For schools, colleges and universities, “next year” is right around the corner. Though most schools are still finishing up the academic year, it’s never too early to start planning for the upcoming school year. Asset management is one area that needs early attention. A 2007 study estimated that school districts lose more than $80,000 per year due to lost or damaged school assets¹. Asset management can be particularly challenging for educational institutions due to the large amounts of assets that are circulated throughout districts or departments.

Whether you’re looking to identify school or facility equipment such as furniture, computers, projectors and other educational tools, it’s important to have durable asset labels to identify school property. An asset management system with asset labels will help you identify, control and track your valuable school assets from acquisition to disposal.

Manage Data and Records
With asset management systems that utilize asset tags and asset labels, there’s no more manual data entry and hours of inventory control. Collect data such as purchase information, item location and warranty information by simply scanning a bar code asset label.

Increase Accuracy
In addition to managing school property records, bar code asset tags can also help you eliminate misplaced or lost items, comply with state and federal regulations, and reduce data inconsistencies. You can even use asset management systems to control data such as software licenses, as well as make more informed decisions about asset allocations.

Prevent Theft
With durable asset tags, you can prevent theft of school property like tablets, laptops and audio visual equipment. Foil asset labels are the most durable choice for security asset labels.  Tamper-evident asset tags leave a void pattern behind on the asset and the back of the label if it is peeled. Destructible asset labels break apart if removed. Both types of asset labels prevent tampering and protect against unauthorized transfer.

In addition to durable asset labels, efficient education asset management systems also need the proper software programs and hardware or scanners. If you already have a software system in place, most asset labels and hardware can be configured to meet your programs.

With asset management systems that use durable asset labels, schools can realize a variety of benefits from reduced cost and time savings to more informed decision making and better resource allocation. If you haven’t already, consider implementing an asset management system for the upcoming school year.

1 – http://www.techlearning.com/features/0039/assessing-your-assets/44440

I’ve had a number of inquires about the UID Forum and have heard lots of rumors.  One such rumor is that “DoD decided to kill the UID Forum” or the “DoD doesn’t care about UID anymore”.  That simply is not the case!  So I thought this was a great place to address the events that led to the postponement on the 2013 UID Forum and discuss my thoughts on the enduring need for such an event.

The decision to postpone the UID Forum was made by the owner, The Clarion Group, purely due to DoD travel approval uncertainties and the issues surrounding the budget/sequestration.

Historically attendees at the Forum are about two thirds DoD personnel and one third contractor personnel and most of the speakers are also DoD personnel.  There were two DoD Memoranda (June 2012 and September 2012) released that detailed limitations on travel and conference participation. In January 2013, another Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum was issued directing all DoD Components to “Curtail travel, training, and conferences (all with exceptions for mission-critical activities* including those required to maintain professional licensure or equivalent certifications).” Based on these, The Clarion Group decided to postpone the Spring UID Forum in order to ensure a successful event for all participants.

As the former US DoD and NATO UID Lead, I have to confess up front that I am a passionate supporter of the value the Forum brings to the contractor and government attendees from acquisition, program management, engineering, logistics, and property management communities.  I was the DoD lead for the UID Forums prior to my retirement last September and could not be more proud of its impact.  It was the major educational event for us both in giving and getting advice and feedback on policy enhancements, implementation challenges and successes.

The UID Forum has been a major force in UID implementation for almost 10 years now and the foremost venue to share the passion for UID, experiences, opportunities and challenges of UID implementation with others who are trying to improve their business process through the traceability provided by embracing UID.

In talking with The Clarion Group recently, I understand that the plan is to continue the UID Forum perhaps in the Fall timeframe once the travel approval environment within the DoD shifts. I suspect the flavor of the event may have to transition from compliance to value and opportunity in order to attract a larger enduring contractor audience.  I believe that there are a number of marquee issues that lend themselves to a UID approach that the event can lean on more heavily in the future.  For example, anti-counterfeiting, lifecycle management, reducing maintenance/sustainment costs, property management, inventory control and the general topic of automatic identification technology enabled business processes come to mind.

It is crucial for contractors to “own” UID implementation and embrace its inherent value to their operations particularly where those operations include sustainment and support of their systems after the sale.

In my role with Camcode, I am encouraged that The Clarion Group is dedicated to you and the UID industry by producing this valuable event.  If you would like to weigh in on the need or provide suggestions, the primary POC for The Clarion Group is Jane Yallum. She can be reached at jyallum@clariongroupinc.com or feel free to contact me at rleibrandt@camcode.com.

