Smart warehouse automation milestone in increasing the efficiency and profitability of each production. The modern market is tough and aggressive environment where the accuracy and speed of goods movement control play a huge role both in the operation of the warehouse and in the activities of the enterprise as a whole. Most companies today use RFID technology as an alternative to barcodes.

RFID technology is the most relevant among solutions for automating warehouses and logistics processes. The advantages of introducing RFID in warehouse logistics are obvious: the technology allows you to control all the main processes, increases their reliability, speeds up the execution time, and also reduces the percentage of errors and inaccuracies in work that occur under the influence of the human factor. It is in the field of warehouse logistics that the introduction of RFID will make it possible to evaluate all the economic and strategic advantages of this technology.

Today, RFID technology is the most promising identification technology that allows you to fully control and improve logistics processes in a warehouse. However, the introduction of this technology in Russia in warehouse logistics is extremely slow. There are enough reasons for this, for example, the incorrect organization of the work of the structure, the fear of the need to rebuild the system of work that has developed over the years or the economic inefficiency of implementation, the lack of complete and reliable information about technological features RFID, etc.

RFID solutions in warehouse and logistics

The most important advantage of RFID in relation to the long-existing and entrenched bar coding technology due to its availability is the possibility of contactless identification. a large number marks per second (more than 50 pcs.), despite the fact that the reading range can reach 12 meters. Also, the technology makes it possible to quickly control all the processes of transportation and accounting of goods. (Fig. 1).

Thanks to the use of contactless identification systems, a huge amount of previously inaccessible information about the movement of marked objects is automatically collected, whether it be a global supply chain or the movement of goods in a warehouse. There is openness and transparency of logistics processes occurring at the enterprise. The time for obtaining information about the movement of objects is significantly reduced and its reliability and reliability are increased. There are many solutions in the field of RFID implementation in warehouse logistics, for example:

1. The ability to track the movement of marked objects within an area or throughout the entire supply chain. An example is the marking of the returnable container of an enterprise, the consumption and return of which is automatically taken into account, and the fact of passing each technological stage a specific object is displayed in the database or in the label itself attached to the object.
2. Ability to remotely monitor the status of the cargo. If the company is engaged in the supply or transportation of goods for which it is important to comply with certain standards, such as temperature regime, then one of the solutions offered by RFID technology can be the installation of an RFID sensor / tag, which will allow you to record the temperature and receive data in real time. This allows you to control the safety of goods. An example of such a solution can be a branch of the DHL delivery service called “thermonet”. They offer a solution for the temperature control of the transported cargo in real time ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YZC_6aBP_Y).
3. The use of RFID technology in the automatic registration of transport of a logistics company. (Fig. 3). This solution will reduce the load on the checkpoint, reduce the time of registration of vehicles, automate the identification of the driver and invoices assigned to him. By marking the car with an RFID tag, you can assign a driver, invoice numbers indicating the goods being transported, the time of registration of entry and exit of the car to the warehouse, as well as any other information. Automatic identification of vehicles is carried out at checkpoints. Control points can be entrances/exits from the territory of the warehouse, goods acceptance/shipment areas, warehouse parking area, etc. The minimum equipment that a test point should be equipped with is a long-range antenna, a fixed reader, and software for automation and processing of data falling into the reading zone.
4. Possibility of implementing an access control system. Access control systems are an essential component for ensuring the security of a large warehouse and its individual areas, access to which for employees should be limited due to highly specialized production or storage of critical goods. Access to such objects can be provided for specialists of a certain level of training or for responsible persons. The access control system can provide maximum protection of the object from unauthorized entry.

Despite the undeniable advantage and innovative solutions that RFID offers, the cost-effectiveness of the technology remains in question, which is one of the main obstacles to its implementation in warehouse logistics. A significant reduction in the cost of implementing an RFID system will be observed when marking products with RFID tags at the production stage. This process The development of RFID technology can be compared with the history of the development of bar coding. On average, the payback period of an RFID accounting system in warehouse logistics is determined by many parameters, in particular, such as: the goals of technology implementation, the quality of implementation, the scale of the project, the cost of equipment and maintenance.

