counting data could result in a miscalculation or missing items that you might have no idea about. But, later on, these minor mishaps might result in business loss. RFID technology provides accurate inventory data, and proper insight and an overview of your inventory. The right fact-based knowledge will help you to make the best decisions for your business.

With the appropriate insight in your warehouse, you won’t be buying unnecessary resources. You will get automated messages for missing items, and you can also easily remove the items or out-of-fashion items.

#2 RFID strengthens customer service

Quality customer service is significant if you want your business to excel. Customers can’t expect to have a great shopping experience if your inventory is not organized, quick and easy to handle. Easily accessible information, instant customer service, easy check-out, and accurate stock numbers are all part of the customer experience.

For precise stock numbers, you need RFID technology that makes inventory insight accurate and all the items available for your customers. At the same time, it also helps to increase your productivity as your staff can spend less time searching for a product and focus on something more substantial. When all the items are available readily, it will enhance the customer shopping experience.

#3 RFID for loss prevention

If your business has several stores and warehouses, it gets challenging to keep track of each item. With inventory management through RFID technology, you can identify objects, their location and other movement data. This insight allows you to prevent the loss of items and gives you an intimate insight into the movement of the items. By knowing the movement patterns, you become wiser about the details of the theft. In addition, you can support the theft of your items with video recordings if you know the exact time and place of theft.

RFID is a well-known technology that benefits several industries such as healthcare, retail, manufacturing, distribution, food and beverage, and many more. The benefits of adopting RFID include tracking assets and managing inventory, saving time and money through automation, improving data accuracy and availability, enhancing health and safety and more. In a nutshell, RFID is helpful to companies looking for an improved way of keeping track of important things. However, there are certain myths or misconceptions about RFID, which we want to discuss in this blog.

Rfid Is Expensive To Pilot / Try Out

The benefits of adopting RFID are numerous; however, the main challenge is deciding what’s the most affordable way to try out RFID technology for your business. Whatever you decide, just keep in mind these few things including:

• Hardware selection (RFID Tags, Readers & Antennas)
• Software selection (RFID Business Applications, RFID Middleware & Integration)
• Business Process Management

If you consider the above pointers, you might be able to jumpstart the pilot process of any RFID initiative cost-effectively. You can opt for a kick-start bundle i.e. 30-day trial access, which comes with all RFID tags, readers and more. You can also add other varieties to RFID tags and readers.

RFID Is Newer Than Barcode

You might be surprised that RFID is relatively older than a barcode. The first patent for barcode was filed in 1949, while RFID was first used in World War 2.

RFID Data Is Difficult To Manage And Integrate

RFID technology excels in capturing data quickly and efficiently, which may be otherwise expensive to do. Once the data is collected, it’s essential to integrate RFID data swiftly back to core business systems such as an ERP, WMS or MES. You can use softwares that helps to quickly integrate RFID data and filter, aggregate, and massage data to the desired format.

RFID Is Just About “IDS”

RFID has a lot in store than just the “identification” of items or assets. With the emergence of IoT, RFID technology has evolved, progressed and now is being used for numerous cases. A few use cases include:

• Capturing sensor data (Temperature, Humidity, GPS, Movement) with advanced tags and using RFID as a data medium.
• Hazardous Area Assets – Capture data from assets without human intervention.
• User Engagement – Increase User Interaction such as NFC-based marketing campaigns.
• Brand protection – Use RFID for brand protection against fake goods.

RFID Tags Can’t Scan Liquids or Metals

For a long time, it was believed that RFID tags could not be applied to liquid items. It might be true in the early 2000s, but today things have changed. Advancements in tag technology have made it possible to use RFID on liquids. These tags are slightly thicker than standard RFID tags, but they provide accurate readability.

Is Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology a groundless expense or the solution to all your supply chain management problems? RFID technology offers new possibilities as it solves some of the biggest problems in supply chain management. Some of them are analyzing and collecting large sums of data, low labour costs and operational costs, and more.

