RFID for DoD: Department of Defense Mandates

RFID is an acronym almost all contractors with the Department of Defense must be familiar with. For almost every type of item shipped to the DoD, RFID labels must be attached to the packaging, so the items can be read and accounted for in the DoD warehouses. It can seem overwhelming at first to deal with all the DoD's regulations and requirements regarding RFID, but this overview will hopefully set contractors in the right direction.

RFID 101

RFID stands for "Radio-Frequency Identification." RFID tags use radio waves to send information to  special RFID readers. While RFID tags are often compared to bar codes because both types of technology involve transmitting information such as serial numbers to a reader, RFID is different in some important ways. RFID is capable of holding and transmitting even more information than a bar code. Another important diference is RFID's readability. Bar codes require that the reader face them and have direct access to them, while RFID can be read as long as its within a certain range of the reader. RFID and bar codes both ultimately fulfill different labeling needs. 

DoD mandates 

The RFID requirement is referenced under FARS 252.211-2006. To sum it up simply, everything that isn't sold in bulk such as gravel or liquids must be tagged. In addition, if the liquid or anything else is placed in a barrel or container, then that container must be tagged. The rule of thumb that holds almost always true is if it can be tagged, it must be tagged.

WAWF

WAWF stands for Wide Area Work Flow. It is the software connected to creating RFID tags for the DoD that makes sure that each number is unique and can be recognizes by the Department of Defense. 

Options

For contractors looking to do business with the DoD and their RFID mandates for the first time, there are a couple of options for acquiring tags. The first option is to buy pre-printed, pre-made RFID tags from a provider such as SimplyRFiD. This options works when the contractor only needs a few tags, or only needs them occassionally. 

The second option involves buying an in-house printer so contractors can print their own tags whenever they need them. This can be an expensive initial investment, but can pay off in the long run if contractors print a lot of tags. SimplyRFiD also sells in-house RFID printer set-ups, as well as the software and support necessary to get them running smoothly.  

Getting started

Ready to start ordering or printing RFID tags? Scoot along to support.simplyrfid.com for more helpful RFID information, as well as contact information to get all the rest of your questions answer. 

Ashley Lange is public relations assistant for SimplyRFiD. Reach her at ashley.lange(at)simplyrfid.com.

Comments

[bame's software gear]

RFID "is used to tag everything that must be tagged". This technology will impose a revolution on security and systems management. But will this technology impose a great threat on human privacy too?

[Ashley Lange]

@bame'sRFID technology is only capable of threatening privacy if its users are capable of it. So really, you shouldn't be asking if RFID is the trouble, but if humans are.

As far as this application of RFID is concerned, it really has little to nothing to do with personal information or privacy.