Paws Pump Sees Huge Benefits from RFID

Paws Pumps has a rental fleet of 20,000 pipe slings that they not only have to manage in terms of inventory, but also manage inspection/recertifications.  RFID offers significant improvement in process for managing both.  

The company also manages other companies sling inventory.  RFID allows them to streamline this service business with improved inspection scheduling, automatic emails, and other labor saving solutions.  This level of service is a big selling point with new customers and will generate significant new revenues for the company in 2010.   This outside the box solution has also got the company thinking about customers outside of their traditional pool of oilfield customers.  

The durable metal RFID tagging solution used by Paws Pumps comes from Holland 1916 Inc. a full service product identification company located in North Kansas City MO.

What Is Durable? How About a Metal RFID Tag That Can Withstand Fire?

 This RFID Tag was burned in the field during actual use.  Even after sustaining fire damage, the tag was readable.  Now, that is a durable design.

Remembering the Business Purpose Behind RFID

I am not a technology guy.  I am a business guy.  Therefore, I start with the perspective that RFID must have a business purpose.  If we choose RFID because we think the technology is cool, we are missing the point.  Technology for technologies sake is silly and wasteful.  RFID solutions should provide the user with information.  The wise businessperson leverages that information to increase business intelligence and performance.   Bill Arnold has a good article on that point.  To read it, see http://www.rfidsolutionsonline.com/.

Pipelines and RFID

Pipeline owners should consider implementing a rugged RFID solution on their pipelines.  Due to the requirements of 49 CFR Part 192 Pipeline Safety: Standards for Increasing the Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure for Gas Transmission Pipelines; Final Rule frequent inspections are required to ensure pipeline safety.  What better way than RFID to perform, improve and document those inspections?

RFID Makes It Possible for Users to Capture the Benefits of Mobile Applications

40 Reasons to Convert from Paper Processes to Mobile Applications on Smart Phones and Handheld Computers

This article describes the value that mobile software applications on handheld computers, Smart Phones and PDAs can provide businesses:

1. Eliminate time spent in the re-typing data collected in the field.
2. Reduce time spent on the phone dispatching service tickets, rather dispatch direct from your office computer to the mobile handheld computer in the field.
3. Send driving directions in the mobile work order to save driving time and fuel costs.
4. Save driving time by wirelessly synchronizing work orders with the office.
5. Reduce fuel costs by minimizing the need to drive back and forth to the office to deliver paper work.
6. Provide better customer service by accessing their account information via wireless connectivity on your handheld computer.
7. Improve the efficiency of field data collection by using barcode scanners or RFID readers for rapid asset tracking.
8. Improve the quality of work by providing real-time management visibility to work being done in the field.
9. Create and schedule service tickets direct from the field. Reduces the need for an administrative intermediary.
10. Immediate invoicing for faster collections and better cash management by synchronizing with the office accounting system or by using a mobile printer and credit card swipe machine on the handheld computer.
11. Proof of work – GPS audit trail of work with date and time stamp documents location and time of work. Reduces invoicing disputes.
12. Reduce introductions of human errors with automated business processes and systems integration. Move electronic data from the field to your database applications without human intervention.
13. Ensure complete data is sent from the field – incomplete data wastes time tracking down later.
14. Avoid handwriting and translation errors by pre-populating electronic form information.
15. Validate answers on mobile handheld PDA forms – to ensure data accuracy.
16. Take digital images to document work and avoid invoicing disputes.
17. Push data to the handheld and avoid time communicating information on the phone and writing on note pads.
18. GPS tracking for reduced travel time and lower fuel consumption.
19. Compute and analyze data on the handheld in the field – programmed analytics can help field users make quicker and better decisions.
20. Automated business processes – your mobile application can be configured to perform all kinds of automated business functions, queries, computations, analytics and many more time consuming features automatically based on data input or buttons pushed.
21. Enforce business processes for efficiency and best practices – mobile software solutions can be configured to ensure the field user follows the appropriate business processes.
22. Avoid lost data —capture data immediately and sync to headquarters.
23. Avoid undocumented inventory usage and unbilled time due to forgetfulness. Enforce real time data entry at point of work.
24. Require clock in and clock out at jobsites to document the accuracy of work/time estimates.
25. Train new service technicians and inspectors with audio memos or video clips.
26. Capture digital signature for proof-of-delivery and proof of work on handheld computers.
27. Query for available mobile inventory in nearby work vans to save travel time, inventory and fuel cost.
28. Use product and services information on handheld computers to up-sell.
29. Query latest shipping status and/or inventory levels via handheld computer while onsite with customer.
30. Automatically capture date and time stamps on your mobile handheld computer to document work and inspections times to limit liability and invoice disputes.
31. Use mobile technologies as a competitive advantage and show instant visibility to work, shipping status, schedules, inventory and account status.
32. Demonstrate to potential customers the competitive advantages of including GPS, time and date stamps, digital images, audio memos and more to document work and synchronize with the office using your handheld computer.
33. Download product warranty information to the handheld computer for review and presentation at the point of work.
34. Using rugged handhelds are often easier to carry around at job sites and are more durable than using laptops—lower ownership costs.
35. Mobile handheld computers with barcode scanners capture data quicker than typing on a laptop.
36. Combine your phone, GPS device, laptop, digital camera, paper forms and barcode scanner all on one mobile handheld device to save money, weight and support costs.
37. Combine job estimates, inspections, work orders, mobile inventory, time sheets all on one mobile application and one synchronization platform to mobilize and automate the entire business.
38. Scale your business by lowering administrative costs and the administrative work required to run the business.
39. Improve profits by analyzing real-time data collection on handhelds to understand the amount of time each task takes—so better scheduling and estimates can be implemented.
40. Push data to the handheld and avoid time communicating information on the phone

