RFID Tracking Systems: Smart Traceability & Faster Workflows

With integrated RFID tracking systems from GSM Barcoding, you will achieve faster and more accurate identification and tracking of assets, people, and processes.

Improve efficiency throughout your operations with RFID track and tracing technology.   Swap the barcode scanners for RFID readers and achieve faster, more accurate operational tracking.

With years of industry research, RFID has become a mature and reliable technology adopted by retail, manufacturing, warehousing, and transport, among others. To ensure that the transition to RFID meets your unique needs, it’s essential that experienced Auto-ID experts undertake the implementation and design of the RFID solution.

Trust our team, which has over 40 years of experience in barcoding, to deliver your important transformation to RFID.  As partners to leading technology giants such as Zebra Motionworks and with our own in-house technical team, we will deliver the requirements you need.

What is RFID tracking systems? & how can it deliver greater efficiency?

RFID tracking is adopted successfully in day-to-day commercial and industrial applications, including car booth tolls and smart card access control to track items through the manufacturing and supply chain.  RFID simply swaps the capturing or Auto-id of items from visual barcodes or QR codes – that require scanning to read radio signals from RFID tags.

RFID uses radio waves to capture information from circuits embedded in RFID labels and tags, facilitating automatic identification and tracking.  RFID uses include the following:

• RFID asset tracking systems utilise active tags that will have a local power source (such as a battery), typically used for high-value assets and people tracking.
• RFID inventory management systems use passive tags/labels, which collect energy from a nearby RFID reader typically used in larger supply chain tracking.

There is no need for barcode scanning with a line of sight imager or laser scanner as using either readers or antennas in conjunction with these tags.  RFID radio waves read the circuit embedded in tags and labels, enabling operations to read hundreds of tags simultaneously within seconds.

There is no need for human intervention in remote stock tracking, RFID WIP tracking or any other production or supply chain process that may require physical processes.  By using RFID, you free up your workers and process items quicker in all areas of your operations.   Some of the unique benefit of RFID include:

• Every Item can have a unique ID.
• No need for Line-of-sight scanning.
• Stock takes faster.
• Improved traceability with easier recall.
• Reduced labour costs.
• Increased security.
• Easier tracking of returnable items.
• You can read smudged and dirty labels.
• Improved safety for hard-to-reach items & reduced handling.
• Update with quality and additional data.

Designing and implementing an RFID system requires expertise and careful planning and implementation.  Speak to an advisor today, or call GSM barcoding for an RFID consultation.

RFID Goods-in/out processing

RFID tags placed on inbound goods speed up the acceptance of deliveries at the front door.  Both finished stock (with RFID tag) or third-party delivered items receivers can either pass through items with existing RFID tags (under GS1 standardised label language) and register the goods received against the system using RFID gates or handheld readers.

Alternatively, in the case of third-party receivables, RFID readers and printers generate item or pallet level tags that can track the stock through the warehouse process to the time for picking and dispatch. Goods out is simplified and speeded up, with RFID automating the reading of entire pallets instantly and cross-checking with dispatch notes – eliminating the dispatch of incorrectly loaded or missloaded items.

RFID WIP Tracking

Tracking via RFID is not limited to finished goods.   RFID is used within the production process to track materials and components as they move through the various production stages.  Fixed location RFID readers reduce the requirement of human intervention in the data capture of WIP (work in progress) materials and parts as they travel through the various stages of production.  RFID in manufacturing and production facilities enable real-time monitoring of workflows and bottleneck reductions for operations managers- providing real-time information over the production process.

RFID Inventory tracking

Inventory tracking is greatly improved with RFID. More data can be stored and tracking improved to include tracking proper storage and transport temperatures, manufacture dates, shelf life, expiration dates, lots, batch, and serial numbers.   With RFID tags, stock can be traced automatically through the supply chain with improved recall and returns processes.

One of the main benefits of stock-taking with RFID is speed, with 1000’s of tags being read instantly, reduced cycle count labour time, and updated information in real-time.  Distribution centres for retail benefit from the speed improvement, particularly if there are RFID gateways and automatic sortation for returns. Further downstream, the RFID label increases security with greater tracking and triggering of alarms within retail stores.

RFID Asset Tracking

RFID asset tracking provides more accurate counting with serialisation embedded in the tag data, preventing duplication or fraud.  Tracking your assets with RFID enables you to improve your asset utilisation.  Whether a vehicle, tools, IT devices or people, asset tracking via RFID provides serialisation data storage and historical data collection read/write function, enabling more accurate data tracking and improved security.

1. Handheld Readers & Sleds – A wide variety of handheld RFID readers are available, from ultra-rugged readers that can read UHF frequencies to sleds that can transform your mobile computer into an RFID reader. Mobile readers, such as handhelds, are ideal for low-volume reading or writing in exception processing, quality assurance, mobile shipping/receiving and cycle counts.
2. Fixed RFID Readers & Fixed Infrastructure – To really benefit from RFID, setting up fixed infrastructure such as RFID Gateways/arches on inbound, outbound and transition readers between zones is an essential investment. The fixed readers automatically detect RFID tags as they pass through the readers, eliminating worker intervention.  Typically used for high-volume RFID interrogation where multiple items are read at once – such as retail distribution, transport and WIP tracking in manufacturers and assemblers.
3. RFID Antennas – are the essential element between the tag and the reader that transmits the power and captures the return signal from the tag with its data. An antenna facilitates the transmission and reception of information, enabling communication between readers and tags.  Different antennas depend on the range requirements, and GSM Barcoding can help you make the right choice.
4. RFID Printers – Specialist label printers that encode RFID labels with data whilst printing the readable label face provide businesses with flexibility in their tracking. GSM Barcoding can provide printers from leading manufacturers that encode RFID inlays within labels and print them with human-readable info and barcodes.
5. RFID Tags (transponder) & Supplies – there are two main types of tags: passive, which require interrogation via electromagnetic energy from the fixed reader or antenna and active tag, which has a battery and is typically used in location management.  RFID labels, typically passive, can be printed on or used plain and are the most cost-effective option for supply chain use.  Active tags tend to be used more for location management, including large, expensive item tracking and in the production process