The Benefits of Traceability

When one thinks of traceability, the first thing that comes to mind is often produce traceability. However, traceability isn’t just for the produce and agriculture industries – it can be implemented into many other fields including electronics, meat & dairy, toys and so much more.

There are a number of reasons to implement traceability and transparency in your business and your product lines regardless of industry or product type. Here are just a few.

1. Customer Trust and Loyalty – Traceability and transparency are important steps to take to gain the trust of consumers.  They are effective ways to communicate safety and quality to the consumer, and as a result, traceability has been increasingly demanded for by consumers.

The greatest way to gain new customers and retain your current customer base is by gaining their trust; the simplest way to gain a customer’s trust is transparency (honesty).

2. Protect the Innocent – When problems occur and recalls become necessary, businesses suffer. By implementing traceability, those that are unaffected can continue to sell their products. Traceability expedites the problem-solving process involved in contamination cases and allows issues to be quickly contained and resolved with minimal collateral damage. With traceability, product categories are able to maintain their availability rather than being completely destroyed.  Traceability allows businesses to show customers that their products are unaffected and safe.

3. Improve business – In a survey by Yottamark, 85% of consumers stated that they prefer to purchase traceable food over non-traceable. In conclusion, if you products are up against traceable competitive products, you may lose out on business.

4. Protect public health and safety.

5. Vendors that offer traceability have a significant advantage over those who do not. Many fast food chains, superstores, restaurants, et al. require traceability from vendors as the result of perceived risk. Therefore, vendors that offer traceability are more likely to win business than those who do not.

6. Real-time traceability quickly pays for itself. Demonstrating compliance and real-time traceability can expand a company’s customer base and enables the company to go completely paperless seamlessly. By eliminating a timely and costly paper-based system, productivity and efficiency increase through decreased labor requirements, improved inventory control and many other benefits. In the case of a contamination incident, traceability lowers the cost of containing and resolving the issue.

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Code d’Urgence: France Develops QR Codes that Could Save Lives

A company in Le Mans, France (in the 72nd département, Sarthe) recently developed a QR code that could save lives, the Code D’Urgence. These QR codes securely store one’s medical history and emergency contact information so that in the case of an emergency, medical professionals have instant access to the information they need.

A one year subscription (36€) can be applied for with the submission of a brief medical questionnaire and approval from a doctor. The medical information is then stored on a secure server for emergency access by certified medical professionals. The only downside is that this technology is only fully implemented in two French departments (with ten more en attente or in the process of adapting the technology).*

Once a user is registered, they are given 10 QR code stickers to place on their vehicle dashboards or windows, the backs of their mobile devices, their motorcycle helmets, on their wallets, or wherever they find suitable. These codes are particularly marketed to those who risk traffic, work or sporting accidents as well as to senior citizens.

For more information on this technology, visit the Code D’Urgence website.

What do you think about bringing this technology to the US?

* In order for this technology to be used, medical professionals need to download the application to their mobile devices. Departments 44 and 72 have fully implemented this technology while departments 85, 17, 16, 33, 86, 53, 28, 21, 57, and 59 are in the process of implemented codes d’urgence.

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There’s No Reason to Dread Upgrading Your Data System and Equipment

Making the decision to upgrade your data management system isn’t always fun or easy, so we’d like to help you through the decision-making process and give you the tools to decide whether you REALLY need to upgrade or not. Repair and maintenance contracts are sometimes an affordable alternative to making that big step, but can upgrading your equipment save you money in the long run?

Think of your data collections system as a car – is it costing you more to get it repaired (and causing you inconvenience due to downtime) than it would be to just go out and get a new one? Does your wireless data collection hardware still perform its required tasks?  Before making any decisions on whether or not to upgrade your data system ask yourself these questions:

Will I continue to get maintenance support for my hardware? Even though a manufacturer may end support for a particular device this does not mean it can’t be repaired. In fact, DataGear repairs many older devices  that manufacturers have stopped supporting long ago.

