Agricultural and RFID

The Agricultural industry today has become one of the most productive industries in the world.

Along with this we are seeing a huge upswing in process efficiencies through technology. RFID, GPS, and process control is becoming common place in tracking equipment and supplies. Theft of course is problem that has always been there but with the cost of chemicals, fertilizer, Fuel, and Seed has been on a constant increase over the years it is becoming a crucial component. Just like your trip to the drug store for cold medicine, agricultural faces the same drug war problem with chemicals, and fuel sources.

This problem is not just a problem for the farmer as the suppliers of these crucial assets find that tanks costing $5000.00 or more are disappearing at an alarming rate. We RFID technology we can monitor storage lots, allow access to areas remotely, and protect unauthorized access as well. With the proper tools we can show drop off point at customer sites and fields and make sure the product or asset stays there and if it moves; locate it and retrieve it.

Theft is not the only reason agricultural is turning to location technology. Accurate time stamping, and process control leads to efficiencies in the filling, and handling of equipment and assets. Streamlining the process and cutting waste is the result, adding hours to the day’s work schedule in lost asset searching, storage and deliver of items to the point of use.

Farming is a fast paced business operating on some of the slimmest margins in the world, the manufacturing world of lean logistics and process control tools and becoming the tools of choice for adding dollars to the bottom-line in agricultural.

Blessed be those that feed the world. Byron

How Much Accuracy do you really need?

One of the common questions we get asked all the time is can I know where every things is down to every square foot of space. Well the easy answer is sure you can just give me tons of money. Not being a terrible greedy individual I usually ask the preverbal two year olds question “WHY”?

To be honest if a company’s process control is so bad you cannot locate items anywhere in your facility you have more problems than just one foot accuracy is going to give you. RFID is a wonderful tool for when things get lost but it is not a replacement for broken processes. RFID will enhance good processes and automate them making them better and more reliable and reduce errors. As a hardware and software agnostic consultant we strive to make sure the requirements are based on solid business processes first before we recommend placing technology on top of it.

Bottom Line if you really need to have sub One Meter resolution or slot to slot accuracy first step back and ask yourself “WHY”? LED beacons can be used to give you that final right part confirmation when you’re close and save you countless dollars on systems but nothing fixes broken core processes.

If you have location problems ask the experts that can give you that value stream map and work at a process level not sell you a technology tool that is pitched to solve all your problems.

Byron

How Much Accuracy do you really need?

One of the common questions we get asked all the time is can I know where every things is down to every square foot of space. Well the easy answer is sure you can just give me tons of money. Not being a terrible greedy individual I usually ask the preverbal two year olds question “WHY”?

To be honest if a company’s process control is so bad you cannot locate items anywhere in your facility you have more problems than just one foot accuracy is going to give you. RFID is a wonderful tool for when things get lost but it is not a replacement for broken processes. RFID will enhance good processes and automate them making them better and more reliable and reduce errors. As a hardware and software agnostic consultant we strive to make sure the requirements are based on solid business processes first before we recommend placing technology on top of it.

Bottom Line if you really need to have sub One Meter resolution or slot to slot accuracy first step back and ask yourself “WHY”? LED beacons can be used to give you that final right part confirmation when you’re close and save you countless dollars on systems but nothing fixes broken core processes.

If you have location problems ask the experts that can give you that value stream map and work at a process level not sell you a technology tool that is pitched to solve all your problems.

Byron

RFID is to costly right?

I totally agree ROI is King. To go in and replace bar-code one to one it will be a tuff sale, but we have done it with cost justification and for less money than upgrading the bar-code system was going to cost. In a complete new deployment we have done many cost studies on these deployments where by the time you put in the supporting power and network, scanners, and tools for the bar-code solution RFID comes out much cheaper and in many cases from day one. Add in the automation factor and less man power requirements (also less possible error) and you have a big win situation.

Unfortunately you have to select the correct solution form the many out there. Too many people jumped in RFID thinking it was a sure winner and you have a lot of confusion. You have to take an agnostic approach to RFID. Kind of like selecting the correct hammer for the right job, they all will work and drive a nail but a roofing hammer is so much better on shingles than a framing hammer and that framing hammer is a disaster when used on fine trim.

When we are value stream mapping a supply chain we look at everything; manual processes to video monitoring and GPS. RFID is part of that mix, the problem is most sales people have only one or two solutions to offer and guess what they try to sell?

