Warehouse Management Systems (RFID)

Asset Tracking

Often it’s beneficial to track the shipping container with RFID, if the container is a returnable or reusable asset. By using RFID tags on pallets, drums, racks and other shipping containers to track their movements and associate them with specific customer shipments, organizations build an accurate information foundation to recover more of their assets and manage them more efficiently. For example, leading U.K. retailer Marks & Spencer is tracking more than 4.5 million trays, roll cages, dollies and other returnable containers for its fresh produce logistics operations with RFID tags. Marks & Spencer uses LXE MX5 mobile handheld computers to read RFID tags on its logistics assets as they move in and out six distribution
centers.
By accurately tracking where assets are in the facility and in the supply chain, organizations can
improve planning, reduce buffers and increase utilization, which all add up to real cost savings.
Asset tracking benefits aren’t limited to logistics containers. Forklifts and other capital equipment, machines, tools, supplies and other assets can all be tracked and secured with RFID to improve visibility and availability, reduce losses and provide accurate information for asset management and other software applications. High-value assets and shipping containers are sometimes tracked with active RFID technology, because savings from loss or theft of these high-value items can offset the higher tag costs.