There is value in Item Unique Identification (IUID) beyond simple compliance with Mil-Std-130. Utilizing UID Labels, organizations can improve asset tracking of items, comply with International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR) requirements, and easily manage check-in/check-out procedures.

A U.S. Army base recently discovered its current Arms Room inventory procedures and processes were slow, inefficient, inaccurate, and not standardized. Using the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Item Unique Identification (IUID) and Mil-Std-130 mandate as a foundation, the base streamlined and improved Arms Room processes, saving time and money.

The base’s Arms Room accounts for and verifies arms room equipment during receipt, storage, issue and inventory processes. The current Army policy regulating the use of machine readable markings to account for and verify arms room equipment was inconsistent.

For example, arms were subjected to a monthly physical inventory, which was done based on serial number. Items with serial numbers, Army registration numbers, and ammunition lot and serial numbers were verified against a property book or hand receipt. Yet, the use of IUID was the Army’s preferred method for accountability and all inventories were expected to be performed using a Unique Item Identifier (UII), with the serial number as an alternative method for identification. In addition, all receipt, storage, inventory, issue, and shipment functions were encouraged to utilize available Automatic Identification Technologies such as 2D barcodes.

Realizing they needed a more defined method of asset tracking within the Arms Room, this U.S. Army base made several recommendations.

First, they allowed the use of approved UII markings and materials to track arms maintenance and weapon rack locations. They also allowed use of non-damaging, non-tamperable materials and markings, such as data matrix labels, for daily arms room equipment accountability purposes. These markings were in compliance with Mil-Std-130.

Second, they relied on digital software to collect data from the scanned UID labels. This reduced error and created an automated inventory system.

Utilizing the DOD’s UID mandate for unique item identification marks, an automated data capture process to eliminate transposition errors, and an arms room inventory software program, the Army was able to more accurately control and manage inventory and assets, increase accountability, reduce risk, and decrease the effort and time associated with inventory procedures.

Using UID labels, the Army base was also able to establish a fully automated system that includes database management and standardized procedures. Overall, this Army base estimates a cost savings of approximately $20,000 within five years of creating a digital Arms Room. All of these benefits were achieved by making use of DoD mandated IUID mil-std-130 markings on equipment.

DistribuTECH is an annual conference on power transmission for the utility industry, produced by Pennwell Publishing. Approximately 53 countries were represented at this year’s conference, held in January 2013. Reports indicate a clear theme emerged from this year’s conference: Interoperability, or the need to better integrate technology for improved data mining, monitoring and analysis. Directions Magazine points out, “C-level executives need to see real-time data; they want to visualize it, understand the status on the ground and make decisions based on reliable feedback from sensors as well as the public.”

Interoperability Made Possible with Utility Asset Tags

One of the keys to turning the goal of interoperability into reality is utility asset tags, such as utility meter tags, utility pole tags and pole markers. While maintaining low operating costs is also a key priority for the utility industry in the coming years, Camcode’s utility meter tags and utility pole tags are guaranteed to last the life of the asset. That means no costly replacements during the useable life of your assets.

Utility meter tags and utility pole tags can provide fast, reliable and accurate data to both field and line workers and C-level executives, supplying a comprehensive overview and the ability to drill-down to the asset level for in-depth data analysis.

Utility Asset Tags Reduce Manpower Needs

Utility Asset Tags Make Interoperability Possible

This entire integrated technology process enables utility entities to operate at maximum efficiency and implement energy-savings tests within a small portion of the service area. The success or failure of a cost-saving strategy can be quickly evaluated without the need to devote thousands of hours of manpower into the monitoring and reporting of consumption and other key metrics.

With proper asset tracking, events such as outages can be detected, reported and tracked more efficiently, and thus are more easily remedied. This can lead to a dramatic reduction in labor costs. In addition, utility asset tags collect data faster, cheaper and more accurately than manual data collection.

Find out more about how utility asset tags can reduce costs and improve data analysis. Read our case study on why one utility giant chose Camcode’s utility asset tags and learn more about our utility asset tag solutions.

Think asset tags and asset labels can’t benefit the utility industry? Think again. Utility meter tags, utility pole tags and bar code labels can provide the foundation for improved efficiency.

Reduce the need for manual processes

It’s long been known that manual processes take longer and are less accurate than processes which use a digital component. Utility meter badges practically eliminate human error, streamlining monitoring processes for the utility meters which are vital to the functioning of this industry.

