RFID Technology In The Transportation Sector
As the adoption of RFID technology persists, key benefits are emerging within the field of transportation and logistics. With the movement of large volumes of products and people at the heart of most transportation service offerings, it goes without saying that small continuous improvements to operational visibility and workforce productivity can have profound impacts on business profitability and performance.
This blog will explore a few of the innovative ways RFID technology is being used for operations within the transportation sector, and expand on the best next-steps you can take to adopt asset management and RTLS solutions for your business. If you have any questions along the way, jot them down and reach out.
2) Vehicle & Load Identification
3) Automated Payments & Loyalty Cards
4) More Intuitive Yard Management
5) I Want To Explore Solutions For My Transportation Business
What is RFID technology and how does it work?
As we noted within a recent blog - RFID technology in Healthcare - RFID technology is a combination of small microchips interacting with scanners and readers. The chips can be embedded into a tag or a sticky label and attached to objects. As tagged objects pass through strategically positioned readers, their location is automatically updated on IT systems, for workers and machines to use to make more informed day-to-day decisions, in real-time. When referred to as part of a broader network or solution, this technology becomes part of a real-time location system, or "RTLS solution".
So, the question is, where is this technology being used within the transportation sector?
Vehicle & Load Identification
By tagging the likes of pallets, goods, vehicles and trailers, readers can be used to identify vehicles and corresponding loads. When it comes to yard management, and ensuring the the right goods travel to the right places in a time-effective manor, the operational visibility provided by RFID technology can maximize asset utilization, reduce operating costs, improve production without adding resources, and transform customer service.
Automated Payments & Loyalty Cards
RFID tags can be integrated within payment systems to enable automated, frictionless payments and reward schemes - think of the likes of Nectar cards in Sainsburys. As well as this, payments for tolling charges can also be automated, and the likes of Oyster cards can be implemented for public transport networks (these systems are already being used by Transport for London). These systems can transform customer experiences - making previously uncaptured information both visible and actionable for businesses. That being said, these technologies are often best implemented through solutions partners that understand the scope of what's available, and can help you strategize around the more rewarding use-cases for your investment. If this is something you need help with, drop our team a message via info@miteq.co.uk .
More Intuitive Yard Management
Used in conjunction with the likes of Zebra Technologies' Yard Management solution, RFID tagging can automate workflows - capturing data on tracked assets and communicating it to central processing systems. This real-time information can help business leaders to identify shipping bottlenecks and quickly adjust delivery schedules to improve supply chain management. Furthering this, the act of digitising data-capture processes can provide you with access to historical data regarding the location and status of assets - eliminating the need for pen-and-paper written logs, and improving the overall security and reliability of information stored within the business.
I Want To Explore Solutions For My Transportation Business
The RFID use-cases explored within this article only scratch the surface of what is possible when it comes to modern technology in the transportation sector.
You can reach out to the MiTEQ team via the Contact Us section of our website. Here, we can work with you to discuss projects the MiTEQ team is currently working on within comparable business leaders, and explore the best ways for you to overcome operational challenges, or realise your operational vision.
We can manage all or some of the complete consultancy, deployment, maintenance and support process, and help you align your operations with the most cutting-edge RTLS and asset management solutions.