How to Choose an RFID Solution Provider - Impinj · PDF fileASK QUESTIONS Start by asking yourself the following questions: Will I need help with installation and service? ... 11 HOW

HOW TO CHOOSE AN RFID SOLUTION PROVIDER1™

FOUR EASY STEPS TO GET STARTED

How to Choose an RFID Solution Provider

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Step 1: Define Your Need

Step 2: Review Case Studies and Solution Briefs

Step 3: Define Your Team

Step 4: Consult with a RAIN RFID Platform Provider

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Introduction

Choosing the right RAIN RFID solution provider to help solve your business needs may seem daunting, and no doubt many questions will arise throughout the vetting process. Questions like how do I integrate a solution into my current infrastructure, do I need custom software, and where can I find a solution provider that understands both RAIN RFID and my specific business or industry?

By carefully evaluating your project needs, choosing the best hardware for your application and partnering with the right solution provider, a full deployment can be easily accomplished.

This e-book outlines four steps businesses should take when choosing a RAIN RFID solution provider.


Define Your Need

Step 1


WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Clearly defining and documenting your business needs, both

short- and long-term, before choosing a solution provider

ensures that the solution will actually solve your needs. As part

of this discovery process, identify your business problems and

the types of data you need to collect—and who needs access

to that data. Will the data be consumed only by your facility or

will other locations or supply chain partners need access to

the data? Will you use the data to only update your inventory

system or will the merchandising team also use the data to

guide product decisions?

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Once you’ve identified your business problems and the

types of data you need to collect, you can begin researching

products and solutions for your deployment. For businesses

in industries with broad application needs (from inventory

management to customer experience) like retail and

healthcare, it’s important to develop your solution based on a

RAIN RFID platform – a set of hardware and software products

that support multiple hardware configurations, data collection

options and solutions, as well as flexibility and scalability as

additional application development occurs.

| STEP 1


For example, retailers looking to increase their inventory

accuracy may initially integrate an inventory intelligence

solution, but could have long-term needs that require

extending capabilities to other applications like interactive

customer experiences or loss prevention systems. Similarly,

a hospital could initially choose a solution built on a RAIN

RFID platform to decrease costs by enabling inventory

tracking, but could leverage that infrastructure in the future

to enable staff locationing and improve patient queuing and

flow throughout the facility.

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

When choosing a scalable solution, it’s important to note

that the data collected in one application may be used in

another future application, further cementing the need to

develop all applications on a compatible product platform.

Once business needs have been clearly defined, obtain

buy-in at the executive level on the project scope to

efficiently move forward.

| STEP 1


Review Case Studies and Solution Briefs

Step 2


REAL-LIFE DEPLOYMENTS

With business needs clearly defined, begin reviewing case

studies and solution briefs to identify the types of solutions

deployed in your industry. Case studies and solution briefs also

give insight into the benefits of choosing a RAIN RFID platform,

which can help strengthen a deployment business case.

Reviewing these documents will also help narrow down what

kind of solution should be deployed, and help you to understand

the types of hardware and software that will be needed in both

current and future integrations.

FIND CASE STUDIES

A simple Google search is a great way to

start. There are online publications like

RFID Journal and RFID 24-7 that provide

countless articles on solution providers and

customer success stories. Many RAIN RFID

platform providers, like Impinj, also have

resource centers filled with case studies

and solution briefs that highlight solution

providers. Industry analysts like ChainLink

and IDTechEx are another great source of

information, and can provide insight into

market and implementation strategy.

| STEP 2


Define Your Team

Step 3


FILL THE GAP

By assessing the skillset of your team, you can begin to identify

what gaps will need to be filled, either by a solution provider or

outside help like a consultant.

ASK QUESTIONS

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

Will I need help with installation and service?

Do I need a proof of concept installation to prove the solution, or am I ready to move to a pilot or full deployment?

Do I want software in a box, on-going software support, or custom development work?

Would hiring a consultant help identify further needs? Consultants offer a variety of services including needs analysis, ROI calculations, site surveys, proof of concept and pilot designs, and more.

| STEP 3


BUILD YOUR TEAM

Your team should consist of people that provide the skills

of program managers, business analysts, IT specialists and

software developers. The skills on your team will help dictate

the solution provider you choose. For example, if your team has

strong software skills, you might hire a solution provider with

strong RF engineering skills to evaluate tag suppliers and install

RAIN readers. But if you need software integration support, you

may choose to hire a provider that can integrate RAIN platform

middleware with existing backend systems, as well as identify

the proper RF components.

| STEP 3


Consult with a RAIN Platform Provider

Step 4


A PLATFORM FOR ALL SOLUTIONS

By choosing to develop your solution on a RAIN RFID platform,

rather than a piecemeal set of products, you can deploy a

solution, at once or over time, consisting of multiple applications

built on one infrastructure. For example, in retail you may start

with an application providing improved inventory accuracy, then

add a loss prevention application later using the same RAIN

RFID data. And, as your solution needs evolve and deployment

requirements change, a platform allows the flexibility to change

solution providers.

Besides compatibility, scalability and flexibility, using a platform

also allows for data sharing across applications and throughout

an organization. A RAIN RFID platform allows all applications in a

solution to feed data from all read points into a backend system.

With shared data, the types of applications you can build and

processes you can improve are endless.

| STEP 4


Impinj is the leading provider of RAIN RFID technology,

and offers the only integrated set of hardware, software

and application interfaces. This platform delivers superior

performance, platform interoperability, and the best reliability

and data integrity across every element. Impinj has a strong

partner network of solution providers – both system integrators

and independent software vendors - that have been vetted as

RAIN RFID technology and industry experts.

| STEP 4

Ready to find the solution provider that’s right for you?

Our team of experts can help.

REQUEST AN APPLICATION CONSULTATION

WWW.IMPINJ.COM

http://hubs.impinj.com/free-rfid-consultation

www.impinj.com

Documents

How to Choose an RFID Solution Provider - Impinj · PDF fileASK QUESTIONS Start by asking yourself the following questions: Will I need help with installation and service? ... 11 HOW