RFID File Tracking & Management

RFID File Tracking & Document Management

In some businesses, documents are the most critical assets. In this age of technology, most documents can be stored electronically, but some original, hard-copy documents are required to be kept for a certain length of time. Even if hard-copies are not required to be kept, some businesses prefer keeping originals with signatures for authentication purposes. Businesses or government agencies or branches that store these hard-copy documents are usually managing these paper assets with barcodes and handwritten notations. Without any other available management options, these techniques might have been adequate in the early 2000’s, but with new technology comes new, superior solutions.

Rather watch then read? Checkout our File Tracking Playlist on YouTube by clicking the button below. This Playlist is made up of 9 videos, that average a little over a minute each that walk you through recommended RFID tags, how to tag files, file placements, important factors to consider, real world examples, and capabilities of RFID File Tracking.

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Examples of Document Tracking

Drawings & Designs

Legal Documents

Patient Records

What Type of RFID is Recommended for File Tracking?

Most successful RFID file tracking applications utilize UHF RFID. The reason that UHF RFID is more successful than High Frequency (HF) and Low Frequency (LF) is that UHF tags have a much longer read range relative to tags in these other operating frequencies. In addition, UHF RFID readers can read thousands of tags per second, while HF and LF readers are much slower, reading about 1-2 tags per second. When locating a specific file in a room or large area, UHF’s longer read range can be key to a successful application.

How Does File Management / Tracking with RFID Work?

Typically, each document or file is tagged with a uniquely encoded RFID tag. This tag data is then associated with a particular file via software, and that data is stored in a database. When the file or document needs to be found, the database can be queried for the file’s information, and the associated EPC number can be copied to a handheld RFID reader. The handheld reader then uses it’s Geiger Counter functionality to accurately locate the file within the room or area.

Within What Range Can You Find a Specific Tagged Document?

There are two facets to this question. The first is, from how far away can you detect a tagged file, and the second is, at what distance can the reader distinguish between tagged items?

The read range that a tag can be read and its data sent back to the reader depends on hardware, tags, and the application environment, like all RFID applications. Generally speaking, a conservative estimate for a handheld reader using the Geiger Counter functionality to find a file tagged with a Smartrac Dogbone, is about 5-10 feet in an ideal environment.

An RFID handheld can usually still distinguish between two tags at touch, which means that the Geiger Counter functionality will still be useful to detect the correct file within centimeters.

What Type of UHF Tags are Recommended for Files and Documents?

UHF RFID labels or inlays are typically recommended because they are thin, lightweight, and very cost-efficient, especially in high volumes. Take a look below at some of the RFID labels and inlays currently being used in successful RFID file tracking applications.