The basis of economic efficiency in the implementation of RFID in warehouse logistics are such factors as increasing the speed of obtaining and processing information at all controlled points, increasing labor productivity, reducing costs and minimizing losses at all stages of logistics processes, increasing customer loyalty, ensuring control over the management of processes occurring at warehouse, reducing personnel costs.

In addition to saving time on accounting operations and improving the accuracy of the data obtained, as well as the ability to introduce new solutions into logistics processes, the introduction of an RFID system also provides indirect benefits. Thanks to the openness, accessibility and transparency of information about ongoing processes in the warehouse, you can realistically assess the actual losses and costs, get new important information about your own enterprise, identify weaknesses and correctly influence precisely those areas of work that really need attention and correction. And, of course, the best way to benefit from new technologies is to reflect on the appropriateness of their use, in consultation with experts in the field.

One of Russian companies IDlogic has implemented many solutions in various industries, including the warehouse. It was in the warehouse and logistics that the technology showed all its undeniable advantages over bar coding technology and showed its best side.

RFID technology is very effective in many industries and areas of activity, including in the warehouse. The use of RFID gives the warehouse many times more options than using conventional barcodes. The main advantages of this technology include the following:

• simultaneous reading of a large number of labels,
• the ability to record several times more information on one label than on one barcode,
• the ability to rewrite information when using reusable RFID labels,
• the lifetime of one tag is more than 100,000 readings,
• reading tags does not require them to be in the direct field of view of the RFID reader (that is, the RFID tag can be located, for example, in a box).

"Smart Warehouse" is a comprehensive solution that allows you to automate warehouse processes and bring the warehouse to a high level of productivity. Among its main tasks are the following:

• accounting and management of the movement of goods based not only on barcodes, but also on RFID technology,
• RFID rack that allows automatic control over the correct placement and removal of pallets,
• instant identification of a large volume of goods in different areas of control,
• automatically filling in the necessary documentation when moving goods and issuing tasks to warehouse personnel after the goods pass through control points or the boundaries of certain zones,
• embedding barcode and RFID equipment in 1C and other WMS and ERP quickly and without using the services of expensive specialists,
• reduction of personnel costs and reduction of losses,
• reduction of personnel errors caused by the human factor due to process automation.

Thus, the introduction of "Smart Warehouse" in the warehouse of an enterprise of any direction will increase the turnover of the warehouse and will increase the efficiency of the use of warehouse space by increasing the speed of warehouse operations by 50-70 times.

The benefits of using Smart Warehouse exist not only for the owner of the enterprise, but also for his customers. Among the main advantages of using this comprehensive solution for customers are the following:

• increasing the speed of service,
• improving the accuracy of assembly and delivery of orders.

It is worth noting the security provided by the use of RFID technology. After all, they allow not only to automate warehouse processes, but also to protect the information system of the enterprise warehouse. So, for example, the anti-theft function of RFID tags can be used not only in retail outlets, but also in warehouses.

By purchasing the Smart Warehouse software, the head of an enterprise that has a warehouse incurs only temporary cash costs. He will be able to feel the payback of this complex solution in a short period of time. And the manager of the enterprise and warehouse workers will be able to appreciate the convenience immediately after the start of using this system of "smart" control and management.

RFID system for automation warehouse processes

How to effectively control all warehouse processes, eliminating the human factor?

How to achieve order in the warehouse? Confusion in names, quantities and locations leads to confusion and regrading, loss of goods and incorrect inventory planning. As a result, the company incurs losses.

To prevent this from happening, you need to control all the processes and events that occur in the warehouse. It is necessary to monitor the shipment and receipt of goods, security, the correct registration of goods according to the invoice - and dozens of other operations. But how to automate warehouse processes and eliminate the human factor?

Use the RFID system for automating warehouse processes, developed by ITProject,based on a ready-made universal solution.

Advantages RFID systems?

System Capabilities

With RFID - system you can:

full control of warehouse processes: everything from the receipt to the shipment of goods will now be under constant automatic control.

track the movement of goods or pallets : using the RFID gate, you can track which goods or pallets are taken out of the warehouse or moved to another location.

promptly inventory : due to the high speed of reading tags, inventory can be carried out at least every day.

carry out address storage : Each cell where goods are stored is affixed with an RFID tag, which contains all the information about the objects inside, so that you can determine the location of the cell and its contents at any time.

return goods on time : If any product has an expiration date, you will immediately know about it and can return it.

pick orders efficiently : you will see how many units of the product are in the lot: this will help you avoid shortages or surpluses.

quickly find a specific object : the location of any product can now be tracked instantly.

