DoD RFID Compliance

Complying with military or customer requirements to tag shipments with RFID printed and encoded labels can be expensive without a well-thought out plan for implementation.

There’s good news if you plan to implement an RFID system in-house.  Gen 2 protocols offer significant performance improvements over the first generation of EPCglobal UHF protocols, including superior tag throughput, improved accuracy and compliance with global spectrum regulations. Many vendors have committed to supporting EPC Gen 2, allowing users to leverage standards-based interoperability among tags, interrogators, printer/encoders, etc. and the competition is forcing pricing down.

Gen 2, while a major milestone in RFID technology improvements, does not mean that users can bypass the learning curve associated with an RFID pilot. Understanding the physical requirements of laying out an RFID environment to minimize RF interference and to optimize read rates is crucial to compliance and your success. Pre-deployment testing services from experienced vendors can uncover unexpected areas of trouble and provide cost-effective solutions.

Another road to meeting compliance mandates without investing in RFID hardware is to use a preprint/ pre-encoding service. Choose a reputable label vendor with proven expertise meeting specific compliance mandates, will guarantee 100% usable labels and provide a Certificate of Compliance.

With RFID adoption underway, you have more choices to help you get in compliance and stay on your budget. Knowing your options, what will affect your success early on and having a plan will save you from costly mistakes long-term.