Think Strategically, But Act Tactically

Just as businesses were once encouraged to think globally but act locally, they can think strategically but act tactically. That is, a company can plan an RFID solution that will provide an enterprise-wide platform for tracking many assets—tools, parts, parts bins, reusable containers, vehicles and so forth—but build that infrastructure one piece at a time. Start with applications that can deliver a quick return on investment (ROI), and then use the money saved to expand to another application that will also provide a return.

This approach minimizes risk, since less money is invested in each individual project, and each project becomes more manageable. The big challenge is having a clear vision of what the infrastructure platform will be, thereby ensuring that you have adopted the same technology for every project, and that you've created a data-integration strategy that will allow each new project to mesh with the previous ones, creating a cohesive whole.

Additionally, I think that companies also need to think about how other technologies will mesh with their RFID systems. If you decide to use 2D bar codes, GPS or other technologies to better track your assets, will that data integrate with your existing bar-code data systems and a new RFID solution?

Thinking strategically and acting tactically means companies should wind up, in three or four years, with an RFID platform enabling them to boost productivity, improve asset utilization, reduce capital expenditures on new assets, and collect more—and better—data, thereby enabling them to operate much more efficiently. So when the economy begins growing again, they can grow quickly without adding a lot of new personnel or outside service providers—all of which leads to greater profitability.

Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below. To read more of Mark's opinions, visit the RFID Journal Blog, the Editor's Note archive or RFID Connect.