RFID solution lowers the cost of entry

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 3/1/2006

With so many tepidly testing the RFID waters, one solution provider is aiming to reduce the cost of the technology's implementation.

Approaching the problem of installing multiple RFID readers throughout the warehouse, Vue Technology, Inc. offers a software and hardware alternative that attempts to make a massive implementation less costly.

Recognizing the need for optimal visibility in the warehouse following an RFID rollout but aware of the inherent costs, Vue developed an intermediary system that diminishes the number of RFID readers traditionally needed for robust inventory visibility.

"Today, readers are physically attached to two to four antennas," explains Tim Von Kaenel, senior vice president of product marketing and business development. "Our networking devices decouple the two and route hundreds of antennas to a single reader."

To accomplish this, Vue installs a device, which is integrated with software that collects RFID data from each antenna and filters it to the reader.

From the reader, the information is sent wirelessly to a company's warehouse management system for processing, Von Kaenel says. "Readers pose a major cost for any warehouse operation," he says. "We can drastically reduce reader costs, making a large RFID investment less daunting."