{"id":6986,"date":"2012-11-21T09:31:32","date_gmt":"2012-11-21T15:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/?p=6986"},"modified":"2019-09-13T11:47:13","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T17:47:13","slug":"why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most airlines struggle day to day with a variety of issues related to survival\u00e2\u20ac\u201dissues such as unpredictable fuel costs,\u00c2\u00a0uncertain global economies, and tight finances. To combat these challenges, airlines continuously seek to better their\u00c2\u00a0operations, and RFID technology<\/a> is at the forefront of process improvement.<\/p>\n

RFID technology can aid and assist in multiple areas to reduce costs and\u00c2\u00a0increase operating revenue through improved asset visibility<\/a>, consumable\u00c2\u00a0inventory management<\/a>, food and beverage delivery management, retail<\/a> item\u00c2\u00a0inventory, sales management, and baggage handling efficiency. This white\u00c2\u00a0paper addresses baggage handling specificaly.<\/p>\n

Estimates by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) put\u00c2\u00a0mishandled baggage costs at approximately $US 2.5 billion for 2009\u00c2\u00a0alone-equivalent to the cost of nearly 50 Boeing 737-600s. This industry\u00c2\u00a0problem spans cities, regions and continents. While many assume full\u00c2\u00a0participation by all parties is necessary to completely rectify the problem,\u00c2\u00a0RFID-enabled baggage tagging efforts already in place show that local or\u00c2\u00a0regional implementation of RFID on baggage can have significant benefit,\u00c2\u00a0resulting in improved service, substantial cost reductions or savings, and\u00c2\u00a0increased customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Each airline has its own way of dealing with the baggage handling issue, with\u00c2\u00a0some having better results than others. RFID has had significant impact on\u00c2\u00a0visibility and missed baggage in airports such as Hong Kong International,\u00c2\u00a0Italy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Milano Malpensa, Lisbon, and Denmark\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Aalborg International.\u00c2\u00a0Where barcode technologies were providing read rates as low as 60%, RFID\u00c2\u00a0read rates came in as high as 99.8 %, and weekly equipment maintenance\u00c2\u00a0requirements dropped to annual. RFID has the added benefit of being globally\u00c2\u00a0interoperable\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe same tag works as well in Hong Kong as it would hours\u00c2\u00a0later in Las Vegas, or Lisbon.<\/p>\n

So why hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the industry just adopted and implemented the technology?\u00c2\u00a0Limited funding is one answer, but the penchant for believing that benefits\u00c2\u00a0will not be realized until adoption is comprehensive (bags tracked along\u00c2\u00a0all segments of a journey) also persists. This belief has led many airports,\u00c2\u00a0handlers and airlines to delay implementation until mandated. But proactive\u00c2\u00a0airport management teams who have taken a hard look at their process have\u00c2\u00a0determined that performance improvements and savings resulting in a real\u00c2\u00a0return on investment are possible even with local implementation. And in\u00c2\u00a0an age where consumers face increasing fees (such as checked baggage\u00c2\u00a0charges), the ability to provide improved service while reducing costs can go a\u00c2\u00a0long way toward improving an airline\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reputation and building brand loyalty.<\/p>\n

You Can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Fix What You Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Understand<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is best to first clearly identify goals. Where are the baggage handling\u00c2\u00a0problems areas? What are the system loading and capacity point limits? Are\u00c2\u00a0there certain times during the day, particular weeks, or even months when\u00c2\u00a0more problems occur? Most operations people already have some idea of\u00c2\u00a0problem areas and are a good resource when considering where to begin.\u00c2\u00a0It is possible to extract data from existing barcode baggage systems to help\u00c2\u00a0determine problem areas, but it will not address all processes.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, RFID technology can provide visibility into processes without\u00c2\u00a0incurring the cost of a full implementation. With an RFID-enabled baggage\u00c2\u00a0quality measurement system that involves tagging a statistically significant\u00c2\u00a0percentage of the checked baggage, installing read points (both fixed\u00c2\u00a0and mobile) at critical areas throughout the baggage handling process,\u00c2\u00a0and providing unbiased data through an easily accessible interface, all\u00c2\u00a0participating parties have immediate visibility into problem areas. Through an\u00c2\u00a0iterative process, these parties can cooperate to fine tune the process. The\u00c2\u00a0readers<\/a>, tags<\/a>, and software<\/a> needed for such a quality measurement system\u00c2\u00a0are generally off-the-shelf and readily available.<\/p>\n

Another benefit of beginning with a quality measurement approach is that\u00c2\u00a0organizations gain familiarity with the technology, see the benefits first\u00c2\u00a0hand, and can help clearly define the ROI for full implementation using\u00c2\u00a0real, unbiased measurement data. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a cost effective, low risk process\u00c2\u00a0improvement approach that the automotive industry has used with great\u00c2\u00a0success for over 30 years.<\/p>\n