Utility meter tags and badges can improve processes in the following ways:

• Track work and maintenance history, reducing human error in the upkeep of regular maintenance and speeding up tracking times for new work orders.
• Reduce transposition errors. Before utility meter tags and utility meter badges, the process of documenting usage and other metrics from utility meters was a human-driven process. That process is null and void with the use of utility meter tags which can simply be scanned to input data.
• Reduce meter to ERT calibration time. Calibration was at one time a complex and time-consuming manual process. Utility meter tags speed up calibration times, improving accuracy.
• Improve meter ERT control and traceability. Locate specific meters effortlessly for tracking.

Utility Pole Tags and Markers Increase Revenues for Joint Use Relationships

Utility poles are often shared among industries, such as telecom and cable. But the utility industry frequently loses mass amounts of revenue due to the poor efficiency of monitoring usage and not accurately tracking which companies have placed equipment on a specific pole.

Thanks to utility pole tags, this process is streamlined. Camcode’s Metalphoto Bar Code Utility Tags ensure prompt and accurate pole identification, providing an easy means to track a pole’s owner and monitor revenues from rentals. They’re also guaranteed to last the life of the asset, meaning there are no costly utility tag replacements to account for down the line.

To learn more about how Camcode’s Metalphoto Bar Code Utility Tags helped one company increase revenues, check out our case study, Telco Giant Turns to Camcode Tags for Joint Use Poles.

Warehouses play a key role in a number of other industries, including e-commerce, retail, grocery and other more specific industry segments. Increased efficiency on the warehouse end can mean lower costs to other industries, which in turn increases customer count and boosts the bottom line. A complete and effective warehouse management system featuring warehouse bar code labels can increase productivity, allow more efficient space utilization and reduce overhead costs.

Hanging Retro-Reflective Warehouse Bar Code Labels

Long-Range Retro-Reflective Bar Code Labels Improve Efficiency

There can be constant hustle and bustle in a warehouse setting. An efficient tracking system drastically reduces the time and labor spent locating designated areas while transporting products throughout the facility. Long-range retro-reflective bar code labels streamline this process by offering scanning distances of up to 50 feet with long-range scanners.

Hanging Retro-Reflective Warehouse Bar Code Labels, for example, are designed to hang from a chain or attach to suspended wire. These warehouse labels work with any extended long-range scanner. The easy attachment mechanism means they’re easy to install, keeping your projects on deadline. Camcode’s hanging bar code labels helped one flooring manufacturer overcome the limitations of a previous bulk bar code location system with a cost-effective and reliable solution.

Multi-Level Warehouse Rack Labels Offer a Durable, Completely Customized Solution

Multi-Level Warehouse Rack Labels provide the ability to identify multiple rack levels with a single label, eliminating the need for long-range scanners. These labels have color-coded directional icons to make identification, scanning and tracking simple.

A major U.S. food manufacturer and distributor came to Camcode with some unique needs. The company wanted to increase each product’s lot traceability, improve rotation and storage while simultaneously improving labor efficiency.  Improved rotation would mean a reduction in spoilage—and could make a big impact on the bottom line.

But the company’s existing rack width was less than two inches, and they required a scanning distance of at least ten feet. In this instance, our Multi-Level Rack Labels were the perfect solution for forklift drivers and pickers to accommodate multi-level picking and storage. Read more about this food manufacturer and distributor’s needs and how Camcode created a customized warehouse label solution to meet its goals.

Warehouse Aisle Signs

When you’re working within a 100,000 square foot warehouse, you need signage to efficiently locate the various sections without the need to go aisle-by-aisle. That’s where Warehouse Aisle Signs come in, providing a durable, easy-to-read visual cue for the various staff members who will need to locate specific areas quickly.

Our Aisle Signs are made with crisp black text on a stark white background for easy readability and are prepared for your preferred attachment method (holes, adhesive or magnets) for quick and easy installation.

Warehouse Floor Labels Provide Both Durability and Readability

Warehouse Floor Labels require two key features: durability and readability. Our Warehouse Floor Labels offer both in an easy-to-install solution that saves time, remains readable and is simple to replace when needed. Pallets and vehicular traffic are no match for our Adhesive Warehouse Floor Labels turned out to be the perfect solution for Foundation Supportworks, Inc., which was able to expand from one location to 506 locations thanks to implementing Camcode’s warehouse label solutions.

Adhesive Warehouse Floor Labels

These are just a few of the many examples of the unique needs of the warehouse industry and the customized solutions we provide to meet those demands. Innovation, attention to detail and needs-based solutions make it possible to have a completely customized set of warehouse label solutions to boost both productivity and profits.