Do support costs outweigh new hardware costs? Buying new hardware may cost more up front but you should weigh those costs against the ongoing repair and downtime costs that may be present with your existing hardware. At some point all equipment will reach the end of its useful life and continuing to maintain it will no longer makes financial sense.

How secure is my wireless network? Hackers can infiltrate your wireless network if you are not current with the latest security options. Upgrading your hardware may save you a great deal when compared to the cost of exposing your company’s sensitive data to an astute hacker.

Is hardware management draining our resources? Upgrading software, trouble shooting problems, and distributing patches can be a labor intensive job when you are managing your wireless system. Newer wireless technology can help you remotely manage and secure your mobile devices.

Can new hardware features improve my business? Many of the data terminals available today have a variety of wireless options that can help your employees stay productive while on the go. Equipping your employees with the proper wireless technology, while mobile, may give your company the leverage it needs in today’s competitive environment.

Before making any decision, seek the advice from a professional data capture specialist. DataGear has the background and experience to help you decide if an upgrade makes sense or not and the expertise to show you all of your options and explain the true “cost of ownership” when selecting mobile devices.

DataGear is a supplier of data capture products, RFID solutions, software and repair services to the agriculture, retail, logistics, warehouse and distribution industries. For more information, please visit our web site.

By Mark Oetken
Revised 3/15/2012

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France Becomes a Pioneer in the Development of Cost-Effective RFID Technology

France has become a pioneer in the development of cost-effective RFID technology thanks to Camille Ramade and her colleagues at the University of Montpellier.

Camille Ramade and colleagues have developed an innovative RFID depositing process that could reduce the cost of RFID technology by up to 80%.  This reduction in cost may lead to the growth of the technology’s popularity. Unfortunately, adoption of RFID has been slow due to high implementation costs. Despite developments in the technology, significant ROI potential, and significant decrease in cost since its naissance, 1D and 2D barcodes have remained the popular choices in lieu of RFID technology. Recent developments by the University of Montpellier, however, may level the playing field for RFID and persuade many industries to turn to the technology.

The University of Montpellier has developed a process to deposit thin aluminum RFID tags onto paper, reducing the amount of metal required. As a result, the use of RFID technology will open up to numerous application possibilities. Speculators predict that this new process will potentially lower the cost of RFID tags to one-fifth of their current price.

By employing a simple thermal evaporation process, Camille Ramade and colleagues discovered that thin aluminum coil antennas could be deposited onto paper to be used as RFID tags. Current prototypes are functional, but further development and designs are being conducted so that the tags can be optimized for each family of RFID chips.  These tags could potentially be used to even track individual sheets of paper and speculation is that they might replace both 1D barcodes and even QR codes.

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Toshiba’s New Scanner

At first glance, this new development in scanning technology seems to eliminate the need for barcode and RFID, but is the new Toshiba scanner really the end of barcodes?

By using food recognition technology, the new Toshiba scanners cut down time in a checkout line by eliminating manual food code entry. The scanners recognize food by pattern and color, and they are particularly useful for produce. Fruits and vegetables are not typically barcoded at the item level, and so, employees have to add the items by entering codes. If the employee does not have all the codes memorized (which can be quite the extensive list), this can be cumbersome and timely. The new Toshiba scanners were created to resolve these issues by eliminating the code entry process and cut down on delays as a result.

Needless to say, produce and vegetable recognition on their own can present complications towards the practicality of this new scanner. How will seasonal items be handled? Variations? Impulse items? According to Toshiba, the scanner can recognize what sort of fruit is being shown (apple, pear, banana) and even identify the variety (bartlett, anjou). It would be interesting to know how the database is built (store-level, national, international).

Although this new scanner seems to be just brimming with potential, there may be many limitations to its use expanding into markets outside of food and grocery applications. Even within certain stores, this scanner could present problems – what about limited time products? Non-food items? Do these scanners also have barcode reading capabilities? How would they fit into other markets?

What do you think about this new scanner and its potential applications?

