News

Posted On: 01/13/2005

Award-Winning Project Integrates RFID, GPS Data

RF Code, Inc. (Mesa, Ariz.), a maker of RFID products and Auto-ID data management software, is receiving accolades for its hybridized track and trace initiatives. The firm was recently honored as part of a European supply chain project integrating RFID and GPS data in tracking intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). The project was first in the Supply Chain Project category of the 2004 Information Management Awards, which recognize European projects exhibiting excellence and innovation in the management of business information.

The software behind the project, the TAVIS data management platform, was also named winner in the overall RFID category at Forrester's 2004 Emerging Technology Showcase in December. RF Code's presentation at the showcase featured live examples of the company's techniques for hybrid RFID data management.

For the European project, the company teamed with pH Europe, a leading container rental firm, and JDS Professional Services, the project’s lead systems integrator. The project relied upon TAVIS and RF Code’s Mantis active RFID product suite. Key to its success was the ability of TAVIS to integrate the RFID and GPS data. "The fact that our TAVIS technology is being recognized for its value beyond the RFID sector, and within the greater supply chain, shows that the industry is now beginning to understand the significance of hybrid identification networks," says Dr. Nissim Ozer, RF Code's CTO and architect of the TAVIS platform.

Project results reported by pH Europe include improved customer service and better command of the supply chain—and lower overall costs. “This was an ROI-driven project, not a mandate-driven one,” says Armando Viteri, RF Code’s president. "Many of Wal-Mart’s vendors are balking at the added 'tax' of putting RFID tags on their cases and they are struggling with the ROI equation of this initiative. By contrast, RFID tagging at the container level such as what pH Europe has done is much more potentially significant, especially in terms of supply chain visibility as well as the commensurate ROI."

One critical issue in the project’s success was that the Mantis RFID products were well-suited for metal IBC containers. “This precluded the use of passive technologies,” Viteri says. “Passive tags need a very large surface area because of their large antennas. This makes them vulnerable to damage. Mantis tags are small and can be packaged in hardened all weather cases. Mantis allowed them to operate on metal and also in a wide range of environments and conditions without significant performance degradation.”

The case study developed for the award nominations, "Fast Checkouts Achieved Through RFID," can be downloaded here.