Dave Eagleson is Senior VP of Sales & Marketing at RFID Global Solution.
How do you see the evolution of RFID?
Eagleson: I see RFID systems and the development of computer technology as very similar in nature. Just as in the world of computers, where it took a solution to finally get the industry moving, the same is true with RFID. The computer was made of the physical hardware that when bundled together with the operating system and software created desktops and laptops, which have become an invaluable tool.
If you look at RFID: the readers, antennas, cabling and servers are deployed to create a hardware solution. The combinations are endless to create things like our RFID Global Solution SmartCart, our SmartTable and a variety of systems to meet a specific need. But once that hardware is created and deployed and combined with the application, the end user now has a system driving value.
How do you describe RFID’s contribution to the supply chain?
Eagleson: As it relates to supply chain optimization, the key to success is visibility and velocity through accurate, timely data from which plans can be made and executed. Supply chain software drives the planning and re-planning based on changes, shipments, materials, production line capacities. RFID-enabled items, assets and consumables drive visibility for these system to have the necessary data to act against.
Do I need to order more? Is the truck here and does it have what I expected it to have? These factors all drive the supply chain and how well it will work. Through RFID solutions you can now automatically capture that data and decide on the appropriate next steps. It becomes the fuel that drives the supply chain engine.
What’s the crucial element of a successful implementation?
Eagleson: It all starts with a solution that can fit seamlessly into the existing process. Simply put, RFID must evolve to where it blends into the total solution, so that it is used in many cases without the knowledge it is even there. We have those examples today with Mobil Speedpass, the toll way collection systems which are all RFID based system. Yet if you ask end users of these technologies they would not realize that they have been using RFID in their everyday lives.
Radio Frequency Technology is merely a piece to the puzzle, it can be combined with bar code, or cellular to Wi-Fi as well as a variety of sensors for temperature, humidity and/or vibration, to give us data that today we do not have. It truly is an enabling technology and must be viewed and deployed as such. As it continues to be bundled into solutions, the uses and the needs will be driven by market requirements and market value, rather than it being a technology looking for a home.
What differences do you see among providers, and how to they affect the success of an implementation?
In any emerging technology the key to success is true understanding, beyond the lab, how best to deploy the technology to succeed in driving the visibility and value that the customer needs. Many in our space claim expertise and experience, but candidly the bulk of that understanding has been limited and is limited to pilots or lab related environments. What matters is understanding the technology and how best to deploy across an enterprise and the challenges that those efforts pose. This only comes from deploying systems in a real world environment.
For someone who is considering asset-tracking for the first time, what questions should they be asking?
Eagleson: The first question is where do you see a problem with your current process and/or system? What is truly broken, and once that is understood how much value would be created by fixing the problem? Many groups would like to have greater visibility and accuracy, but that comes with a price. With that in mind we are constantly trying to identify value for our customers in tracking assets.
For example, in manufacturing, not tracking a key part or component could cause the operation to stop, so the value of visibility can be measured and quantified. In an emergency room the ability to track an asset can truly be a life or death situation, making the system indispensable. Asset tracking becomes more and more critical as you determine the cost associated with not knowing where something is. The value for RFID is in answering the questions: who, what, where and when? Who was carrying the asset, what asset was it uniquely, where was it last seen and at what time?
Tell us about some real-world examples, where people asked the right questions, and how your company helped answer those questions.
Eagleson: In the art world for example, where we have created Artrac, our goal is to enable those answers to track priceless works of art and antiques that truly are priceless and can never be replaced. For the aerospace market we have created Partrac, which will allow the industry to find missing items that if not found can and will stop production until the missing part or tool are found.
Beyond asking why they see a need, they need to ask how a solution would best fit into their operation and backend systems. What best meets and truly complements what they do today. To help with this, RFID Global Solution has worked to create solutions such as Artrac, Partrac, and others, as a lease model where our team continues to run, maintain and deploy the solutions on a monthly fee basis. This frees up our customers to continue doing what they do best, allowing us to manage their system by giving them the data they seek for decisions.
Again, the question of “what does the customer want from a solution” will determine the type of solution and the manner it is provided to them.
Some last words of wisdom?
Eagleson: In the end, the key questions need to be based on those that RFID enable: who needs the system, what problems are you solving, where is it needed and when do you need it operational?