Problem Understood, Now What?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A measurement system provides process improvement insight and helps to\u00c2\u00a0build the business case for RFID, as it clearly demonstrates the advantages\u00c2\u00a0RFID technology has over barcodes. The next stage is implementing RFIDenabled\u00c2\u00a0tagging to track, trace, and control the travel of bags from ticket\u00c2\u00a0counter check-in to their final destination, which in the case of localized RFID\u00c2\u00a0implementation remains within the confines of the airport. The goals are to\u00c2\u00a0eliminate miss-sorts, improve read rates and visibility, reduce maintenance\u00c2\u00a0costs and manual labor, reduce delivery delays to and from the aircraft,\u00c2\u00a0and\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps most importantly\u00e2\u20ac\u201dimprove customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n

This stage is more complex to implement and requires careful planning, an\u00c2\u00a0in-depth understanding of baggage handling logic and controls, and familiarity\u00c2\u00a0with the environment. Success depends on a clear understanding of radio\u00c2\u00a0frequency (RF) communications, channel planning, RF propagation issues\u00c2\u00a0related to the technology of choice, and ISO 18000-6C compliant technology.\u00c2\u00a0Careful selection of all the components along with application and installation\u00c2\u00a0of the technology is key to success. Working with companies experienced\u00c2\u00a0in the field, including integrators, label converters, tag inlay and tag chip\u00c2\u00a0suppliers, and reader vendors is critical to meeting cost and delivery targets.<\/p>\n

Implementing RFID to Improve Passenger Service<\/strong><\/p>\n

RFID technology has been around since World War II. Why is now the perfect\u00c2\u00a0time to implement an RFID-enabled system? For starters, the technology has\u00c2\u00a0evolved over the last decade to a point where a return on investment is viable.\u00c2\u00a0And customer satisfaction cannot be overlooked. At a time when air travel\u00c2\u00a0has been economically hit and consumers need only look on the Internet\u00c2\u00a0for details about an airline\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s or airport\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s performance, the need to improve\u00c2\u00a0customer service and build a brand known for that service is paramount to\u00c2\u00a0survival. Plus, the global standards necessary for success in an industry that\u00c2\u00a0spans the world are already in place and actively being advanced. Outlined\u00c2\u00a0below are things to know when considering an RFID implementation.<\/p>\n

The Tag<\/strong><\/p>\n

An RFID tag comprises an integrated circuit (tag chip) mounted on a\u00c2\u00a0substrate along with an antenna. This resulting \u00e2\u20ac\u0153inlay\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is then \u00e2\u20ac\u0153converted\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0by being sandwiched between a label and its adhesive backing to yield a\u00c2\u00a0printable label (or in case of the baggage handling application, a printable\u00c2\u00a0baggage tag). These ingredients and steps often involve multiple vendors,\u00c2\u00a0whose expertise varies. IATA has created recommended practices for RFID\u00c2\u00a0technology, and it pays to respect their specifications.<\/p>\n

As in all technologies, there are leaders and followers. For tag chips, Impinj\u00c2\u00a0<\/a>leads in innovation, performance, and in the development of standards.\u00c2\u00a0Impinj\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s highly reliable tag chips result from a combination of high read and\u00c2\u00a0write sensitivity and excellent noise interference rejection. In addition, a unique\u00c2\u00a0dual antenna input structure supports omni-directional tags, which help solve\u00c2\u00a0application impediments that often limit overall system performance.<\/p>\n

The antenna inlay assembly, a key element responsible for harvesting RF\u00c2\u00a0energy and communicating information, is also critical to system performance.\u00c2\u00a0Antenna designs are many and varied, as different applications require\u00c2\u00a0different approaches. Regardless of the application, most important is the\u00c2\u00a0vendor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ability to produce a high quality and reliable product in high volume.\u00c2\u00a0This process is capital intensive and vendors must have the skills and\u00c2\u00a0expertise for application of ultra low pitch component placement, bonding, die\u00c2\u00a0cutting, and automated processing. There are few vendors that have these\u00c2\u00a0skills and capability. UPM Raflatac is one of those few, having the financial\u00c2\u00a0depth, skills, and technology needed to provide quality inlays in volume. They\u00c2\u00a0have a portfolio of products to address most applications, are continually\u00c2\u00a0inventing new solutions based on customer demand, and provide inlays with\u00c2\u00a0Impinj tag chips.<\/p>\n