RFID tech is a costly investment, and although the cost has come down over the past couple of decades, it’s still essential to assess precisely how RFID can deliver value for your buck. Before using RFID technology, businesses should access their budget, goals and priorities. RFID is pretty great as it has the potential to transform your business, but it all comes at a cost.

A Rundown of RFID Technology

RFID uses radiofrequency waves to transfer data without contact, i.e. wirelessly. A barcode represents information in a set of black and white lines. When scanned, a barcode allows computers to understand the difference between a box of cake mix and a brownie mix box.

A barcode functions differently from RFID scanners because they need a line of sight to the barcodes. RFID scanners communicate with the RFID tags on items without seeing them. RFID techs alone is a mouthwatering proposition; imagine slashing the inventory time by checking every box without opening them. An RFID tag ensures a manufacturer can track every single part and providing visibility over every moving part in the supply chain.

Wells Fargo data centers, for instance, uses RFID scanners in laptops to track whether a computer is leaving with its rightful owner, preventing data breaches and thefts. In other words, RFID, with its abundance of uses, helps companies maintain control in a formless, fast-moving world.

How Businesses Incorporate RFID Into The Supply Chain

The supply chain consists of four elements such as integrations, operations, purchasing and distribution, each of which presents an opportunity to leverage RFID technology.

Integration: Key elements to a successful supply chain include good integration, communication and information sharing. Imagine running a restaurant where you have to fill out four forms to submit an order. It makes no sense, right? With RFID technology, placing an order can happen in a jiff. RFID makes it easier to share information between suppliers, warehouses, and transportation companies. In other words, a tighter supply chain is a more robust supply chain.

Operations: RFID help companies track goods as they move through their warehouses. Inventory management becomes more efficient since companies have real-time information about the goods in transit, the warehouse, and what’s been sent to customers. In the future, RFID integrations will be capturing data from a few centimetres of a warehouse with the help of RFID scanner drones.

Purchasing: Purchasing is such an essential part of the supply chain process. Whether you’re making clothes or computers, you need specific pieces to create the final product. Suppliers who have RFID technology provide real-time visibility over in-stock raw materials and semi-finished materials. It allows you to verify everything you’ve ordered is in a given shipment. It minimizes the time and moves items to the production stage sooner.
If you and your supplier use RFID technology, your goods and customers are protected, and your company’s compensation from that supplier is sped up as well.

Distribution: Logistics refers to the coordination and movement of goods from point A to point B. Good logistics make distribution possible, whether distributing raw supplies to manufacturers, distributing finished goods to warehouses, or distributing individual items to consumers. It is critical to maintaining quality control as the perishable items can get ruined. Thus, it’s essential to know your goods’ status. Access to real-time data allows you to make quick decisions about a shipment crossing from point A to Point B.

Cost of RFID Tags

The expense of your RFID system depends on the type of RFID tags you choose. RFID tags come in two categories, active RFID tags and passive RFID tags. Active ones have their power source, for example, a battery, and can transmit a signal. And the passive ones don’t have their power source; they receive power from the RFID reader. There are also different types of RFID tags with numerous capabilities within each category, determining each tag’s cost. Remember that a pricier RFID tag may be expensive as it provides a good return on investment, depending on your business.

Drawbacks of RFID Technology

Security concerns: A chip must have appropriate authentication features; otherwise, an employee could change the item’s price to using the chip’s read and write capabilities.

Privacy concerns: RFID technology can track customers’ data to understand their shopping behaviour.

High upfront costs: Although the cost of RFID technology has come down over the years, some RFID techs are highly expensive in addition to the cost of the tags.

Every business has certain assets that are required for day to day tasks. Without these assets, business around the world cannot function. Therefore, businesses need efficient IT asset management, and for it, asset tracking is primarily an effective method to manage and track physical assets. You can know the status, location, maintenance schedule, and other information related to your business’ physical assets. Issues like missing equipment and improperly maintained equipment during emergencies can be avoided. Not to mention, lower administration is another advantage. Track missing equipment or equipment that has reached the end of their maintenance cycle can also be accessed with asset tracking methods.