How and where to apply RFID system ?

On objects of any size and orientation, where access control or statistics collection is required:

at enterprises: for automation of warehouse processes

in logistics centers: for example, to account for transported goods

Completed projects:

Economic efficiency from the introduction of the RFID system

Why choose RFID technology to replace barcoding?

Barcodes are cheaper than RFID tags, but they often tear, get dirty, and cannot be rewritten. The speed of warehouse operations is not high enough.

RFID technology is much more reliable. It is based on RFID, so RFID tags can be read automatically from a long distance (up to 5 -7 meters) up to 200 pcs. at the same time, excluding the human factor. RFID tags cannot be counterfeited, they are not afraid of damage and exposure to heat and light. You can also add a barcode to the RFID tag.

RFID System Features

	Use of ultra-high UFH frequency It is at this frequency that an ideal reading of an object at a distance of 1.5 to 5 meters is achieved. With the help of a mobile reader, one person can easily take inventory of goods that lie even on the highest shelves, without extra effort and fixtures. Also, the peculiarity of this frequency is that it does not interfere with the use of any other devices.
	Using the "ITProject RFID Server" platform + client and server modules A convenient boxed solution from ITProject allows you to use any stationary and mobile RFID readers (even different manufacturers) and solve a wide range of tasks related to the use of RFID technology to optimize all warehouse processes.
Easy integration with various systems accounting Integration with various customer accounting systems (at the database level, or using the library API): 1C, SAP, Microsoft Navision, etc.

RFID system for automation of warehouse processes

How to control effectively all warehouse processes, eliminating the human factor?

How to achieve the order in stock? Confusion in the names, quantity and location leads to confusion and resorting loss of goods and improper planning of stocks. As a result, the company is losing money.

To prevent this you need to control all the processes and events that happen in the warehouse. You need to control shipping and receiving of goods, security, correctness goods processing in the bill of lading — and more for dozens of operations. How to automate all warehouse processes, eliminate the human factor?

The goods are marked by special RFID tags, which you can then read at the distance from 1.5 up to 5 meters with RFID-readers (hand-held or fixed). All information is sent to the data accounting system and can be checked at any time.

What benefits brings the usage of RFID system?

The System Capabilities

Using the RFID-system enables:

to control the warehouse processes in full: everything from receipt and to shipment of goods will now be under constant automatic control.

to track the movement of goods or pallets: using the RFID gate you will be able to track goods or pallets exported from a warehouse or moved to another location.

to perform inventory quickly: thanks to the high speed of reading tags inventory can be performed every day.

to implement address storage: for each cell that contains product RFID-label is fixed, which records all information about objects inside, so that at any time you can determine the location of the cell and its contents.

to return items on time: if a product will expire on the expiration date you will know it and will return it.

to complete effectively orders: you will see how many units of the item is in the lot: this will avoid shortages or surpluses.

to find quickly a particular item: now you can track the location of each product immediately.

How and where to apply RFID system?

in enterprises: to automate warehouse processes

logistics centers: for example, to account for the transported goods

Completed RIFD projects:

Cost-effectiveness of the implementation of RFID Systems in your business

Why should you choose RFID technology for the replacement of bar-coding?

Bar-codes are cheaper than RFID tags, but they often break, polluted and they also cannot recapture information. Speed ​​of inventory transactions is not high.

RFID technology is much more reliable. It is based on radio frequency identification therefore RFID tags can be read automatically from a distance (up to 5-7 meters) up to 200 pcs at the same time, eliminating the human factor. RFID tags cannot be forged, they are not afraid of damage and exposure to heat and light. Also you can optionally record the bar-code on the RFID-tag.