The global business model has changed and so has the way we need to track and trace things. Using the same tools year after year and expecting better returns or results may just border on insanity.

RFID is a tool and that is it used correctly it is wonderful, chose wisely.

Byron

The RFID Market today

I have been tracking a lot of Linked In Post, and trade publications over the last few months and the same questions come up time and again. Who is the best supplier, or what is the best solution?

Problem is there are hundreds of answers to these questions with just as many answers. What has happened is everyone has envisioned the demand for automated location tools and raised untold amounts of venture capital to fund just about any type of RFID tool one can imagine. WiFi, UWB, Passive and Active, all using Radio Frequency to communicate they fall under the RFID moniker.

Ok is this bad? Inherently no, but it has added much confusion to the market place. We have so many products crowding the market that overlap each other it makes deciding the correct technology to use almost impossible. This has driven competition and tighter margins along with the merger of many companies or the dissolving of others. This is not much different than the Dot Com bust just the RFID industry is for the most part privately funded. Just as the RFID market was starting its upswing we experience one of the world’s largest economic meltdowns affecting just about every economy.

So we have a lot of RFID Vendors competing in a cool to say the least market. End result is a buyer’s market with every vendor trying to get any and every sale they can without regard to if their product it is a good fit for or not.

Just my observation but a Buyer’s Market or not it is too easy to select the wrong solution. Research what you intend to do and retain good counsel. Keep the playing field level and let the correct tool make its ROI generating ability apparent. Good vendors are out there so let them help but insist on doing a Proof of Concept or Pilot run to assure you of your selection (Remember these do cost some money and after the down turn and limited market you may have to fund all or part of the pilot).

When you have all the facts and see the product work in your environment then you can be assured of the solution. You may have to spend some money but the long term savings and performance will more than return the investment.

Byron

This question comes up all the time. Does RFID solutions solve my problem and the second question; how much does it cost.

Ok Bottom line;

“Yes” (with a qualifier) kind of and probably

More than you want to pay!

Most People look and sell RFID as a total Solution;

RFID is a location tool plain and simple. RFID gives you automated location and movement data and records that into a database and may display it on a graphical interface.

Software is the process control part of the solution and does the magic of th, bringing that timely business driven information to the people that need it to make sound business decisions.

RFID is a Location Tool that must be used for its value as a location tool.

Solutions come from a blend of tools, Software, and integrations, and processes that give the desired results.

The Kind of here is yes; RFID can and is used as a standalone location and monitoring tool and is extremely valuable in these deployments but the ongoing value and ROI is limited to this niche alone.

Software and Integration to current systems is the real value, yes this is where the cost really start racking up but the Return on Investment can be beyond belief.

So to end this Blog;

RFID is a Tool not a total solution, consider this early on and be happy in the end.

Happy RFID Byron

The State Of RFID / RTLS today

RTLS, this is becoming a hotly contested subject on many blogs and posting boards. Linked In has had a very good dialog going over the last couple of weeks on the merits of Wi-Fi RTLS systems. In these Linked In Posts there is two distinct sides; those that sell Wi-Fi systems says they work and have the installs to prove it.
Price wise Wi-Fi makes sense being that you can use your existing Wireless infrastructure to do location task as well.

In most cases I find RFID and RTLS systems are over sold and under deliver. Why you ask? It is simple, RFID passive or active, Wi-Fi, UWB, ZigBee, Sonic, and any combination of these used as RTLS or Point Location systems they are not a system they are a tool.

Yes a tool! An automated location tool, it is the software, integration, dashboards, and interfaces that pull this all together and make the location information the RFID tool supplies useful. Time and again we get involved in systems that do what they are supposed to do locate. Many times these systems are sold on what they can offer not what they supply. When the system is up and running the customer is left with location information and little else. Sure I can find stuff faster but in business today going to another system and jumping screens or systems is just not acceptable. They want answers, data that says order a replacement, consume inventory, fill the order, control work in process, and a host of other decisions that our distributed global supply chain and manufacturing requires.

RFID, in any form must be sold and integrated into the business as a seamless end to end process not a standalone tool to be of value. Hire a good integration RFID consultant and project manager with a solid past in Logistics value stream mapping and process control to do your location needs and supply chain modeling. Yes it cost more upfront but the value will be in a system that works.

Have fun and go Locate Something.

Byron