November 24, 2005
RFID in the public sector
Along with the private sector, the public sector has also launched several initiatives for RFID deployment. The three most prominent cases of RFID deployment in the public sector include the Department of Defense, The Food and Drug Administration, and the Animal Identification Program by the Department of Agriculture.
The RFID initiative of the DoD is the most comprehensive till date. DoD has mandated that its 60,000 suppliers start using passive RFID tags on their shipments by 2007. DoD’s objective in implementing RFID is to increase visibility in its supply chain process so as to better support the globally spread US army.
The FDA’s RFID initiative has resulted in the pharmaceutical sector emerging as the single largest implementer of RFID among all the vertical markets. The mandates by the federal government and the states to the pharmaceutical companies require the implementation of automatic identification technologies for improved monitoring of the supply chain. The pharmaceutical industry has a strong business case for implementing RFID as the drugs are a high-value product that needs to have its authenticity and integrity protected at all costs.
The animal-ID program that is progressing under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture will help animal health officials to keep track of animals and animal food products. This is important to maintain high standards for the export markets. The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) will enable identification of all the animals in selected species by using RFID. The U.S Department of Agriculture will maintain a database of the records that will help animal health officials to segregate diseased animals.
--
Did you enjoy this post?