One of our customers is a brewery that has been making barrel-aged craft beer in its Bend, Oregon facility for more than 25 years. It has since grown to one of the largest breweries in the United States. To keep the pace and continue to provide award-winning beers, the brewery needed to implement an asset tracking system. Barrels are crucial to the brewery’s process. These barrels are reused whiskey or wine barrels, giving the beer added flavors during the aging process. At any given time, there are approximately 700 barrels in the brewery facility, where they are exposed to acids, corrosives, and caustics in wet, hot environments.

Tracking the barrels became an important step in the operations processes at the brewery. But barrel information was being manually entering into the company’s computer system, which took valuable time and was prone to errors.

In an effort to streamline and improve processes, the brewery decided to try barcoding its barrels through an asset tracking system. Asset tags with barcodes would allow easy scanning to track a barrel’s source and destination.

“We thought about RFID tracking, but it proved difficult with the close proximity of barrels,” said a brewmaster. “Barcode tracking seemed like a better option.”

The brewery found Camcode through an internet search and decided to try Metalphoto® barcode asset labels because of their durability in harsh environments. The brewery selected the .012” thickness, allowing them to affix the labels with stainless steel staples, which resist corrosion instead of traditional rivets or adhesive which would be difficult to stick to the wooden barrels.

“Our salesperson was great,” the brewmaster said. “He provided a lot of tips in regards to barcode attachment and technical details. The support we received was fantastic.”

According to the brewmaster, “the Metalphoto barcode labels are holding up and have been great thus far.”

In addition to tracking the barrels, the brewery found another benefit from the asset labels. Using the information captured in the barcode, the brewery can also incorporate tasting notes with each barrel. Here, a sensory analysis is performed and the information goes into database, which can allow formulation changes for the different beers.

“We are looking forward to the next phase of our barrel tracking program,” the brewmaster said. “We feel we can deliver a better product more efficiently thanks to Camcode’s barcode labels.”

Disruptions in the supply chain have far-reaching consequences. A single supply chain disruption spurs a domino effect, gradually impacting businesses along the path—all the way to the shareholders. In fact, a recent report from the World Economic Forum estimates that supply chain disruptions cut approximately 7 percent of a firm’s shareholder value, based on research from Accenture.

These value impacts actually result in a decrease in shareholder value about 10 days before supply chain disruptions are even announced, due to speculation and other communication. And they can have long-lasting impacts beyond just a few hours or days. Share prices typically don’t begin bouncing back until about three months after a disruption.

The Role of the Supply Chain Manager Critical to Resolving Disruptions

Typically, the longer the disruption lasts, the more negative the overall impact. The ability to quickly and adequately respond to and resolve supply chain disruption issues are key components in the role of the supply chain manager. This is just one reason why the role of the supply chain manager is so complex—there’s a need to have a constant backup plan among the dozens of contacts, suppliers, vendors and customers these professionals must coordinate on a day-to-day basis.

Supply chain disruptions can have devastating economic impacts which can span multiple industries. Emerging leaders in the field of supply chain management are needed to adequately manage this process, and they’re in high demand. That’s why we compiled a list of the Top 25 Supply Chain Management Degree Programs in the U.S.

Preventing Warehouse-Origin Supply Chain Disruptions

Supply chain disruptions can originate at any point during the production, distribution and sales cycles. But inefficiencies in warehouse management can sometimes be the catalyst to start the devastating cycle of imploded share values in motion.

To prevent supply chain disruptions at the warehouse level, you need an automated solution which can speed up processes while simultaneously reducing error. And that’s exactly what our warehouse barcode label solutions provide. Durable, readable labels, completely customized to your needs, are the foundation for more efficient processes.

A customized warehouse label solution will help you reduce waste, streamline the flow of shipping and receiving and keep a firm grasp on space utilization. All of these drastically reduce the likelihood of a supply chain disruption originating from your facility. Instead of losing valuable relationships by starting a domino effect of supply chain disruption, you can strengthen relationships with clients and vendors by providing an added safeguard against unexpected disruptions with a warehouse management system that includes durable warehouse labels.

If you think asset tags and asset tracking are only for large corporations and major industry players, you’re not alone. Many small business owners don’t consider asset tags as a viable solution, thinking that the upfront investment is too significant for a small entity. But what many don’t realize is that asset tags are an investment that pays off handsomely in terms of both productivity and profits.

Asset Tags are a Scalable Solution for Small Business

Asset tags are a scalable solution. While your company may be still in its early stages, you may not have the same volume of physical assets as a major enterprise. But implementing an asset tagging and tracking system now means you don’t have to re-evaluate your tracking methods as your company grows. You can simply scale up your investment to accommodate increased physical assets.