Assets Tracking System

There are numerous ways for effective IT asset management. One of which is asset tracking through barcodes, serial numbers, lot numbers, revision numbers and more. Asset tags are attached to each piece of the equipment for the tracking system. RFID and GPS can also be used to ensure physical assets are in their respective place.

Asset tags help to monitor assets as they move through the organisation and provide automated data collection about asset utilisation, documentation, maintenance, and repair tracking. It can also be used for loss or theft prevention as it ensures your office equipment does not leave the office premises. Asset tags are a safeguard against the loss for the departments who share the equipment amongst each other.

There are numerous types of asset tags designed to be durable and for preventing theft. Options include metal asset tags, tamper-evident tags, barcode labels, foil asset tags. These tags when connected with all the necessary details; description, purchase date, lifecycle end date and more, helps in the management of the physical assets. The tag when scanned, the details of a particular product are easily accessible.

Asset Tagging Benefits

Whichever tracking system you choose, your organisation will gain a lot of benefits. Some of them are:

• Improve cut costs
• Inventory management
• Locate assets in real-time
• Improved asset utilization
• Lower asset loss
• Lower administrative costs
• Identify which items are where, allowing you to create a better structure for your physical system
• Scale your asset tracking as company growth dictates

How To Set-up Asset Tracking

Before you choose the best asset tracking solution, consider the requirements and needs for your business. Choose a software solution that caters to your needs and ensure your goals can be achieved through implementing the software. Setting up the asset tracking system will require you to create an inventory and then attach the inventory tags. Connect it with all the necessary information that you want to see on the tags, along with current status and location. After the complete set-up, track your physical assets as you get asset tags.

Attaching and tracking tags on every asset might be a headache at the beginning, but as your business keeps growing, the benefits become even more rewarding.

The Internet of things (IoT) and machine learning are the two buzzwords right now. Although, this topic has not imploded yet but surely moving in the right direction. Leaders and scientists across the globe are working every day to combine IoT and machine learning for an advanced world. Imagine, what if your coffee makers know when to brew your coffee without any inputs. Sounds great, right? Similar to this, Machine learning and IOT can permeate every aspect of our lives by cutting manual labour and eliminating human errors.

All of our smart devices, from coffee maker to wearables, have at least one thing in common; they all require manual input to give us optimal results. It may not seem like a disadvantage at first glance, but there are more shortcomings. We, humans, have a random way of living our lives, not all of us perform tasks with the highest order of punctuality. Therefore, on aggregate, this manual input will not exhibit optimal functionality. For example, I wake up at 8:00 in the morning and need my coffee exactly 15 minutes after I wake up, naturally, I have to use the optimal setting for my coffee maker to start brewing at 8:15. But, am I punctual to wake every day at the exact time? Humans are not!

The solution to above and similar situations is to embrace machine learning in the process as it helps analyze data generated by the connected devices and learn human behaviour patterns. It will make devices feel more like an assistant than a liability which has to be encoded.

Let Us Incorporate Machine Learning To The Above Example

In this circumstance, all my devices are connected with each other. When I wake up, my coffee maker will know through my alarm clock, and starts brewing coffee. Similarly, my car, smart shower and all the other devices installed in my house will also know and will start performing their tasks without any inputs from my end. So, in a nutshell, machine learning models learn about my behaviour pattern and accordingly change the schedule of their tasks, no matter at what time I wake up.

Alarm clocks, coffee brewer aren’t the only thing that gets upgraded — group settings are next. Just imagine a restaurant can optimize its lighting and music selection according to the preferences of the customers, or traffic flow optimization by talking to self-driving cars. This technology will help us get better sleep, decrease the time we spend in traffic, and ultimately help save lives, all without any manual effort. We are building a smarter, safer and advanced world.

What Are The Risks?

Well, I’d be lying if I said there is only upside to this. The three risks that involve Machine Learning and IoT are data privacy, physical attacks and grid collapse. These devices will know more about you than you know about yourself. They can interpret your reactions beforehand through learning from your data and behaviour patterns. Steps must be taken to prevent personal data abuse, as it can be used for theft, fraud or malicious attacks.

