IDSys OÜ product is the integration of solutions based on RFID technology and software development, as a result of which additional functionality and automation are added to the client's resource monitoring system.
This is expressed in:
- More accurate monitoring of inventory, for example, because an item picked up as inventory has not been entered in the stock records or there is no information about where exactly the object is located
- Time savings when insuring objects and performing counting
- Save time on inventory orders on picking
- Significant time savings for order checking out of inventory, no need to manually check all items on packing slip
- Linking third-party software to a supplier solution, saving time on data entry and control
Figure 5 illustrates a complete set of RFID product components consisting of hardware – RFID tags, readers, local servers, etc. – and software. The latter can be installed on a local server and compatible with the client system through the integration platform. IDsys OÜ focuses on the first three blocks with the provision of an integration platform, through which it is possible to link the software being developed to the resources of the client company.
The solution offered by IDsys includes the following components:
1. Installation and integration of RFID hardware:
- RFID tags programmed by the client company using an RFID printer
- Antennas
- RFID reader(s) with application protocol
- RFID Printer
- Hand reader(s)
- Server with Client Applications
2. Manufactured IDsys software
- Reader to filter middleware data
- Integration platform
- Application software
- Affiliate modules for data exchange with different applications
3. Software integration service to client systems, including accounting software with warehouse modules
4. Web application for servicing less demanding customers
Figure 6 Components of the solution offered by IDsys
For each client, the exact configuration differs somewhat, since it is necessary to install several readers for some clients, one reading point is sufficient for the provision of the service to the other client. For some customers, in particular, a hand reader application is required, while others require stationary readers. There are a large number of potential customers who do not need integration services but are satisfied with the online reporting engine for which they are willing to pay periodic royalties. The requirements for application software on the client side are also different – some customers want to, for example, perform inventory dynamics statistics or monitor inventory movements across the logistics chain, while for other customers it is enough to record inventory stored within one warehouse in the inventory module of the accounting program and to third parties from the online reporting engine.
Since IDsys OÜ itself does not produce hardware, in maintaining its competitive position, the company is focusing on the innovativeness of application software and business model, which would allow it to offer:
- Necessary flexibility (software platform built on the principle of modularity and optimised for simultaneous registration of a large number of labels)
- Universality (based on the main economic software with which the application software must be compatible)
- Price flexibility (different products are offered to different customer segments according to their real needs)
- Scalable user base based on self-managed server (web-based application)
Figure 8: IDsys OÜ product architecture
Modular system components allow you to offer applications for different purposes to different clients and are placed either on the client server or on the IDsys server. Some clients may prefer server hosting, as well as iDsys central server to provide web-based applications. It is possible to develop a web application into a dynamic, where the client can define the reports displayed based on their preferences, add their own logos and insignia to them, perform automatic notification once a month or once a quarter, etc.
RFID Technology
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a radio marked technology consisting of an active or passive radio tag and a radio reader identifying that tag. A radio tag is essentially a microcircuit equipped with a miniature radio antenna, which in turn is placed on a base resembling paper. There are other RFID tags depending on the applications – for example, so-called smartcards (to detect the pass), e-locks (e-seal, for marking more expensive goods), cards equipped with a shell for working in particularly demanding environments, etc.
RFID labels are broadly divided into two – passive and active. A passive radio note does not require batteries for operation, because the information is read from the radio wave sent to the label and reflected, i.e. the exchange of information is initialised by an external energy source.
The advantage of passive radio marking lies in its cheapness, which opens up a widespread rollout of RFID applications in the marketplace in warehouse management, sales and logistics.
The radio tag allows you to store up to 2 kilobytes of information on the microchip, which is sufficient to carry information about the product on the label: the date of manufacture, the best before, the destination of the delivery and, for example, the place of reading. Each radio note shall have a unique code by which that tag is identified. In turn, it is possible to link the product classification and the additional information described above to this code.