Save Time and Increase Productivity

Even within a small organization, it can be difficult to physically track down the location of an important asset you need for a sales presentation, such as a PowerPoint projector. But if you’re using asset tags, the task becomes simple and you save time – leaving you more time to prepare and plan to make a big impression on your potential client.

Evaluating Your Current Assets: Simplified

Say one of your company laptops has been infected with malware. Suddenly, you need to evaluate what assets your organization has and which ones have been connected to the company mainframe to adequately address the problem. This is a task that could take your IT department several days – in the meantime, allowing hackers the opportunity to continue to infiltrate your network and access important data.

With asset tracking, you can instantly pull up a list of company assets as well as the location of each. Your IT manager can then more readily take action to remove threats from each device, protecting your company’s valuable proprietary data.

Protect Against Theft and Loss

Lost and stolen equipment isn’t just an issue facing large entities. Small businesses, which often don’t have the vast resources large corporations do, can be impacted more significantly by a small loss or accidental damage to an asset.

Asset tags deter theft and make it simpler to locate physical assets. If you work across geographically diverse areas or have multiple office locations, asset tags reduce the likelihood that you’ll need to replace an asset simply because you can’t track down its location when you need it.

Optimize Your Processes in the Early Stages

When your business is still small, many tasks are more easily manageable. As your company grows, you’ll obtain more assets and have more resources. Because people are naturally resistant to change, the re-training process can take longer and may even create strife among team members.  Introducing a scalable asset tag solution in the early stages of your business reduces these growing pains and provides the foundation for easy expansion without a complete process overhaul.

Asset tags are a valuable solution for large entities which have amassed large quantities of physical assets. But the same benefits apply to small business, offering a scalable solution which can grow with your company – and the productivity you need today to take your business to the next level tomorrow.

Asset Tracking Using Asset Tags and Asset Labels

One of the primary advantages of using asset tags is increased productivity, often encompassing all facets of your organization – and, it’s a benefit that extends across all industries. If you’re wondering if asset tags can enhance your company’s efficiency, here’s how.

Streamline Your Inventory Management

Clearly, asset tags and tracking systems can reduce the manual strains on inventory management. Instead of physically counting assets and monitoring them throughout the lifespan, asset tags automate the process.

A simple scan of a barcode can transfer an asset’s known location from one department to another, reducing the likelihood of human error in continuous tracking. This is especially useful in industries which have shipping and receiving needs or a continuous flow of assets throughout geographically diverse areas.

Optimize Processes through Efficient Resource Allocation

Project planning is far more efficient with asset tags. The accurate and up-to-date nature of records obtainable with an asset tracking system makes the job of a project manager much simpler. You can easily see which assets are available, track current locations, and get a broad overview of how efficiently your organization is utilizing its assets. Technology makes the otherwise tedious task of manually planning out asset needs for a future project, drastically reducing project planning time and reducing planning errors.

Eliminate Excessive Assets

Typically, standard inventory control procedures result in excessive assets from time to time, which ties up capital and physical inventory space. Because inventory processes are much more efficient, it’s easier to identify excessive assets and plan orders more efficiently. This is most commonly applied to the warehousing industry, when physical storage space is the catalyst for increased revenue. When your inventory control managers can more efficiently plan space utilization, you can accommodate more stock – and thus boost the bottom line.

But it’s not just the warehousing industry which can benefit from a reduction in excessive assets. Enterprises often maintain additional assets to compensate for inefficient allocation processes. Because asset tags improve resource allocation, this need is also frequently reduced when a company adopts an asset tagging system.

Up-to-Date Information at Your Fingertips

Using asset tags means finding the most accurate information isn’t a matter of searching through various files or finding the most recent documentation. The seamless scanning process can automatically update company-wide records. An employee searching for the status of a single asset in a different location will be able to obtain accurate data without the need to make phone calls and uncover the location of a particular resource.

Proper Asset Identification Ensures Accurate Pricing, Reduces Counterfeiting

B2B and B2C retailers can drastically enhance productivity and reduce loss using asset tags and barcode labels. Asset tags create a unique identifier which is assigned solely to a single asset, meaning once that particular asset is sold, it’s out of the system. No more over-selling inventory or under-allocating resources. The cost savings for retailers can also be significant – not only are inventory processes more streamlined, but coupons using barcodes make counterfeiting practically impossible.

Asset tags enhance productivity across all industries. Whether you work in utilities, warehousing, health care or another industry, asset tags can provide the foundation for successful operations and streamlined processes – making your organization leaner and more efficient.