RFID System Features

	Use of Ultra-High Frequency (UFH) On this frequency the perfect reading of the object at a distance of from 1.5 to 5 meters is achieved. Using a mobile reader one person can easily carry out inventory of goods, which lie even on the highest shelves without superfluous efforts and devices. One more feature of this frequency is that it does not interfere with any other devices.
	Use of "ITProject RFID Server" platform + server and client modules Convenient box solution from the company "ITProject" allows you to use any fixed and mobile RFID reader (they may have even different manufacturers) and solve a wide range of tasks associated with the use of RFID technology to optimize all warehouse processes.
Simple Integration with Different Accounting Systems Integration with different customer’s accounting systems (at the DB level or using the API library): 1С, SAP, Microsoft Navision etc.

Do you hesitate to order because you think the system is too complicated to use? Are you afraid that the staff would have a long time to understand and get used to the new work scheme? Throw a doubt! Our workers are always ready to help you at the first stage of the installation and implementation of the system, as well as to carry out the warranty service.

Want to get an extra year of warranty service? In a conversation with our managers do not forget to mention that you have learned about RFID-system on our website.

Tracking the movement of objects through workshops or warehouses is a rather urgent task. To track the movement of objects across the territory, we recommend the use of UHF tags. To account for movement, you can use both one label and a group of labels. At the same time, another approach is also possible, when a group of goods can be identified by a single label.

ISBC RFID equipment has wide opportunities by placement, both hidden and open: in the arch, in the aisle, at the gate, under the false ceiling or under the raised floor. Our specialists will help you determine the optimal layout to ensure the best performance and quality of reading tags. At the same time, we will help to solve the issue of integration into the information system, which can be carried out both by our forces and by the IT employees of your company (). If necessary, we will definitely hold a training seminar in which we will tell you in detail about RFID technology and our equipment.

An example of the use of RFID equipment and tags for identifying car tires

An example of the use of RFID equipment and RFID tags for the control of returnable containers

An example of cargo tracking by production workshops

Sample application of RFID in dough production (vacuum packaging identification)

Challenges and benefits of using RFID technologies in warehouses

• Organization of effective accounting of Inventory assets.
• Control over the movement of products in the warehouse.
• Significant reduction in staff errors when picking orders.
• Reduction of personnel and other costs for warehouse maintenance.

RFID-equipment that is suitable for use in your enterprise

To automate warehouse accounting and logistics, you can choose RFID readers and RFID tags of almost any configuration that will the best way fit the specifics of your company. On the page you can get acquainted with and which operate in the UHF frequency range.

When choosing readers, pay attention to the "Type of execution":

• to terminals or automatic systems,

Similarly, you should pay attention to the "Type of execution" of RFID tags, they can be:

• , which are conveniently mounted on pallets or attracted to accounting objects with plastic clamps,
• or .

Transition from Barcoding to RFID

Currently, most enterprises and, in particular, warehouses, have introduced a product accounting system based on Barcodes. To make it easier to understand the possibilities of using RFID, it is worth treating this technology as an analogue of a barcode, however, it does not have the disadvantages of barcode-based systems, but, in addition, it has a number of advantages. We list some of them:

• high wear resistance
• high reliability,
• the ability to write additional information to the label,
• the ability to read data at considerable distances (for example, a stationary RFID reader paired with a highly directional antenna is able to read information from a passive tag from a distance of up to 20 meters),
• there is no need for direct visibility of the label, it can even be embedded inside the object,
• the ability to simultaneously scan several tags at once (for example, a stationary RFID reader can simultaneously process up to 150 tags per second), so you can significantly reduce the time for receiving and shipping goods.

Warehouse application examples

A brief description of the use of readers for solving warehouse management tasks can be downloaded in .pdf files from the links below:

1. Handheld RFID reader for inventory and product accounting. General information about the device and application (link)
2. Long range RFID readers Automation, inventory, monitoring, control. General information about the device and application (link)

The antennas are aligned and tuned to achieve maximum "readability" and performance inside and minimum outside. The equipment allows you to evaluate the signal level and set up filtering of tags by numbering (or by belonging to a particular product class).

The traditional and cheapest automatic identification technology used in warehouse automation and logistics tasks is bar coding. First of all, it is the cheapness of barcode labels that determines the high popularity of this technology, which continues to this day. However, many analysts predict that barcoding will eventually be superseded by radio frequency identification (RFID). Let's try to figure out what is the attractiveness of this technology for warehousing, why does it make sense to migrate to solutions?