In physical attacks, imagine a hacker hacks your car, now you are under the mercy of the hacker who can take you anywhere. The similar case applies to Satellites, water services, and power plants. All of these can lead to vulnerable situations. However, better planning and implementation of IoT and Machine Learning Model can dissuade hacking or use of data for such attacks.

Grid collapse means these devices need the power to remain connected. In the event of power failure, safeguards must be in place to make sure the orchestration of these devices continues. Public transports and self-driving cars must be able to continue performing even in a power failure. The IoT and machine learning models must be built as robust as possible so that the public devices continue working even in faulty situations.

Yes, these reasons seem scary, but a smarter world won’t appear overnight, we have to work hard, do careful planning and implementation and correct problems as they appear as we built this out.

Why is RFID Technology a Boon to Healthcare Facilities During COVID-19?

As the pandemic is upon us, the healthcare facilities are working from shoulder to wheel to cure coronavirus infected patients. However, the chaos to manage these patients in the hospitals, labs, testing facilities is undeniable. And more than the patients, the availability of equipment and medications, to treat the patients, is also essential. Amid this chaos, devices and equipment often get lost in operation rooms, labs, patient rooms, among others. Hence, RFID technology is important to healthcare facilities due to their ability to manage and track items that are needed for daily operation times. We have done an overall overview of why it’s imperative to track and manage these assets, and how RFID can be a help and prove to be an effective solution.

Asset Tracking

Hospitals or labs have valuable assets of all sizes that can be either lost, stolen or misplaced, due to unorganized management. These assets such as Microscopes, Sample Holders, Centrifuges, Ventilators, Coolers, Collection Trays are often used for specific use in treatments for which they can be moved to other floors, zones/areas, or individual rooms. A facility should properly manage and track the movement of such assets to avoid theft, misplacement and losing it among the chaos, especially the valued equipment during the pandemic crisis. The idea is to let asset tracking take over the facilities, for transparency in detecting the location, or last read location of important assets. By implementing this, owners and employees will save money, involve less human force and provide better treatment during emergency-like situations. Also, using the data, the facility can use each asset to its best ability. RFID Asset tracking hardware can be installed easily, depending upon the facility’s size, infrastructure, atmosphere, and preferred level of features. While some facilities mount it to the ceiling of each room, others may set up at major doorways or zones that provide a ‘last read’ location for each asset. If the room isn’t too big, the assets can be detected in a room or group of rooms easily.

High-Temperature Asset Tracking

In healthcare facilities, it is essential to sterilize all the usable assets for patient’s safety. It must be washed, disinfected, sanitized or run through an autoclave to lower the facility’s operating cost. If not properly cleaned or managed efficiently, the facility’s operating cost will exceed due to replacement costs associated with losing reusable assets. These items are also tracked differently as compared to other assets. The main reason is the heat and water which is used to sanitize and clean the items. This process involves high temperatures up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and most RFID tags are not waterproof or can stand to high heat. Hence, it’s essential to choose specific RFID tags that can withstand the cleaning process. These tags are also ideal for any shape and size. However, if cautious consideration is not done when choosing the tag, the items can get destroyed and the tags can interfere with the item’s purpose, making it useless for treatments. Some such assets are beakers, test tubes, face shields, aprons, knives, tweezers and more.

Asset Identification

RFID application was implemented for reusable hospital equipment. It was added as a feature to a pre-existing inventory management solution – Kit Check. It helps to track lost or stolen medication trays in healthcare facilities. Kit Check uses RFID enabled cabinets, carts and workstation to keep count of tagged medication trays. And, in addition to that, due to COVID-19, another feature has been added that provides a digital indication to whether the medication tray has sanitized or not before reuse. This helpful feature has allowed the healthcare facilities to keep an eye on each medication trays to eliminate spreading germs.

Consumables – Shipment Verification, Authentication, Inventory Management

Shipment Verification:

Shipment verification mostly involves tracking product shipments with the help of RFID tags. With these tags, it’s easier to track the shipment contents on arrival. The recipient will simply read the tag with an RFID reader, and with the help of software, and categorize the shipment, accordingly. This mostly helps large companies that receive loads of shipments per day. The ability to track the contents of shipment without opening saves a lot of labour, time and also cuts the chances of misplacement. The data can represent information like types of items, quantities of items, order information and receiving department. During COVID-19, thousands of consumables like masks and gloves are needed for the treatment. To track the shipment of each box is time consumable, hence, healthcare facilities must rely on this efficient technology to receive their shipment. It also helps to know the quantities received, without opening the package and counting the items.