from http://mobile-data-solutions.blogspot.com/2009/10/38-reasons-to-convert-from-paper.html

RFID Implementation Secrets of Successful Companies

RFID implementation projects are similar to other implementation projects in that some companies are good at implementation projects while others are not.  What is the difference?  First, and most importantly,  its people, as we discussed in a previous post.  Second, successful companies set clear, measurable end goals and interim milestones.  Third, successful companies are disciplined in their processes.  Fourth, employees at successful companies hold one another accountable for their actions.    Occasionally, the technology choice may lead to an implementation failure, but more often than not, failure to execute on one or more of the four points above is the reason that dooms an implementation project.

The #1 Key to a Successful RFID Implementation

An initial caveat: this observation is anecdotal. 

The primary reason RFID implementation projects fail is due to a weak internal champion.  Please don’t waste your organization’s time with an RFID implementation until you have identified a strong internal champion.  At the outset, the internal champion does not need to be an RFID expert.  She can be trained on RFID.  There are lots of companies, including Holland 1916, that are willing to bring your champion up-to-speed on RFID.  The primary characteristic that is crucial for your champion to possess is she needs to be someone who makes things happen within your organization.  Your RFID implementation will touch lots of people within your organization.  It will not be a high priority for most of them.  Your champion must be able to convince these people to act in accordance with the implementation plan.    So, choose your champion carefully.  It is your most important implementation decision.

Why Aren’t RFID Solutions More Widely Adopted?

I think Mark Roberti has it right.  S ee http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/5257.  RFID salespeople are creating customer confusion by talking down competitive technology.  Confused potential customers tend to remain potential customers.

RFID: When and How to Address the Software Integration Question?

As an organization adopts an RFID system, the organization must answer the question: how do we maximize the advantages that RFID offers?  Many businesses immediately skip to the IT question of how to integrate the RFID software with existing ERP software.  I think such initial focus is misplaced.  The initial focus should be on how to adjust your business activities to gain a competitive advantage from the increased, more timely, more accurate information that RFID provides.  Almost certainly, if you perform your post-RFID operations, sales and service in the same way you did pre-RFID, you will not reap a competitive advantage.  Once you have this road map for the future, you are now ready to determine how your IT infrastructure should be modified to support your business operations.  After all IT exists to support your primary business activities, not the other way around.

RFID: What is is Worth?

What would it be worth to you to know who all of the owners of your product are?  What would it be worth to you to know how your customers are using your product?  What would it be worth to you to know the service and maintenance history of your product?  What would it be worth to you to hav e certainty that your inspection personnel were doing their job?  What would it be worth to you to have clear, unequivocal evidence that you maintained your products as required?  What would it be worth to know the location of all of your assets?  What would it be worth to you to increase the efficiency (and decrease the costs) of your inspectors? 

My guess:      A  lot!