Have you ever wondered whether others in your field see things the same way you do? I have, and recently I was able to find out what's on everyone's minds when it comes to automatic data capture (ADC).

A study of ADC users' current practices and plans for the future was conducted at the Frontline Solutions Expo, held November 13-15, 2001 in Chicago. The study, which was sponsored by AIM, the Frontline Solutions Expo and Axiom ImageCare, a strategic marketing firm, was designed to help technology suppliers better meet the needs of the people who use ADC-based systems. The Frontline Solutions Expo was an appropriate place to conduct the survey, since that show focuses on technologies that capture, track, transfer and use information.

When asked to identify the important trends that are driving the use of ADC-related technology today, about 50% of respondents said they believed that systems integration and implementing various forms of automation were important. Between 30% and 40% named supply chain management and asset tracking as important trends. Between 40% and 60% of those surveyed said they believed the driving issues in ADC were reducing costs and controlling inventory.

Another question asked how they were using ADC now and where they intended to apply it in the future. Current applications included factory data collection, warehouse systems, tracking assets, tracking people and linking products to jobs. It is interesting to note that around 20% of the people said they already were using ADC in the first three applications and fewer than 10% were using it to track people and link products to jobs. When asked about their plans for the future, however, 20% – more than double the current number – said they planned to use it for tracking people and linking products to jobs.

Just over 35% said that they had an immediate need for bar coding equipment and about 30% said they had an immediate need for radio frequency identification (RFID) equipment. When asked about their needs over the next one to three years, the number of respondents who said they would need to purchase bar coding equipment dropped to 15%. The number who said they would be interested in acquiring RFID equipment during that period was about 25%.

The survey also asked respondents about their future plans. A little more than 40% said they needed to explore their options. About 25% said they needed to do more development and another 20% said they had to do more planning. All of this planning and exploration will require information. Not surprisingly then, 55% said that they would review information gathered at the show, but more than 40% said they would also visit exhibitors' Web sites to obtain information.

Finally, the survey asked respondents how the tragedies of September 11 had affected their business activities. Although only 35% said it was "business as usual," 20% said projects had been put on hold and about 12% said purchases have been delayed. As a result of those changes, 35% felt their need for information would increase, and about the same number felt they would need to do more planning. By the way, 65% of the respondents said they believed that the economy would bounce back in a year or less.