Simply RFiD

Asset Tracking Best Practices - First Hand Account

After moving to our new office in the previous year, SimplyRFiD is now starting an asset tracking program of our own. While figuring out what to tag and going through the process of tracking those items, we thought it could be instructive to show how we're figuring it all out for ourselves.

RFID Tagging Tips

• Determine what items need to be tagged. We focused on items that cost over $100. 
• Figure out the material the items are made of. Certain RFID tags can work on metal and and others on non-metal, but figuring that out before actually ordering or printing tags saves time  and money.   
• Create a spreadsheet first, before any items is physically tagged. The spreadsheets we created allowed multiple people to work on the same project easily.
• Our spreadsheet contained the following information
• • Tag number 
  • Item description
  • Item location  
• Tags might need to be strategically placed for optimal readings. Our experience told us that visible tags were read the easiest by our handheld reader. 
• Arranging the tags so that they're all on roughly the same level also helped make the scans go faster. 
• Using the Nox Core to keep track of the items being tracked allowed the person tagging to change the spreadsheet on the fly. This can then be synced up with the master list on the computer later. Of course, it's much easier to do the changes on the computer, but the Nox Core can still be used as an editor. 

More Thoughts on RFID Asset Tracking

 What was one of the the other thoughts we had during this process? It was very easy! Our project leader said she would be confident in letting anyone handle the tagging and scanning, with very little training necessary. As long as the proper tags are chosen for the project, it can be completed in relatively little time, as well. For our group of about 70 items, it only took about an hour.

Once the tagging is completed, we now plan on scanning our items once every few weeks. That process should only take about 15 minutes at a time. In our case, the biggest delay comes from traveling between all the different rooms the items are located in. If the items were all in a central location, it would be even faster to scan everything.

Final Thoughts

Now that we're finishing this initial asset tracking project, we've got plans for the future using all that we've learned. We also are learning even more about the process so we can help all of our customers use our system more efficiently in the future. If you need help with your asset tracking systems and want to know if RFID could work for your company, contact us at support(at)simplyrfid.com address, or by calling 1 703.343.1689

Join us for ISC West 2010 in Las Vegas with a Digital Guest Pass

It's hard to find a better event for anyone interested in the security industry than ISC West. Everyone from end-users to dealers, installers and manufacturers can benefit from education, product demonstrations and networking during the event. This year's show takes place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The Education Events take place March 23-25 and the Exhibition March 24-26. 

Of course, SimplyRFiD will be there, showing off our asset tracking solutions and answering questions about using RFID to solve a variety of problems. If you'd like to join us there, we have a special offer for you! Follow the link in the graphic below to get a special discount off of a conference package and free admission to the Exhibit Hall. It's an unbeatable deal. We'll see you at booth 2061!

 

Asset Tracking Best Practices - Where to Start?

The words "Asset Tracking" sounds like intimidating, high-concept business jargon, but in reality all  asset tracking really means is to count how many things of value are present. Are all the items that should be in a certain location there? Are all the things that need to move from point A to point B doing so? Whether it's looking for only one item, or counting thousands and thousands, what asset tracking should ultimately give you is a useful number. 

Usefulness of Asset Tracking

Why that number is useful might be the next question to answer. Considering the meaning of the word "asset" as anything of value owned by a business or person, it makes sense that as an owner, keeping track of possessions makes good financial sense. This is especially true in the world of retail or manufacturing, where items are physically moved often. 

What might come as surprising to some is that even in places where it's not expected for items to move   often it can be a smart idea to find ways to track the item. For instance, employee theft can put assets at risk that might never be moved or touched under normal circumstances. If an office gets a lot of foot traffic, it makes sense to have ways to guard assets that could be at risk from crimes of opportunity. One potentially devastating loss for any business would be the loss of laptop, especially if it stores important information. Due to their portability and cost, they're very vulnerable to theft. Tracking this item, even if it never leaves the office, can be a worthwhile investment if it prevents the loss of valuable information and time. 

For manufacturers, keeping on top of orders and knowing that each shipment that went out was the correct shipment can require more than just humans and their error prone nature. The results of human error can be devastating, too, as anyone who has ever been late with an order can report

RFID Can Solve Asset Tracking Problems 

Asset tracking can solve many of the problems listed above, and at SimplyRFiD, we believe that RFID solutions can solve many of the problems with asset tracking itself. In the next post in this series, we'll describe how we're using RFID solutions for our own in-house asset tracking needs.

Free Pass to ISC West in Las Vegas - Come learn about RFID Asset Tracking!

Join us in March 23 - 26 at the ISC West show in Las Vegas. This premiere security industry event connects everyone from solution creators to implementers to those that need to find out more. SimplyRFiD will be there showing off our RFID Asset Tracking Solution -- Nox. Click the link below to sign up for a free pass to the exhibit hall and come visit us at booth 2061! 

