Wolf Bielas, Chief Executive Officer of RSI ID Technologies, used a Wi-Fi enabled Pocket PC to configure a production assembly line at the conclusion of the Process Automation Seminar I attended earlier today. Wolf was demonstrating the power of integrating wireless networks, RFID and barcode systems and comprehensive data collection applications to automate business processes.
The seminar began this morning when Brett Horwitz, Business Development Manager at SAMSys Technologies, Inc., gave an excellent presentation about the current state of RFID technologies. Brett and I spoke by telephone last June and he steered me to RSI ID. SAMSys is a principal supplier of RFID readers and other products and services and RSI ID uses their equipment when integrating automation solutions for customers.
Jhon Kielty, Sales Manager for RSI ID, then presented the benefits of using RFID technologies within business automation systems. He shared details about calculating return on investment and presented specific examples of businesses that had implemented process automation systems with RSI ID's assistance. In addition to identifying huge cost savings from automation of receiving, stocking, replenishing, manufacturing, packaging, packing, shipping, routing, delivering and servicing products, he also demonstrated similar savings that flow from maintaining a real-time accurate inventory, theft and misplacement prevention, trouble-free invoicing, warrantee confirmation and quality customer service. I was surprised to hear one of the case studies because it had nothing to do with automating a manufacturing or production system--Jhon told about working with the District Attorney's Office to automate evidence tracking.
Then Wolf ended the seminar talking about how RSI ID does its thing. The twelve-step process they use assures good results. First, they get a commitment from everyone on the customer's team. Then they work with the customer to identify a process that should be automated, break it into small tasks and put the process on paper. Next, an analysis of the time, effort and mistakes made for each task is completed, and the time and cost is quantified. The tasks are then prioritized based on cost multiplied by time. The highest priority task is measured, goals are set and the plan is implemented. Finally, the results are measured and if the plan succeeded the next task on the priority list is attacked, or if it was not successful the plan is tweaked and a refined plan is implemented to achieve the desired result. The process is an unending cycle of improving efficiency.
We adjourned the seminar and moved into an adjacent room where SAMSys and RSI ID had set up a demonstration. A miniature assembly line had been constructed. It looked like this:
A conveyor belt moved cardboard boxes and other small containers through a set of SAMSys RFID readers, RSI ID's Flexolution Software Suite matches the product identification number that is broadcast by the RFID chip with an inventory database, and finally a label is prepared that is automatically attached to the container.
Wolf used me to demonstrate how the handheld wireless device used by the system's operator can scan the user and produce a photo of the person. The photo is sent wirelessly to the software suite where it is compared with a database of user's photographs in order to assure that the user has authority to be controlling the system. If the wrong product or wrong user is identified, the system can make a phone call, remove the item from the conveyor belt or stop the production line altogether. The technology is quite remarkable.
I sat next to Mel Roberts during the seminar. Mel is a consultant from Los Angeles County who is working with RSI ID to automate business processes for government and commercial customers in that area--it was good to visit with someone who is also assisting people to understand, cope with and embrace accelerating change. I made some good connections today and learned a lot about a technology that fascinates me.
