How to verify the content of a barcoded asset identification tag

SageData is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Warehouse Management, Inventory, Tool Crib, and Inspection Systems from SageData Solutions can help make completing routine tasks fast and easy. But before you can reap the rewards, someone has to make a small investment - by taking the time to apply Identification Tags to the items to be managed. And this is a key step. Any errors in the application of the tags will show up as errors in the future reports.

Depending on the size of the inventory, the application of tags can take some time, and of course it offers the opportunity for error. To help avoid errors, the validator enables process to be checked and correct labelling to be confirmed.

How does it work?

This is usually an application running on the MU (Mobile Unit). At any time, the tag can be read. Visual and audio feedback is provided to confirm pass or fail.

Information is passed back to the workstation, and information can be aggregated from several MU to show the overall compliance of all tags used in the system. The report will show a range of failures, and the number of tags failing each requirement.

What does the validator validate?

The validator is configured to the requirements of each system, but can check the following…
- Confirms that the tag is legible, and that there is no interference from nearby items
- The data encoded in the tags may include an “envelope”, a standard set of characters surrounding the core data, and used to confirm compliance with an external standard, such as that used by NATO. The validator confirms compliance with the envelope.
- The validator can check the core data, can confirm that it conforms to specified format (length and character type)
- The validator may be able to decode the core data, and look up the linked information from a related file or files. This acts as a secondary check on the integrity of the data from the master file.

Reporting

The validator provides an immediate report on each individual tag as it is scanned.
There is audio feedback to alert the user when a tag fails one of the tests.
Information is passed back and consolidated to give an overall picture of compliance across all tags measured.

Conclusion

The validator is helpful by either providing an independent confirmation that all scanned tags are compliant with the specification, or by identifying tag errors so that they can be resolved before testing of the overall system begins…

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