RFID tracking

Locate and secure your assets with RFID

Radio-frequence identification (RFID) tracking of important assets can greatly increase security and the reduce theft of property – and also offer huge efficiency savings when staff are searching for equipment.

Key benefits include:

• Locate property or people.  With active RFID tracking, it's possible to pinpoint the location of an item or person anywhere on the premises. 
• Improved security. The security team can be automatically alerted when specific events occur, for example property passes through a door. Integrated security systems can then also react, and CCTV can automatically focus on and record the event.
• Time saving. RFID allows for the easy location of property that has gone astray. 
• Uses WLAN infrastructure. Active RFID can utilise the existing WLAN infrastructure, minimising the cost of RFID deployment.

A compelling case for RFID

Many work hours are lost every year by staff searching for equipment. For example research indicated that the NHS wasted £1bn a year as nurses spend 26 days a year searching for missing equipment and paper-based records, the former could be drastically reduced with RFID, improving efficiency and saving money.

Active vs passive RFID – which is right for me?

Most organisations will require a mix of active and passive RFID.

Here is a brief overview of the differences between the two.

	Active RFID	Passive RFID
Usage	Generally for higher value items, and for tracking items or people to a specific location anywhere in the building.	For monitoring of items going through predefined locations, for example on a production line or through a door.
Range	Long range, up to approx. 200 metres.	Short range, generally around 3 metres.
Power	Battery operated.	No internal power.
Cost	Generally ranges from £5 – £20 per tag.	Approximately £0.50 per tag.
Life	Varies depending on usage, generally from three to eight years.	Up to ten years.

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