Information system

Anthony Palermo, Director of Business Development for Academia RFID, explains the company was created in order to deliver educational programs that addressed some very specific needs for logistics professionals that were not being served in today’s market. “There has been a very steady increase in RFID adoption. But this was leading to two major problems for businesses – getting the right level of technology and business expertise.”
   He notes that a major challenge on the educational front is that there are simply not enough skilled, certified professionals around who understand the physical aspects of the technology and configuring the equipment. “They have no idea in terms of what vendors to approach and what applications are necessary for their internal processes,” says Palermo. “What is the physics behind RFID? What specifics do they need to know to understand what technology is right for what type of operation?”
   The second piece of the RFID puzzle – and perhaps one of the most overlooked in the industry – is gaining an understanding of the return on investment and business value of RFID. “With RFID it’s not a case of whether there is an ROI, it’s a matter of knowing where to find it,” he says. “That’s not easy if you don’t know where to look.”
   After extensive market research, the Academia RFID began to build up a curriculum of offerings to help organizations and individuals develop the technology and business expertise needed to get the most out of their RFID investments. Today it offers an ever-increasing range of business- focused courses taught by a dedicated group of university level instructors.
   As the only RFID training centre in Canada and one of only a handful in North America, Palermo says, Academia RFID stands apart from the rest because of its strong business focus. “Most offer RFID training for technology’s sake. What we offer is a business perspective on the whole issue and focus on training people on what the technology is and how it will solve business problems. Whether it’s looking at item or case level applications, or barcode replacement programs, people need to understand the business basics, how to invest wisely and how to build a long-term RFID strategy that will improve logistics efficiency and productivity.”
   He notes that there are many unexpected problems that companies face when seeking RFID solutions. For example, there can be tag reading conflicts related to shipping to different countries. Also, few professionals know how to perform important preliminary functions such as proper site surveys and assessments. “Businesses must understand that RFID is disruptive. It will affect shipping, receiving, inventory, security and EDI systems, business processes – it’s critical that people understand all that before they implement a solution or it will likely fail. Once they find where the return on investment is, then they can take the next step – which is implementing it.”
   Adopting a business approach to a tricky technology seems to have taken hold with businesses around the world. According to Palermo, inquiries have been coming from many countries, and instructors often travel to France, Africa and Asia to deliver on-site courses. In 2007, Academia trained a total of 1,100 people – 40% of which were international customers – and projections are that the number will grow significantly in 2008.