A new inventory management system developed by TASC Inc. for the US Navy will allow Naval warehousing facilities to automatically count and locate RFID-tagged inventory in real time. The software platform integrates a radio frequency identification (RFID) system with an inventory management system.

"Good asset management is essential to the military supply chain, and this system is essentially ‘spell-check’ for inventory control," said Pat Talty, Mission Engineering Vice President at TASC. "The system will identify the shipment of the wrong items, or, if an item is misplaced, show you exactly where in the warehouse you can find it.”

Using a passive Radio Frequency (pRFID) Real Time Location System (RTLS), the solution automatically inventories stock count and locations for reconciliation. From automatic stock count and location queries, users receive real-time inventory reports and a three-dimensional graphical presentation of items' location in the warehouse. With the TASC system, users can resolve any discrepancies caused by human error and maintain a higher level of accuracy for both physical stock and database records.

"We know that warehouses with high levels of inventory management accuracy have lower operating costs, better ordering protocols and more efficient workflows for their employees," said Talty. "We expect the time savings alone will pay for the system in less than two years."

The TASC software team created and implemented the tool at the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technical Division warehouse in Indian Head, MD. Users were able to locate items tagged with pRFID tags in a scaled three-dimensional virtual warehouse. The solution was created in conjunction with RF Controls, who developed the Intelligent Tracking and Control System (ITCS®), a state-of-the-art pRFID system that uses innovative, bi-directional, electronically steerable phased-array antennas.