This past fall, Alford introduced the use of RFID technology to improve operational excellence. As we began 2019, RFID was in full swing and all of Alford’s gear and cases are now tagged and being tracked.

What is RFID?

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags that are attached to objects. The tags contain electronically-stored information. Unlike a barcode, the tag does not need to be within the line of sight of the reader, so an RFID ”tag” can be embedded in the tracked object. 

RFID tags have been used in many industries. Examples include an RFID tag attached to an automobile during production to be used to track its progress through the assembly line or RFID-tagged pharmaceuticals that can be tracked through warehouses. RFID is even used to reunite pet owners with lost pets. 

How is Alford taking advantage of RFID?

Alford is pioneering the use of this technology in the events industry in a number of ways. Tagging gear with RFID tags eliminates the need to physically check off gear when loading trucks, removing human error and giving operations the confidence that all equipment requested is on the truck and returns to the warehouse after a show. These streamlined processes will save countless man-hours and time that used to be spent confirming truck loads and hunting for misplaced equipment. RFID also provides virtual inventory tracking. In other words, by using remote RFID readers, operations can track down any piece of equipment. 

RFID technology is capable of much more. Future features may include remote readers in trucks to confirm all gear has been loaded back onto trucks on show site, allowing operations to track gear anywhere. Operations would also be able to view what gear is where using RFID to determine where it may need to go for another show, saving time and trucking costs by shuttling gear that’s close to the next venue rather than shipping directly from the warehouse. In addition, this can help reduce time searching for gear. This is possible using a hand-held RFID device and permanent RFID portals to track every item in a case without ever opening it. With a dedication to details and innovation where it counts, our operations department is further improving our efficiency, not only saving us time and money, but allowing Alford to continue leading the way in operational excellence.