Stadtwerke Kiel is Using RFID and Bar Code to Issue Tools and Equipment
Siemens has implemented the new Auto-ID solution for Stadtwerke Kiel (Kiel municipal utilities). Tools and equipment are labeled with RFID tags or bar codes, and readers are employed to capture all the necessary information for storage in a data base. This considerably reduces the amount of manual work necessary for Stadtwerke Kiel to manage its data.
A power drill, two bits and three sheets of sandpaper: The storekeeper collects together all the equipment the service employee needs for a particular job and uses a hand reader to scan in all the necessary data from the RFID tags (attached to larger tools) and bar codes (on smaller tools and consumables). The service employee borrowing the tools and equipment must then produce his ID card as identification. All this data is then stored in a local data base and transferred to the Stadtwerke’s central administration system. This procedure permits tools and equipment to be checked in and out in real-time with a minimum of effort. In addition, the storekeeper is informed whenever the minimum threshold value for a particular tool or consumable has been reached and can initiate any necessary reordering procedures.
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