RFID has a lot of focus on the tags and antennas, and the reader is the brain of the whole operation. It is the element that activates the system, animating passive tags and transforming radio waves into action data. But it is not all readers that are rolled out in the same fashion.

The whole RFID investment can be determined by the critical decision to make on a fixed or a handheld model. The key to this is being able to know what each one has the upper hand and this leads to new visibility and control. Once you have installed the RFID-based warehouse management system, it will surely help you manage your affairs better.

Understand the Power of Fixed RFID Readers

The workhorses of the automated data capture are the fixed readers. They are affixed to a particular point permanently, forming a constant, non-hand-operated point of observation.

Reasons Behind Their Success

a)     Choke Point Reading

Perfect where warehouse doors, dock gates, and production line exits are located. They automatically record all tagged products going through it and are capable of giving real-time information about deliveries made, orders made, and materials in transit between zones.

b)     Speed and Automation

Built into the conveyor systems or assembly lines, fixed readers have the capability of detecting items moving at high speeds without modifying the speed of the operations, and therefore correct sortation and process validation.

c)     Better Access Control

It is applied in the door entry system and ensures a smooth and safe verification of personnel. You avoid the manual scans and have a continuous and unbiased record of movement by placing a fixed reader at a strategic chokepoint.

What about the Agility of Handheld RFID Readers?

The flexibility is ultimate with handheld readers. Taking a reader, an antenna, and frequently a mobile computer, and making them all portable, they place the capability of RFID in the palm of a user.

Reasons for Choosing This Item

a)     Cycle Counting

The aisles of the inventory are walked quickly to count hundreds of items tagged to ensure that it takes seconds and saves a large amount of labor time, and improves the accuracy of the counts.

b)     Item Searching

Rapidly access a particular tagged asset, file, or equipment in a large facility (such as a warehouse, hospital, or library). Consult with an expert if you want to learn about a personnel tracking system and more.

c)     Operations on Demand

Best suited to accept pallets in a yard, checking orders in a loading dock, or making a random quality check on the production floor. The handheld systems are your key to the investigation, validation, and control of assets everywhere, not only at the designated points.

What Should We Choose?

Every reader has worth as good as the information it offers. It is at this point that the real game-changer is the integrated Software solutions. Raw “tag reads" of a reader are only noise, devoid of a platform to sieve, interpret, and act on the information.

1. Fixed Reader Data is set to your Warehouse Management System (WMS) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, and it is used to trigger automated actions such as real-time inventory record updates or shipping manifest generation.
2. Handheld Reader Data is normally batched and uploaded to a central database, so that the results of cycle count always get an instant reconciliation with your master inventory list.

You are able to turn raw data into operational intelligence by the strategic placement of fixed sentinels and mobile scouts who are linked together by high-quality software. See our products in industrial Fixed RFID Readers and agile Handheld RFID Readers, and find the software that will make your business roll.