The Record - Issue 19: Winter 2020

54 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om Y our inventory tracking system – and therefore your supply chain visibility – is only as good as your radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. Poor quality tags can mean missed reads, inaccurate cycle counts, lost inventory, and increased labour costs. Surgere is committed to delivering reliable data and to ensure this, we have worked with the best in the business to develop high-quality RFID tags. Our tags perform better than others in sensi- tivity and design correctness, ensuring the most accurate data. They are designed to avoid any signal interruptions – such as those created by metals or electrostatic discharges – to ensure they perform properly and can be read correctly and instantly 99.9 per cent of the time. To guarantee that your tags are up to scratch, there are some features you must consider. Will they perform in a complex environment? We know that different environments affect the ability for the tag to be read efficiently and accurately. For example, cardboard and wood retain moisture, which can interrupt signal per- formance. We consider environmental factors when helping customers choose the best tag for their use case. We’ve also done our research to find tags that work on all types of assets and in different environments that feature metal, plas- tic, glass, cardboard, wood, electrostatic dis- charge materials and high temperatures. Can they be read at high speeds? Part of the reason our tags can be read at such high speeds is because we limit the amount of data acquired from the tag. By limiting the amount of data that the tag needs to report, the reader can see more tags. Our chosen interrogators can read over 1,100 tags per second. Are they durable? All tags are made up of the same basic parts: a micro-chip that stores data, an antenna that receives signals and transmits data back to other hardware, and a substrate that holds the components together. We have carried out extensive testing and research to find the most durable materials to ensure that these basic parts enhance your revenue-producing supply chain. While the chip inside the tag is a delicate piece of technology, the surrounding components can withstand extreme environ- mental factors. It’s also important to keep in mind what’s inside your containers and how these products will affect the tags. All of our tags go through multi- ple rounds of testing and quality checks to ensure that our standards, and yours, are being met. Charles Dressler is chief technology officer at Surgere Watch this video to find out more about Surgere’s RFID tag testing procedures: https://surgere.com/ research-and-development Improving supply chain visibility Radio-frequency identification tags are a key part of any inventory tracking system, so ensuring their quality and durability is essential in modern business CHAR L E S DR E S S L E R : S URG E R E V I EWPO I NT “We have carried out extensive testing and research to find the most durable materials”