This post was last updated on May 30th, 2021 at 10:56 am
RFID PILOT PROJECTS
RFID pilot and proof of concept projects: 20 questions you need to ask
RFID projects often start with a great idea, but it is always advisable to test or explore the idea first before committing to a particular system or technology. A pilot or proof of concept project will allow you to answer important questions – such as how well it will perform in your business environment and if it will deliver the expected benefits – and help you make the correct investment decisions.
How should you go about organising such a project and what questions should you set out to answer?
Ask the right questions
The first thing you need in any proof of concept project is a clear idea of the answers you expect it to provide. Do you want to validate a particular technology or find out how well it will be accepted by users? Is it to assess the costs, or identify any difficulties that might arise when integrating with other systems? So the first golden rule is: Know what you want to know.
CoreRFID works with clients to design pilots and proof of concept projects that answer the important questions. Some questions will be common to all projects – for example, the likely cost, financial benefits and pay-back period. Others will relate to your specific circumstances – such as staff and public acceptance, the technical environment and the systems that it has to connect to.
Through careful project design, detailed measurement of results and thorough analysis, pilot and proof of concept projects can provide valuable data that form the basis of successful RFID implementations.
RFID Pilot Projects : Twenty Questions
Based on our experience, here’s a list of the 20 questions that we most often need to answer in pilot and proof of concept applications:
| Area | Question? | Your Project? |
| Process | 1. How will the system be used in the workplace and can my staff work with the changes needed? | |
| 2. How will tags get added to the items being tagged? | ||
| 3. How does this process affect suppliers or customers? | ||
| 4. Is there a risk of tags being damaged and how can this be countered? | ||
| 5. If this process involves the public / other companies’ staff, how will they react? | ||
| 6. How will the system deal with unexpected untagged items? | ||
| Technology | 7. Will the tags I plan to use work when attached to the items being tagged? | |
| 8. Can I get the read range needed with the readers / antennas I plan to use? | ||
| 9. Can I get the reading success rates that I need? | ||
| 10. Will tag writing characteristics be acceptable in practice? | ||
| 11. Can I physically install readers and antennas in the locations intended? | ||
| 12. Will there be interference from other tags / systems? | ||
| 13. What is the best location, orientation and fixing method for tag attachment? | ||
| 14. Is international operation important for this application? | ||
| Data | 15. How will tag identities and item identities be tied together? | |
| 16. How will data on tag location /movement be processed? | ||
| 17. How will tag updates be securely handled? | ||
| 18. How will data privacy issues be addressed, if relevant? | ||
| 19. How will data be integrated with / collected from other systems? | ||
| 20. What coding system should I use and what data should I store on tags? |
How We Can Help
CoreRFID is happy to work with our customers on the planning and implementation of pilot projects. Why not contact us for a conversation about how we could help you?
