Asset tracking in distribution centers, terminal yards, seaport yards and laydown yards – both civilian and military – is a challenging proposition.
Yards are often quite large, and materials and containers are moved frequently. Likewise, there is significant room for human error when dealing with large quantities of materials that must be tracked by pick-up location, time or date.
Fortunately, there is a solution: a modern yard management or warehouse management system (WMS) paired with Vizinex RFID technology. Such a solution automates a significant amount of tasks associated with the location and movement of large assets – slashing time spent searching for materials, reducing waste and loss, and creating money-saving efficiencies from Day 1.
Why Use RFID for Yard Management?
By deploying Vizinex RFID technology, civilian and military yard managers can achieve real-time visibility into the location, entrance, exit and intra-yard movement of every valuable asset for which they are responsible. A professionally deployed RFID system can:
- Increase labor productivity by providing material handling personnel with instant, accurate directions for pickup or movement
- Essentially eliminate “lost” loads and containers
- Ensure staff focus on core competencies
- Cut wait time at workstations by ensuring that materials arrive in a timely fashion
- Improve capital utilization and increase productivity from loading docks and other brick-and-mortar investments
- Allow for more precise scheduling and minimize non-value-added staff downtime
- Reduce the need for routine inventory cycle counts and audits by identifying potential discrepancies well before they impact the bottom line
Vizinex RFID technology is particularly well-suited to use in yard management applications. All of our tags – both off-the-shelf and custom-built – are rugged enough for long-term use in nearly any environment, and we specialize in matching the right RFID tag to the right application. Regardless of your specifications, we can help you deploy an RFID-enabled yard management system that saves you time, money and hassle.
How does RFID-Enabled Yard Management Work?
Every Vizinex RFID yard management system is different, but the concept is typically the same. Assets are affixed with passive RFID tags, which contain critical information (identification, contents, origin, shipping history, etc.). This information is accessed by RFID readers at various points, depending on the facility’s particular needs; this can include entrance/exit, during intra-yard transit and at rest. The data is then processed by a software application, and is used in accordance with business rules and custom workflows.
Such a system provides management and staff with up-to-the-second information on asset location, history and movement, which can be utilized both in day-to-day activities (such as retrieving a particular asset) and long-term planning (like providing incentives for staffers who consistently meet performance and timing objectives).
Considering RFID for yard management? Contact Vizinex RFID today.