INDIAN HEAD, MD??Radio-frequency identification (RFID) has enjoyed continued success in the commercial industry. Recently, the technology has been expanding its military reach. For example, a new inventory management system from TASC, Inc. will allow naval warehousing facilities to automatically count and locate RFID-tagged inventory in real time. The software platform integrates an RFID system with an inventory management system.
The system's software team created and implemented the tool at the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technical Division warehouse in Indian Head, MD. Users were able to locate items tagged with passive RFID (pRFID) tags in a scaled, threedimensional (3D) virtual warehouse. The solution was created in conjunction with RF Controls, which developed the Intelligent Tracking and Control System (ITCS).
Using an pRFID Real Time Location System (RTLS), the solution automatically inventories stock count and locations for reconciliation. Through stock-count and location queries, users receive real-time inventory reports and a 3D graphical presentation of the location of items in the warehouse. With this system, users can resolve any discrepancies caused by human error while maintaining a higher level of accuracy for physical stock and database records.
"Good asset management is essential to the military supply chain, and this system is essentially a spell-check' for inventory control," says Pat Talty, Mission Engineering Vice President at TASC. "We expect the time savings alone will pay for the system in less than two years."