The Track and Trace Solutions division of 3M Corporation has announced the deployment of its RFID Tracking System at a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) base. The USMC base in Hawaii is using the solution at its Installation Personnel Administration Center (IPAC) to manage the base’s more than 8,000 personnel records, increasing efficiency in both the inventorying of records and the deployment of units.
The IPAC system places RFID tags on two specific types of records, Marines’ Service Record Books and Officer Qualification Records. These documents are moved frequently, both within the base and with Marines when they are deployed. The system places a 3M RFID Tracking Pad on each level of the IPAC facility to monitor the location of each records. Clerks can also use 3M RFID Handheld Tracker to search for items and verifying shelf orders, improving the efficiency of organizational tasks.
Base staff report that the inventorying process, one of their most time-intensive duties, has been improved greatly by the system. Staff estimate that the monthly inventory previously took up to a week and often required work on weekends; with the 3M system it can now be performed in two to three hours.
Base staff also hope the success the IPAC has reported will encourage the expansion of the system to the entire Marine Corps, allowing personnel records to be transported and tracked easily between bases. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/rfidnews-4.gif)
