Customers can now easily monitor food temperature, shelf life, and freshness of perishable goods with Freshtime, from Infratab. The system, in conjunction with Intermec rugged mobile computers and passive UHF RFID readers allows for easy tracking and traching throughout the supply chain, in addition to real-time decisions based on the products current status in relation to expiration date.

Distribution managers and mobile workers alike are able to receive real-time alerts regarding the quality of the perishable goods and easily identifies whether items have expired. By adding increased visibility to the supply chain, Intermec and Infratab are able to help customers control waste, monitor temperatures, simplify data collection, and provide consumers with the highest quality of products.

By using RFID technology from Intermec, Infratab is able to easily integrate their solutions into enterprise resources and quality assurance systems. Since perishable goods are subject to a change in temperature throughout the supply chain process, Freshtime semi passive RFID tags are pre-programmed with high and low temperature thresholds of the goods so that tags can record data throughout the distribution process. Because of this, it is easy to determine the remaining shelf life of items, and alerts can be created in order to notify distribution managers and workers if an item is deteriorating faster than anticipated. Once the item arrives at its destination, its tags are read by Intermec mobile computers equipped with handheld RFID readers that provides information, such as the tags temperature history and the length of travel, to the recipient.

With a solution such as this from Intermec and Infratab, manual intervention, labor, and errors are reduced due to real-time asset tracking through RFID technology.

Learn more about tracking your assets in real time.

If you’re curious to see how companies use barcoding and RFID technologies to their advantage, then you’re opportunity has arrived. Barcoding Inc., in conjunction with Motorola (Symbol) will be hosting a warehouse tour at Ingram Micro’s distribution center in Carrollton, TX, on April 22.

This hands-on opportunity will provide you with the visibility to see how companies are using automated data collection to lower their total operation expenses and increase profit margins. Ingram Micro is an exceptional example warehouse because it is a $32 billion company that ships to over 165,000 customers worldwide, making it one of the most operationally efficient companies in the world.

By participating in the Ingram Micro Warehouse Tour, you will not only gain first-hand knowledge from industry experts, but also receive the opportunity to test-drive the latest hardware from Motorola and more!

If you’re interested in signing up for the Ingram Micro Warehouse Tour, you can register here.

Intermec, a leader in the AIDC industry, is sponsoring the very first joint GS1/GSMP JAG Meeting. The GS1 GSMP (Global Standards Management Process), in conjunction with EPCglobal JAG (Joint Action Group), will be hosting a conference on March 23-27, 2009 at the Hilton Airport hotel in Los Angeles, California.

The primary function of the meeting is to provide businesses with standardization processes that can improve workflow, efficiency, and security of all aspects of the supply chain. Implementing RFID technology in conjunction with barcodes will be a key aspect of the conferences, focusing on how following their standards will assure interoperability and optimize the value of both technologies.

Intermec will specifically be sponsoring the Networking Dinner, held on Wednesday, March 25th. All attendees will have the opportunity to win a Sony PSP 3000, courtesy of Intermec. Simply drop your business card at the door, enjoy the festivities, and you could be a winner!

If you are interested in attending the GS1 joint GSMP JAG Meeting 2009, you can register here. Be sure to attend the Networking dinner sponsored by Intermec!

Selecting the right RFID frequency, HF (high frequency) or UHF (ultra-high frequency) will help you get the most value from your RFID system.  It’s important to learn about the different frequency considerations, examine your business processes and consider future needs or expansion of RFID uses when making this important decision.  For those of you thinking of RFID implementation, I’d like to provide a brief overview of both HF and UHF as well as discuss their capabilities.

High Frequency RFID

HF RFID technology communicates via the electromagnetic field at 13.56 MHz.  Maximum approximate range for 13.56 MHz technology is 3 feet.  HF has long been considered the frequency of choice for item-level tagging and use around liquids or metal.  But these rules are changing as RFID technology matures, so it’s important to consider more than just these traditional beliefs.  Some common uses for HF RFID include:

• Electronic ticketing
• Contactless payment
• Access control
• Sample tracking

Ultra-High Frequency RFID

UHF tags like the one at left communicate by radio waves that offer a longer range than HF technology.  Radio wave propagation provides an approximate maximum range of 30 feet.  UHF is supported by numerous standards, including EPCglobal Gen 2 and has been commercialized between 858 to 960 MHz.  My post about Vail’s RFID-enabled Season Passes provides one example of how UHF technology is being used, but common uses include:

• Compliance tagging
• Case/pallet Identification
• Work-in-Process tracking
• Asset management

While it’s important to understand the capabilities of both HF and UHF, you want to design your RFID system around your business processes, not the technology.  It’s more important to fit the technology to your process rather than the other way around.  You’ll want to take a close look at your business to determine exactly what you need and what you want to accomplish.  Once this is achieved it’s much easier to determine what technology is best suited to help you reach your goals.  If you’d like more information about RFID systems or are looking for help implementing a system, please contact me at ehodges@barcode.com.

With rising costs of fuel, many companies are looking to optimize their workforce through the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology.  Like me, you’re probably most familiar with GPS technology providing turn-by-turn directions.  In fact, I borrowed my parents GPS for a vacation in California and now I never want to go out of town without one.  But there is more to GPS technology than just navigation.  GPS can enhance a variety of mobile enterprise applications, including:

• Route delivery
• Field service
• Dispatch
• Logistics
• Fleet and asset management

Today we’re going to look at two of the ways businesses are utilizing GPS technology to support their mobile operations- Navigation and Route Optimization.

GPS Navigation- of course businesses can benefit from turn-by-turn directions as well.  GPS can provide your workers with accurate directions via the most efficient route.  This will reduce non-productive time because employees will know the exact location of their service or delivery sites and they won’t get lost.  In addition to saving time, GPS navigation can save you money by reducing fuel costs.  Employees will no longer take indirect routes or add mileage due to getting lost.  This will also benefit your customers as well, increasing on-time delivery performance.

GPS Route Optimization- route optimization uses GPS data to analyze activity and to determine the most efficient routes and assignments.  Companies can base their routes on proven calculations to reduce miles driven and improve fleet utilization.  Route optimization can help lower fuel costs and increase worker productivity by providing data such as travel time, slowdown areas and wait times.

Tomorrow we’ll finish up with two more ways your business can benefit from GPS- Route Auditing and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL).