The devil is in the detail: Manual ordering processes are error-prone and often lack transparency due to cumbersome email correspondence or Excel forms. Schreiner Group has now revolutionized the ordering process and developed a digital B2B closed-shop.

An automobile is made up of many single components. Barcode and RFID labels on logistics containers with flexible writability ensure that every part arrives at the right place at the right time. The extensive and complex ordering process for these labels used to largely involve the utilization of Excel forms. In a joint project of the Schreiner ProTech business unit, the technology and innovation management, IT and production departments and the Digital Solutions competence center, the customer’s need for digitalization were met. The result is a digital process with customizable labels and a digital tool to maximize the efficiency of the customer’s ordering process making manual ordering a thing of the past: the ordering process is now digitally supported via a B2B closed-shop as an ordering and configuration tool.

Due to access restrictions, the closed-shop solution offers a high level of security. Its usability is customer-friendly, taking cues from time-tested closed-shop systems. The user is intuitively guided through the ordering process and provided with a preview of the configured labels with individual data. Text content or colors of the labels can be exchanged with just a few clicks. Clear specifications of the number of digits and letters facilitate input. In addition, data consistency checks make the system less error-prone. The ordering process is easy to track, both internally and externally. That’s simplicity at its best.

Many city governments have begun to equip and register a wide variety of objects with RFID in areas ranging from garbage and sewage disposal to fleet management. In a Smart City, all relevant objects can be captured and represented in a database with all pertinent details. Schreiner Group supports renowned organizations engaged in the pursuit of Smart City applications in implementing the required RFID marking solutions and so accelerates the digital transformation of cities into Smart Cities

City governments are becoming increasingly receptive to digitalization by installing digital platforms enabling connected management of all objects, functions and services along with real-time analysis. Maximizing the integration of objects and sites makes significantly more efficient monitoring, control and optimization of workload and coordination times possible as well as enabling immediate response to faults and status deficiencies.

An optimal development of a truly flexible and comprehensive solution for larger cities requires central databases that store all the acquired information and make it available for diverse applications and analyses. The technical prerequisites must exist and the required communications and transactional structure be developed for this purpose. Important in this context are secure transmission, storage and use of the data in ways that satisfy data protection requirements as well. Afterwards, all the objects to be captured are provided with a secure, unique identifier providing appropriate protection against unauthorized access and tampering.

An analysis of the current processes in terms of potentially used new and optimized processes following the integration into a Smart City Solution (SCS) is a basic prerequisite for generating a lasting financial and organizational benefit in addition to enhanced visibility of the functions. Examples include reliable workflow, faster handling and more sustainable logistics as well as a reduction of manpower requirements for monitoring and documentation.

All objects, services, checks, monitoring and documentation functions are based on the acquisition of a unique code on the objects or processes. This individual marking allows every tracking point to be captured and automatically communicated. In addition, a status update of the most recent activity can be stored on the object itself or data pertaining to the object or servicing of the object can additionally be stored or adjusted on-site. RFID labels provide the ideal basis for ensuring that these requirements are optimally met. The chip enables a high level of security to be achieved due to a unique and encrypted basic ID issued by the city government that every RFID label or RFID tag receives. This number is secured once and subsequently can no longer be modified or manipulated in a decentralized way. The remainder of the chip memory is available for individual use by the respective application. RFID offers an optimal option as a data storage medium because every object has its own address in the system. As in the case of the Internet of Things (IoT), every object is part of a digital Smart City network.

Today, RFID labels can be made available for all substrates and requirements and are easy to program, print and apply. Due to the low cost of the labels, practically all objects can be equipped with RFID without having to use costly RFID hardtags or active (battery-operated) RFID tags. Now available as well for RFID are secure solutions with encryptions protecting both the stored data and communications with the reading stations against unauthorized access.