Warehousing is divided into three stages: acceptance of goods, storage of goods, Shipment of goods. Consider the pros and cons of two competing technologies for automatic identification at each stage.

1. Acceptance of goods.

The most common type of radio tags for warehouse automation today is smart labels, which are self-adhesive labels that can be printed on, but also contain RFID tag electronics. In terms of marking speed with the help of a printer-applicator, they practically do not differ from barcode technology. At this stage, RFID and barcode maintain parity.

As soon as the goods arrive at the warehouse, already labeled according to one of the two technologies, the differences appear quite clearly. The most important advantage of RFID over its competitor is that this technology does not require direct line of sight between the reader and the RFID tag, and in addition, the reader is able to identify multiple tags at the same time. Let's say the goods were not delivered to the warehouse and you need to draw up a commercial act on the shortage. If barcode marking is used, a complete inventory of goods on pallets would require a manual or semi-automatic count of the missing pieces of cargo. This means that the pallet must be disassembled, the barcode of each box must be scanned. That is, such a procedure can be quite lengthy.

RFID has an undeniable advantage in this regard, since all goods on a pallet can be identified in one go within a few seconds from a distance of two to three meters. All “responded” tags on the product will be counted, and the corresponding product will be included in the inventory.

Thus, when receiving goods, RFID is either comparable to barcoding or has an overwhelming advantage.

2. Warehouse inventory and stock tracking.

If no markings are used, inventory in the warehouse can become a very long and painstaking task, requiring more than one day of monotonous work, the concentration of attention from responsible warehouse employees and accurate record keeping. Moreover, the use of a portable PC will not greatly facilitate this work.

When barcode marking is used, and a radio terminal with a built-in scanner is used for reading, inventory will be faster, but only if the goods are NOT stored on a rack in several rows. Then you have to remove the cargo from the rack, look for a barcode ... The only plus of a barcode in this regard is that you can keep records automatically, making a minimum of errors.

Finally, if the product is already marked with RFID tags, then, in most cases, there is no need to remove it from the shelves, turn the boxes so that the smart label on the package is visible. A portable RFID reader is able to read the tag from a distance of up to 3.5 meters, even "through" the packaging cardboard and its contents. There are, of course, their limitations, but even with them, RFID is gaining leadership in this category. If we also take into account that the most successful models of hand-held terminals with an RFID reader module also contain a barcode scanner (it can be used if the tag suddenly fails due to accidental damage, because smart labels are usually printed in the form of a barcode information duplicating the one recorded in the memory of the tag). Therefore, inventory with RFID is disproportionately faster than with competing technologies.

2. Control of the shipment of goods.

If the goods are shipped in large quantities, but nevertheless, it is necessary to keep a record of each box of products loaded on a pallet, RFID technology again makes it possible to make accounting simple, fast and accurate. For this, so-called portal reading systems are used. Such RFID portals are a reader with several antennas connected to it, placed along the perimeter of the warehouse gate or mounted on a U-shaped truss.

Such a system can read all the tags from the packages of the goods that the forklift is carrying on pallets at a speed of 60-150 tags per second. At the same time, the warehouse management system can automatically determine that a shipment is taking place and generate for the client, according to the list of read marks, documentation for the batch of purchased goods.

It should be noted that RFID has its drawbacks and limitations. Here are the two main ones:

• The price of even the cheapest radio tag is several times more than a barcode label. If the product being marked is comparable in price to the price of marking, the introduction of RFID in the process is a questionable solution in terms of usefulness.
• There are materials that are "opaque" to radio waves. The most important example is metal objects. If there are metal objects in the shipping box, if you need to tag massive metal objects, the benefits of RFID are much more difficult to use. There are radio tags that can work on metal, but they are usually expensive and bulky.

However, for a large warehousing business that does not fall under these two constraints, the efficiency gains and cost savings can be very large and outweigh the costs of RFID tags and equipment. In addition, the metal interferes significantly only if metal constructions block the "field of view" of the reader antenna to a large extent. If line-of-sight is possible, one of the main advantages of RFID remains in effect - the ability to read many tags at a time.