Authentication – Manufacturing Level

At the pandemic crisis, issues of authenticity have also amplified. Individuals, businesses are selling and receiving counterfeit items like face masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, PPE kits and more. To fix this issue, RFID tags can be applied to the high-value products or placed on the package during packing for authentication purposes. Businesses or organizations that purchase these items can easily authenticate it with the help of a custom app on a smartphone that tracks the contents and provides authenticate information to the reader.

Inventory Management

During pandemic emergencies, it’s difficult to keep count of each item. But, the items are crucial to healthcare facilities, it’s essential to keep count of these items. With an RFID tag, each box can be tagged, read by a handheld RFID reader and then can then be placed in specific inventory rooms that are enabled with RFID systems. Whenever an item enters a room for the first time, the software can be used to check that item into inventory, then when the item leaves the room, the software can then deduct the item from inventory. This data can be utilized to know the rate at which consumable items are being used, on different floors. With the help of this technology, items will always be available. For theft purposes, RFID technology can also scan an employee badge which will create a log of which employee removed which item. This can be important to determine overuse or inventory theft within a facility.

Unique Samples – Identification, Inventory Management, Authentication

Identification

Whether it’s disease samples, vaccine samples, or any other sample, all of them must be uniquely identified. At any given time, a lab has thousands of samples being tested. Keeping track of all of them is quite difficult. Often, when a sample is not correctly identified, it results in a patient’s health risk and possibly death. Without RFID, the samples are identified with the help of labels written in ink or a small print.

These labels are not always accurate and can cause human error. With the help of RFID labels, it’s easier to find a specific sample in a large group. RFID handheld readers can locate the place, and correctly identify the sample. The chances of misdiagnosed, wrong results shed to zero. The healthcare facilities will benefit from it as human labour will be less along with accurate results.

Inventory Management

Healthcare facilities are always loaded with numerous medications. They have inventory rooms and cabinets where the medication is stocked for the patients. Stock levels are daily or weekly counted to keep the availability of medications at all times. But, to do so, a lot of time is consumed along with labour work.

Utilizing the RFID technology, the healthcare facilities can do this in a matter of minutes. Just keep the medications in RFID enabled cabinets, shelves and refrigerator. It helps to track real-time inventory as each time an RFID smart cabinet is opened, not only it records what was taken but also captures who removed the item. And the entry to these cabinets is restricted to authorized personnel. This type of technology is ideal for larger facilities to keep the availability of medications stocked and tracked at all times.

Authentication

Counterfeit medications or vaccines have amplified, especially during the pandemic crisis. RFID technology can help to authenticate the medications using NFC tags. These tags when placed on the medications can be authenticated upon arrival through a custom-built app via a smartphone or an NFC reader.

Sanitizing Procedures – Identification & Gathering Data

We all know by now that sanitation is important to our survival due to COVID-19. RFID technology has unique devices that can take care of this issue as well. RFID applications help healthcare facilities to identify personnel. It helps to get the data of the employee movement and helps to alert the authorities that the employee has been in contact with a positive patient.

But, it also helps them to track if the employee is sanitizing or not. The soap dispensers and hand sanitizing stations are embedded with RFID readers. To make the reading work, employees wear RFID lanyards which when comes in close range with the dispenser captures information and sends it to RFID software. The software records the reading as a timestamp and compiles it all together. Then, the data is sent to the supervisor who maintains the hygiene in the healthcare facilities. These technologies have also a feature that tracks the movement of the employees through the day through BlueTooth and ultrasound. And if the employee comes in contact with a positive COVID-19 patient, they are then requested to isolate themselves. The technology is known as swipesense.

Some hospitals are already enabled with the RFID technologies, while others must follow it soon to be more efficient in curing the patients.