Tag Placement, Storage & Testing for Optimal RFID Inventory Scans

Thorough testing provides the confidence that labels will scan successfully on products, in packaging, storage configuration & environment.

With a RFID reader, tagged items & the Simple RFID app, you will be able to perform testing to determine the best way to store, tag & scan your inventory.

GETTING STARTED

See worksheet 1 & worksheet 2 below to record your items, packaging & testing processes. Read through the following information & print out the worksheets to begin.

STAGING INVENTORY FOR TESTING

Determine how many item types you wish to test. The goal is to test every "type" of item to ensure that you have a good idea of how tags will perform on all items.
Select a sample of each item type

TAG PLACEMENT

Next you will need to determine the best place to affix the labels or tags to your items. If the item has an existing hang-tag this may be ideal.

Tag Placement to Avoid

Avoid the bottom of the item (especially if it is being stored on metal shelves)
Avoid placing stickers on material where the tags can easily fall off (such as applying stickers to fabric)
Avoid placing stickers on areas that the stickers do not fit
Avoid bending or closing the stickers over on top of themselves as this can damage the inlay. Curving the label around an object is usually ok.

Challenging Materials & Tagging Solutions

Placing labels on metals or liquids can block the RF signal; this includes plastic with aluminum paint, clothing with sequins & mylar bags. For these hard-to-scan materials, there are a few options that allow the signal to be read without interference by creating space between the inlay & item:

On-Metal Tags are printed with an on-metal printer & can be applied directly to metals & liquids
Hang Tags which create space between the inlay & the item so they can be read successfully
Flag Tags which have an adhesive portion of the label that sticks to the item while the RF inlay portion sits away from the surface.

There are items which seem as though they will read successfully but do not. If you have any questions about how an item will perform, please test it.

⇒ Now that your sample items are tagged, count how many total items of each type (record on the worksheets below) so that you can validate scanning accuracy during testing.

STAGING Q & A

STORAGE & DENSITY

Q: When the items are grouped & placed in their final storage location, can I scan them all successfully?

A: Product density can impact the ease of scanning & accuracy of results. If you are having trouble scanning dense inventory, test the various "Scan Sessions" located to the left of the power slider on the scan screen. Use Session 2 or 3 to see if you can scan all of your tags.

Q: What are Sessions?

A: There are four Session options (0-3). Sessions change the amount of time a tag will be put to “sleep” & silenced so that other tags in the area may be read without interference. The higher the session, the longer the amount of time (up to one minute) the tag is asleep before it can be read again. This function helps when scanning products that are packed or staged in dense configurations & when it is difficult to scan all of the tags.

ENVIRONMENT

Q: Do the labels read in all places where the tags need to be scanned?

A: Heat, cold, moisture, etc., can impact read success.

DISTANCE

Q: How far can I be away from items to scan them successfully?

A: If you have trouble reading at the distance your operation requires, you will want to use a long-range label with more sensitivity & read range.

Testing Density & Distance Scanning

Read range distance - How close do you need to be to the product to get it to read?
How many items are being stored together? Based on density, how long does it take to read items?
What Scan Modes are you using? Speed or density?

Worksheets for Testing Items

Use worksheet 1 to identify which items you will be testing along with the packaging or tag placement involved.
Use worksheet 2 to test these items in different densities & distances to determine how you will want to perform scans & audits moving forward.

Worksheet 1

Download Printer-Friendly Version Here

Worksheet 2

Download Printer-Friendly Version Here Item testing - chart 2 (2)

Success Validation Model

IDENTIFY: What is the problem you are solving?
TEST/RECORD: Identify current accuracy/speed/challenges/distance
ANALYZE: What are the root causes for this?
IMPLEMENT: Different labels/placement, slower scanning, different scan settings, etc..
TEST/RECORD: What is my accuracy now?

Up next: Tagging Existing Items