September 13, 2005
RFID for monitoring the DoD supply chain
By applying the concepts of time and space to traditional RFID applications, it is possible to understand the workings of a supply chain process in real time. DoD acknowledges the role that RFID can play in simplifying its supply chain. In fact, RFID has already been implemented since January 2005 for the supply of packaged operational rations, tools, clothing, etc. By January 2006, DoD mandates on RFID will cover almost all the military service depots.
At present, in order to monitor its supply chain, the DoD has 5 In-Transit Visibility (ITV) servers that accept data from more than 1,500 stations in 20 countries. The Joint Automatic Identification Technology of DoD is planning to implement a visual display that will pinpoint the exact location of the supplied at any given time.
By implementing animated 2-D and 3-D graphics, it will become possible to comprehend large amounts of data quickly; this is because the human mind is more adept at processing information when it is presented in a visual manner. Thus, by implementing information visualization techniques correctly, DoD hopes to improve the scope of its monitoring, recognize trends in a better manner, and reduce time taken to search and locate. This should ultimately lead to quicker decision making and improved communication.
Visualization techniques display information in terms of either time or geography. Examples of time-based scheduling include Lifelines whereas ESRI ArCView gives a dimensional distribution of events. Directionsmag reports:
Spatial time-tracks make possible the visualization of where and when. They are the primary organizing elements that support the display of events in time and space within a single view. Time-tracks represent a stream of time through a particular Location and are represented as a literal line in space. Each unique location of interest will have one spatial timeline that passes through it.
Read More: Geo-Temporal Visualization of RFID
--
Did you enjoy this post?
« Understanding RFID tagging mandates before implementing RFID | Main | RFID as an infrastructural technology »
