RFID in Construction

RFID, short for Radio Frequency Identification, is a rapidly evolving technology that can dramatically improve operational efficiencies and customer service. RFID will fundamentally transform the way information about products, equipment, animals and even people is gathered and analysed in real time, providing new business opportunities. Implementing RFID is about far more than simply upgrading technology.

To see RFID purely as an IT issue would overlook the major impact that RFID can have on the revenues, business processes, and working practices of an organisation. This means that RFID brings both challenges and opportunities, and dealing with these needs direction from the top leadership team - ‘boardroom buy-in’. Implementing RFID is a major commitment for an organisation, and when a return on the investment may be years away, it is essential that the technology chosen functions reliably and is resilient. Planning, piloting and implementing your RFID system in isolation is one problem, but ensuring it integrates smoothly with your other IT systems and those of your partner organisations is a whole new can of worms. RFID systems throw out huge amounts of data, and where organisations are working in partnership with others, for example in a supply chain, there are immense challenges of data synchronisation, standardisation, general management and overall ownership. Where RFID tags are active, data is also streaming in constantly, adding another dimension to the problem. Data management is a real issue.

This white paper describes for C-level executives and line-of-business managers the opportunities and business benefits of RFID in the Construction sector. It looks at various scenarios where RFID is and provides answers to the questions:

• What are some of the potential uses of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in the construction industry?
• What are some of the critical issues with RFID in construction applications?
• How can individual companies leverage collective industry efforts to understand and implement these technologies?

Highlights of this white paper include:

• Using RFID for Maintenance: Plant machinery, Smart metering, Servicing
• RFID track and trace capabilities: Supply Chain, Utility Pipe work
• Authentication scenarios: People, Products
• The potential of RFID in Health and Safety
• RFID in Compliance

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