Apptricity RFID Asset Tracking Solution Increases Military Efficiency

This customer manages an armory responsible for storing and checking items out to soldiers for temporary use, then checking them back into inventory when usage is done. The customer is also responsible for conducting regular inventory cycle counts to audit their current inventory and identify missing equipment. This process was being managed through a manual pen and paper system, requiring users to keep a written record for all ownership change history; at Apptricity, our software: RFID Asset Tracking Solution eliminates that error-prone task.

THE PROBLEM

Reliance upon manual data entry through pen and paper produced the following problems:

  • Inefficient, slow process for checking items in and out of inventory
  • Error-prone tracking of ownership history
  • Full cycle-counts of inventory would take up to 30 days to complete

These problems resulted in slow processing of equipment transfer, lost or misplaced equipment, and long labor hours spent conducting cycle counts with a high degree of inaccuracy.

THE SOLUTION

Apptricity was selected to implement an RFID Asset Tracking solution to solve these problems. RFID tags were encoded, printed, and attached to all assets within the armory process:

The armory asset data was then imported into Apptricity’s Armory Management solution. A tablet application would then be used to automate the checkout process through the following:

  1. Armory Manager logs into the application
  2. Soldier is prompted to enter his/her CAC card for
    authentication
  3. Armory Manager is presented with a list of items that soldier
    is authorized to checkout, and then goes to the storage rack
    to retrieve appropriate items
  4. Armory Manager scans retrieved items with a desktop RFID
    scanner, compiling a list of items to be checked out to
    the soldier.
  5. Armory Manager by prints receipt and solider removes CAC card

When finished, the solider would return the checked-out items where they would be scanned back into inventory using the same desktop RFID scanner. The entire solution was installed on a single laptop, providing a true “breakaway” system ensuring complete security by limiting any outside access.

The entire solution was installed on a single laptop, providing a true “breakaway” system ensuring complete security by limiting any outside access.

THE BENEFITS

Implementation of an automated armory management system provided immediate results, including:

  • Reduction of time required to complete checkout process from 5 minutes to 1 minute (80%) – Reduction of time required to complete a full cycle count from 30 days to 3 days (90%)
  • Auto-generated ownership history logs with printable reports for each asset
  • Auto-generated receipts printed for soldiers detailing the assets they checked out – Quicker cycle-counts produced more immediate feedback if items were missing or misplaced

CONCLUSION

Integrating an automated asset tracking system with RFID provided immediate ROI through time savings on labor hours, generation of trustworthy ownership history records, and a drastic reduction in asset shrinkage through misplacement or failure to return checked out assets. With options to deploy both in the cloud and on premise, Apptricity’s Armory Asset Management system can be deployed in as little as 30 days, automating the checkout process, and enabling rapid cycle counting for improved asset visibility. Contact us to learn more about an RFID Asset Tracking solution for your business and our other Asset and Inventory Management solutions that save your organization time and money by leveraging IoT connection and highly configurable software applications.

Contact Us for More Information

You may also like:

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates

Connect With Us On Social!