Bringing RFID to life [Page 2]

-- Logistics Management, 4/1/2006

Page 2 of 2 -- Labs can even test packages that are in motion—while they are being transported on conveyor belts, for example. By testing RFID readers while the boxes move by at varying speeds, researchers can pinpoint which label placements and conveyor speeds yield the best reading results.

Buyer Beware

But shippers need to be aware that simulations can take them only so far before they have to test RFID in the "real world," where Murphy's Law can quickly take over. "You can't ever reproduce all of the anomalies that you'll find in the real world," warns Myers, who points out that on-site pilot testing can produce even more precise results.

Another potential problem, says Ashton, lies with the very organizations that run the labs. While universities, industry organizations, and other third parties tend to be impartial and objective, the RFID equipment vendors themselves may have an agenda: namely, to sell their products to shippers that are eager to equip their operations with RFID technology.

"Equipment or middleware manufacturers know that it's in their best interest to open a lab with their equipment, which—surprise, surprise—will always work best on the shipper's package," opines Mark Brown, project manager, systems and services, for Memphis-based ASURYS. A subsidiary of International Paper, ASURYS offers RFID implementation and engineering services.

Vendor-based testing, though, may be most appropriate and effective for shippers that already know which products they want to use, while companies that want to evaluate multiple vendors' products would do best to look for impartial labs. "Look for an objective, expert lab that doesn't have a stake in any particular solution, not for one whose agenda is to invest a lot of money and create a lab that always gives users the answers they want to hear," advises Ashton.

High Growth—For Now

Developing trends will ensure that demand for RFID testing services will increase over the new few years. For one thing, the eventual approval of the new EPC Generation 2 set of standards will move the technology from being proprietary in nature to more 'open' systems, says Ohio University's Myers. When that happens, it will help RFID technology become more mainstream and commercialized.

Mickle believes that demand for lab testing services will continue to grow as organizations like Wal-Mart and the U.S. Department of Defense impose RFID mandates on their vendors. "To what extent these labs grow depends on overtures coming out of these large organizations," he says. "If they really stick to their guns and require these changes, then there will still be a lot of work that needs to be done."

And where there's work to be done, there will be a lab to help fill the gap—at least for now, says Sommer. "In the immediate future, these labs will be kept very busy as the need for RFID testing grows and as the adoption curve for RFID accelerates," he says. "Looking out five to ten years, however, I believe many of these labs may start to disappear as the technology becomes easier to implement."

RFID Testing Labs
Listed below are some of the RFID testing laboratories currently in operation, grouped by the type of organization that runs them.

Academic Labs	Locations
CalPoly University	CA
Oakton Community College	IL
RFID Systems Integration Lab (MIT)	MA
Technical University of Darmstadt	Germany
University of Arkansas	AR
University of Houston	TX
University of Kansas	KS
University of St. Gallen	Switzerland
University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI
Villanova University	PA
Western Michigan University	MI
Consultant/Private Labs
Accenture	IL
Appleton	WI
ASURYS (International Paper)	TN
BearingPoint	TX, VA
Kimberly-Clark	WI
ODIN Technologies	VA
Pacific RFID Performance Solutions Center	Taiwan
RFID Alliance Lab	KS
RFID Centre UK	United Kingdom
Consultant/Private Labs	Locations
RFID Global Solution	AR
RFID Lab Finland	Finland
RFID Solutions Center	OH
RFID Test Lab	Germany
Venture Research	TX
Verisign	CA, TX
Xterprise Inc. RFID Test Centre	TX, Europe
Vendor Labs
GenuOne Inc.	MA
HP	NE, Japan
IBM	TX, France, Japan
IdentiTRAK Technologies	TN
Manhattan Associates	GA, France, Germany, United Kingdom
Paxar	OH
PEAK Technologies	MD
RedPrairie Corporation	WI
Rockwell Automation	WI
Smurfit-Stone	IL
SUN	TX
Texas Instruments	TX
Source: CompTIA, Logistics Management

Author Information

Contributing Editor Bridget McCrea frequently covers logistics and supply chain technologies.

Shortage of RFID Technicians Looms

Manufacturers are busy making RFID products, testing labs stand at the ready to see how well they work, and shippers are eager to use them. But they all could be thwarted by a shortage of skilled engineers, technologists, and technicians, says Dave Sommer, vice president of electronic commerce for CompTIA, a computer industry association.

The main problem is that installing and maintaining RFID applications requires specialized expertise in radio frequency technology. "It's knowledge that's not typically found in most IT departments today," says Sommer. With an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 companies currently under some sort of mandate to implement RFID within five years, a knowledge shortfall could undermine the adoption of this developing technology.

To help companies acquire the knowledge they need, CompTIA recently introduced its "RFID Plus" certification, which covers installation, configuration, and maintenance of RFID hardware and software.

Other options include educational offerings from OTA Training, a vendor-neutral training firm (www.otatraining.com); ASURYS, an RFID systems integrator (www.ASURYS.com); RFID 4U, a division of eSmart Source that provides vendor-neutral training (www.rfid4u.com); and American RFID Solutions, a provider of RFID training and tools (www.americanrfidsolutions.com). College-based programs are offered at such institutions as Indiana University, Ohio University, and Purdue University, to name a few.

Kevin Ashton, vice president of marketing at RFID equipment manufacturer ThingMagic, says that RFID isn't something that can be learned overnight, nor should it be taken lightly. "RFID is definitely one of those areas where a little knowledge is a dangerous thing," he warns. "While it's fine to have a top-level understanding of the system, you can get into trouble by taking a weeklong RFID course and assuming that you understand as much about it as someone who's been doing it for ten years."

The dearth of experienced RFID techs won't ease anytime soon, says Mischa Reis, director of marketing, RFID and security products, for Avery Dennison Retail Information Services in Westlake Village, Calif. He advises shippers to attend conferences, seminars, and training academies as a way to improve their own teams' RFID skills.

"Talk to companies that have done similar implementations or that have faced similar challenges with their own customers," says Reis. "Invite a couple of vendors for a discussion, and talk about your specific business problems. Ask them how RFID can help solve those issues, and you'll wind up getting educated on RFID in the process."

Mark Brown, project manager, systems and services, for systems integrator ASURYS, cautions shippers not to rely solely on "self-study" manuals or courses, and to instead seek out hands-on RFID education opportunities. Outside of CompTIA's latest offering, though, very few are currently available.

"Training alone is not going to be the answer anyway, as some of it just takes hands-on experience," says Brown. "Gaining core knowledge from a book or classroom experience is good, but learning by actually getting your hands on the equipment and using it is worth its weight in gold."

Previous 1 2