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Understanding RFID

RFID tags, simply put, are intelligent barcodes that allow the tracking and management of an item.  RFID tags have existed since the 1970s, but because of their relatively high cost, have only recently become a popular and viable replacement for the more “traditional” barcode.  

Historic Uses of RFID Tags

RFID tags were originally used to track high-value or large items like livestock, railroad cars, or airline luggage when transported over a long distance. RFID tags, at that time, were a complex system of metal coils, antennas and glass called an “inductively coupled RFID tag.”

The next development in RFID technology produced “capacitively coupled tags” as an attempt to lower the cost of the technology with Motorola’s BiStatix RFID tags as the leader in this technology.

The most recent RFID technology includes active, semi-active and passive RFID tags. These are typically composed of a microchip, antenna, and a battery (for active and semi-passive tags). They are usually enclosed in plastic, silicon or glass, but experiments with a variety of materials have been done.

Active and passive tags can be made to fit on almost any product and are relatively inexpensive to produce (passive tags are less expensive than active or semi-passive tags because they do not require batteries).

Why RFID is Becoming a Popular Alternative to Barcodes

In comparison to RFID, barcodes can be somewhat restrictive for a variety of reasons. For one, to maintain an accurate account of inventory, every barcode must be scanned on every box of each and every product which takes a considerable amount of time and energy.  This process must be done on both the receiving and check-out ends.

RFID tags have better read and write capabilities, allowing the information stored to be changed, updated or locked and as a result, are a better way to track merchandise or items (and even people!).  There are three different ways to store information on RFID tags – read-write, read-only, or WORM (write once, read many).

Different Ways RFID Technology is Being Used

1. Kaiten Sushi Restaurants – “Conveyor Belt” style sushi restaurants implement RFID technology to track how long dishes have been on the conveyor belt and the purchases made by customers.  Plates are equipped with RFID tags and readers are placed at different points along the belt so that when a plate has been out for 90 minutes, the system is notified so that the plate can be pulled. It also helps keep track of popular dishes, eliminate waste, and offer customers a quicker billing process.

2. Libraries and Document Firms – RFID tags are attached to books and documents so that they can be tracked as they move throughout a facility or as they are checked out and returned.  RFID scanners do not require “line of sight”, meaning multiple tags can be read at once (a whole stack of books or files) making checkout faster. The installation of RFID scanners throughout a facility also allows companies to keep track of items by scanning the tags when they come within range of a scanner. Libraries have implemented RFID technology at exit sensors, book-drop readers, sorters and conveyors, handheld readers, and self checkout or staff checkout stations.

3. Legoland – Legoland distributed RFID bracelets to children at their parks to help prevent “lost” children. Although this may seem intrusive, anyone who has experienced separation from their child at a public facility (for however brief) might advocate the use of this technology.

4. Season Ticket Holders – Sports season ticket holders have been given RFID passes so that they could bypass entrance lines and get to their seats more quickly.

5. Hospitals – Hospitals and medical centers use RFID bracelets to store medical records and prevent error in treatment.

6. Passports – RFID technology is being implemented into passports with the US leading the way.

7. Elephants – The use of RFID technology in monitoring and tracking of pets has been popular for quite some time. It is now even being used in India for “pet” elephants to reduce trafficking. It can also be used on “doggie doors” to prevent unwanted animals from getting through the door (only pre-approved or RFID chipped pets can pass through the door).

8. Clubbing – Some clubs have given VIP patrons the option of RFID “chipping” in lieu of carrying a wallet or debit card.

9. Music – Companies like Fender have been installing RFID chips in their instruments as a means of theft prevention. The list of instruments with chips is provided to law enforcement, instrument dealers and repair shops.

10. Pirelli Tires – This tire company utilizes RFID technology to transmit information on road conditions.

What are your thoughts on RFID technology?

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• The Road Code

The Road Code

The utilization of QR codes on public advertisements has presented marketers with the challenge of overcoming safety issues. In the state of California, the use of a mobile device while driving is illegal, so placing QR codes in ads on buses or billboards has many limitations (only passengers can scan the code or drivers will have to illegally use their mobile devices to get the information stored on the code).