 

ISC West - RFID Asset Tracking Protects Businesses

 SimplyRFiD will be exhibiting at the ISC West show in Las Vegas in March. This important show will feature loads of information and exhibitors from the international security industry. It's a great opportunity to see what the year has in store for security professionals, learn a lot, and make useful networking connections. 

Join us there March 24-26 and learn all about our Nox RFID Asset Tracking system. The system combines RFID, readers, software and high-definition cameras to monitor everything that the user wants to keep track of. It's works on everything from laptops and important hardware to file folder to people. It's not just asset tracking, it's asset surveillance. Join us in Las Vegas in March to see for yourself why Nox can work for your business.  

We'll have more information on this show in the coming weeks, so stay tuned or click above to sign up for RSS updates. 

Interop New York 2009: Learn about cutting edge IT, asset tracking and security solutions

Cloud computing, mobile business and the newest security innovations. What do these all have in common? The connection is Interop NY. Interop is a leading business IT event that focuses on providing knowledge and insight for decision makers throughout the business world. A combination of exhibitors, workshops and keynotes make the expo worthwhile for professionals from any number of industries. Visit the Interop blog to learn up to the minute facts about the event.

SimplyRFiD will be also be at Interop. We'll be focusing on providing all of our guests with information about our RFID tracking and security system. For everything from tracking important files as they move around the office to making sure the brand new laptop with crucial documents doesn't end up in the wrong hands. As technology gets more advanced, and more expensive, it becomes even more imperative to secure it. Let SimplyRFiD help you with our innovative, and affordable, solutions. Please come visit us at booth 129!

This year's expo is now less than a week away, but there's still time to plan your own trip to New York! Need more incentive? Follow this registration link and use the code: cndnnY07 to buy one pass and get the second pass free. And if you're planning on stopping by our booth, drop me an email at ashley.lange(at)simplyrfid.com for even more savings.

One week till ISC East: Learn about asset tracking with RFID!

We'd like to invite you to be SimplyRFiD's guest at ISC East in New York on October 27-29. ISC East is the premiere trade show for security professionals looking to learn about cutting edge security solutions and the state of the industry. It's a large show with 300 exhibitors scheduled to be strutting their stuff. 

If you're interested in going and still haven't signed up yet, we'd like to extend an invitation to you to join us next week to learn about RFID asset tracking with our Nox Vault system. The system can help you keep track of everything from laptops and servers to files and folders. 

Curious to learn more? Get free admission and 20% discount off any conference package by following that link, and drop us a line letting us know you're coming! 

Digital Pass to ISC East in New York: Visit us and learn about asset tracking with RFID

Check out the newsletter link above or check out this free ISC East exhibit pass to sign up for your own if you're interested in going to ISC East in October! The event is Oct. 28-29 in New York, NY, and is the premiere East Coast security event. 300 security companies will be exhibiting and it's a great chance to learn more about the industry. Make sure to visit the SimplyRFiD booth, as well, where we'll be giving hands-on demonstrations. Learn how we can track everything from laptops to file folders to people!

Booster Bags - thieves design new ways to steal -- and how to stop them

An article in the SF Chronicle talks about the latest crime rings and the organization it takes.

Essentially, a team steals items from a store and places them on EBay or a flea market 'for sale'. They sneak items out of stores in three ways:

1) By having an inside person ring-up a sale -- or... not.

2) By changing the barcode on the item they are purchasing.

3) By using a 'booster bag' (Photo from SF Chronicle) and getting around the electronic article detectors at door ways.

First... It's sad that people steal stuff. But, basically, we're all still monkeys. I'm just glad they aren't throwing too much poo anymore.

EAS systems (Electronic Article Surveillance) use a very low cost sensor with a very short range read. These sensors, installed in nearly every store, stop casual shoplifters. But, they don't stop the determined professionals.  Nox stops even professionals.  Nox uses a long-range sensor so it monitors everything within 30-40'.  If an item is dropped in a 'booster bag', it would disappear from the sensor grid and we'd know we need to look and see what's happening to that item.

Of course, Nox sensors do cost a little more -- 20 cents vs. 3 cents per tag.  This makes it more useful on higher value items. 

 

 

Today in theft...

Why my wife makes me lock all the doors...

Monday:

- Peter Gabriel had all his web servers stolen from the hosting provider.

- Man steals 20 2,400lb blocks of metal from Pratt Whitney
You'd think 2,400lbs would be a deterrent...

- Royal Mail catches 1,300 workers in 4 years for postal theft
Wow... 1,300 workers! How big a team does it take to catch 1,300 people in 4 years? How many thieves are still there? It doesn't say if they are fired... Are they still there? If not, how did they hire 1,300 new trustworthy people to replace the fired ones?

Nox could have caught and stopped all of this....