The third component, the bag tag, carries the substrate\/tag chip\/antenna\u00c2\u00a0inlay, and provides a means for presenting human readable text as well\u00c2\u00a0as barcode symbols. In baggage tag form, the inlay becomes pliable,\u00c2\u00a0applicable, and relevant. Baggage tag quality, consistency, and construction\u00c2\u00a0are critical for this application. The baggage tag must survive a trip where\u00c2\u00a0potential rough handling and exposure to a variety of environmental\u00c2\u00a0conditions such as rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc. are possible. The baggage tag\u00c2\u00a0must protect the inlay, provide a background for printing symbols, and have an\u00c2\u00a0adhesive that will ensure the tag remains attached to the baggage. Because\u00c2\u00a0RFID tag conversion (creating a baggage tag from the inlay) is also a capital\u00c2\u00a0intensive industry, only a few vendors have the depth and experience needed for\u00c2\u00a0consistent success. George Schmitt & Company not only has the capability and\u00c2\u00a0experience with conversion of RFID inlays, they also have a considerable history\u00c2\u00a0of supplying baggage tags to the airline industry.<\/p>\n

The Read Station<\/strong><\/p>\n

The read stations provide visibility, tracking the position of the baggage on the\u00c2\u00a0conveyor, belt, or tilt-tray. Simply said, but difficult to do with high reliability and\u00c2\u00a0accuracy. A read station comprises a high performance ISO 18000-6C compliant\u00c2\u00a0reader, multiple suitable fixed antennas, control middleware, reader management\u00c2\u00a0middleware, and system software. The reader must have the ability to provide\u00c2\u00a0propagation characteristics of the reflected data as well as the tag identification\u00c2\u00a0(TID) number. Among the few reader vendors that can provide the performance\u00c2\u00a0needed, Impinj stands out again with a discrete, high performance, compact reader\u00c2\u00a0solution. The reader management middleware must be able to process and filter\u00c2\u00a0tag data in real time, as well as manage multiple readers. It needs to communicate\u00c2\u00a0with conveyor control middleware, and pass ID and system information to the\u00c2\u00a0system software.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/strong>
\nInnovative improvement of the baggage handling process is a holistic task that\u00c2\u00a0requires a firm understanding of the business, organizational, technical, and
\npolitical aspects of baggage handling. Communication between airport, handler,
\nairline, and the leading providers of baggage handling systems is critical for
\nprocess improvement success.<\/p>\n

For more information about RFID-enabled\u00c2\u00a0baggage handling, or any RFID application, contact us<\/a> at Barcodes Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most airlines struggle day to day with a variety of issues related to survival\u00e2\u20ac\u201dissues such as unpredictable fuel costs,\u00c2\u00a0uncertain global economies, and tight finances. To combat these challenges, airlines continuously seek to better their\u00c2\u00a0operations, and RFID technology is at the forefront of process improvement. RFID technology can aid and assist in multiple areas to reduce […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,96],"tags":[419,256,2268,72,257],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling? - Barcoding News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling? - Barcoding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Most airlines struggle day to day with a variety of issues related to survival\u00e2\u20ac\u201dissues such as unpredictable fuel costs,\u00c2\u00a0uncertain global economies, and tight finances. To combat these challenges, airlines continuously seek to better their\u00c2\u00a0operations, and RFID technology is at the forefront of process improvement. RFID technology can aid and assist in multiple areas to reduce […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Barcoding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-11-21T15:31:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-09-13T17:47:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"BarcodesInc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BarcodesInc\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/\",\"name\":\"Why Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling? - Barcoding News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-11-21T15:31:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-09-13T17:47:13+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4887305f61b70f8fa89a8ca7343ec6d4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Product News\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/category\/product-news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Why Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Barcoding News\",\"description\":\"Barcode, Auto-ID, Point of Sale and RFID News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4887305f61b70f8fa89a8ca7343ec6d4\",\"name\":\"BarcodesInc\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling? - Barcoding News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling? - Barcoding News","og_description":"Most airlines struggle day to day with a variety of issues related to survival\u00e2\u20ac\u201dissues such as unpredictable fuel costs,\u00c2\u00a0uncertain global economies, and tight finances. To combat these challenges, airlines continuously seek to better their\u00c2\u00a0operations, and RFID technology is at the forefront of process improvement. RFID technology can aid and assist in multiple areas to reduce […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/","og_site_name":"Barcoding News","article_published_time":"2012-11-21T15:31:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-09-13T17:47:13+00:00","author":"BarcodesInc","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BarcodesInc","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/","url":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/","name":"Why Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling? - Barcoding News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#website"},"datePublished":"2012-11-21T15:31:32+00:00","dateModified":"2019-09-13T17:47:13+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4887305f61b70f8fa89a8ca7343ec6d4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/why-use-rfid-technology-for-baggage-handling\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Product News","item":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/category\/product-news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Why Use RFID Technology for Baggage Handling?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/","name":"Barcoding News","description":"Barcode, Auto-ID, Point of Sale and RFID News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4887305f61b70f8fa89a8ca7343ec6d4","name":"BarcodesInc","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6986"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6986"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21975,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6986\/revisions\/21975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}