Paul Brocky and Tom Catuosco have developed a more “driver friendly” alternative to the QR code in response to limitations the QR code presents. “The Road Code” is a four character alpha-numeric code that can be used as a redirect, similar to the way QR codes are used. Of course, this requires the audience to download yet another barcode scanning application to their mobile devices in order to take advantage of the Road Code. It also requires the user to remember the four digit code for later use. This says a lot about marketers’ expectations of their audience. Hopefully the incentive for downloading the app, remembering the code and entering it into the application is well thought out and useful (please don’t forward us to your website!).

Here is a comparison of the Road Code to the QR Code:*

The Road Code App:

•    Road Codes are more easily accessible
•    Free access to real-time information on the go
•    Utilizes its own “easy-to-use”
•    Code can be saved on the mobile device for later use

QR Codes:

•    QR Codes cannot be committed to memory (although some scanning applications do allow this)
•    Damage to the QR code can make it unreadable
•    Photo has to be taken of QR Code making them difficult to scan while moving
•    If the destination of the code is changed, a new code needs to be created
•   Cell phone signal and/or internet access are required for a QR Code to work

If you are interested in reading more about QR Codes and other barcoding technology, check out these articles:

• The Marketing Advantages of QR Codes
• The Basics of Barcoding
• Are QR Codes Already Being Replaced?

* Taken from Virtual Strategy. Click here if you want to read the original article on Road Codes.

Barcode Scanner Meet Forklift. Forklift meet… nevermind!

Motorola Unveils the DS3500-ER Series Scanners

Early February Motorola unveiled the new DS3500-ER Series of scanners, a family of barcode scanners comparable to the LS3408-ER scanners.  With both near and far scanning as well as 1D and 2D barcode reading capabilities, the DS3500-ER is an ideal data collection solution for warehousing as well as many other industries.

The DS3500-ER scanner features include:

• Omnidirectional scanning
• IP65 rating
• Scans anywhere from 1 in. to 31 feet
• 1D and 2D barcode reading capabilities
• Indoor and outdoor functionality
• Corded or Bluetooth connection options

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Laser vs. Image Barcode Scanners

Deciding which type of barcode scanner  to select, whether a laser or digital imager, can be a difficult decision without a good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each type.  Both laser scanning and image readers can be effective technologies for their appropriate applications and determining which scanner best meets your needs can be more easily made with a better understanding of the features of each of these types of scanners.

Here is a brief explanation of laser scanning technology: The optics inside a laser scanner emit a laser beam and use a lens to focus the beam with an oscillating mirror that moves the laser beam line across the barcode very rapidly.  The laser light beam is then reflected off the barcode and back to the scanner, allowing the scanner to decode the reflected signal. For example, barcode scanning functions can include long distance scanning, reading 2D barcodes or capturing an image.

The advantage of the laser scanner is that it can read barcodes even when the barcode or scanner is in motion, quickly and accurately, allowing for fast decodes.  Additionally, the laser can project a beam over long distances without spreading out, making it ideal for long distance scanning.

Digital image readers are different than laser scanners because they emit a LED light that illuminates the barcode and projects the image back to the scanner for the barcode to be decoded.  It works similar to digital camera, but much faster (however, the decoding process of the digital image reader is often not as fast as a laser scanner).

The advantage of image scanners is that it can read both 1D and 2D barcodes.  Imagers can also provide omni-directional scanning so that barcodes can be read easily from any orientation.  With a digital imager you can even capture images such as a signature or even photograph a damaged box.

Before deciding which type of scanner you need, you first must determine which type of barcodes you will be scanning (1D, 2D, or combination of both).  The information above should provide you with a guide to scanner selection, but if you have any additional questions feel free to leave them in the comments or contact our team of experts here at DataGear.

By Mark Oetken, 10/22/2010 2:38:32 PM
Revised 12/05/2011

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