www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
RFID : The ‘Why?’, the ‘How?’ and moving forward
Mark Hughes
Head of Collections
Swansea University
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
Agenda
1.0 The initial questions
2.0 Knowing what you want - the specification
3.0 Procurement methods
4.0 The procurement process
5.0 Choosing a supplier
6.0 What happens next?
7.0 Lessons from experience
8.0 Future gazing…
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
1.0 The initial questions
Formalise ideas on:•Strategy•Resource•Timescale•Budget
Know:•why you want it•what you want•what you can commit to get it!
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/x/M/iraq_checklist.jpg
http://www.allposters.co.uk/-sp/Mom-Says-I-m-Cool-Posters_i1037548_.htm
http://junya17.wordpress.com/2009/03/
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
1.0 The initial questions
http://anmika.com/page_1237046631862.html
• Transformational technology• *Not* a 'Magic Bullet'• Staffing• Services• Customers / users• Environment•LMS• Holistic businesspPlan
Warning!: Innovation without a strategy may end in expensive failure! http://www.lboro.ac.uk/library/images/news/VC.jpg
http://www.cbb-middleware.com/ibit/Products_RFID_Library%20Management.htm
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
2.0 Knowing what you want – the specification
•Clear & comprehensive
•Functions as well as hardware
•Focus on function NOT process
•Standards (ISO 28560-2) / the
RFID Alliance / UK National Profile
•..the most critical part of the process..
http://www.donationcoder.com/Reviews/Archive/WordProcs/Screenshots/06-word07-spec.jpg
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
•There is no equivalent to
UKCS for RFID
•Start from scratch
•Shared information
• or use the Open RFID in
Libraries Specification (ORILS)
•Free under Creative
Commons license
http://groups.google.com/group/ORILS
2.0 Knowing what you want – the specification
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
2.0 Knowing what you want – the specification
• Background information
• Required hardware
• Required functionality
• Service expectations
• Training & support
• Future development
• Outline project plan
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
3.0 Procurement methods
•Depending on the budget..
•‘3 Quotes’
•Tender Process
•Other – Purchasing Consortia /
Frameworks
•European Tender
– Open
– Competitive Dialogue
•Talk to your procurement
department
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
4.0 The procurement process
•Minimum 82 day process, often 100+
•Pre Qualification Questionnaire - Optional
•‘Pre Tender Briefing’ – Optional
•Supplier demonstrations
•Written clarifications
•References & site visits
•Evaluation Criteria – ORILS
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
5.0 Choosing a supplier
http://youngmillionairegroup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/choices.jpg
•Selection criteria & scoring
•Fair / Equal / Transparent
•Partnership
•..long term development & support
•High cost = High quality?
•Cheapest = Best value?
•Which package suits YOUR
specific needs?
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
6.0 What happens next?
•Written notifications with scores &
winner's score
•10 day 'Standstill'
•Feedback opportunity
•Order / contracts exchange
•Project meetings
•Project plan with delivery dates
http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/images/
letterwriting_rdax_225x326.jpg
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
6.0 What happens next?
•Tags / tagging station delivery
•Tagging of stock
•Delivery of stock wand
•Installation of SSU's
•Installation of security gates
•Installation of sorter
•Training
•Go-live
•Post implementation support
•..test at every step!
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
•For you
– It doesn't stop here...
– 'Educating' users
– Supporting staff
– Snagging list / 'Tinkering'
– Probably stock management
– Future development
6.0 What happens next?
Sisyphus; Hans von Stuck, 1920
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
7.0 Lessons from experience
•The Good
– The tech bit is actually easy
– It’s got the ‘wow’ factor
– It does free up staff time
– Staff can be great advocates
– Users generally like it &
use it
– Machines can get lots of use
– Soon vital to service delivery
– Competitive supplier market
•The Bad
– ..but you need to do your research
– ..has the rest of your library?
– ..but not as much as you’d think
– ..but beware if they are negative
– .but they do need some guidance
– ..wear & tear – maintenance?
– ..what happens when it breaks down?
– ..caveat emptor
You can avoid most of this through good planning!
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
8.0 Future Gazing.. The marketplace
•ISO 28560 is a game-changer
•Supplier market will initially grow
•…then consolidate
•Tag prices will continue to fall
•Hardware prices will fall more
slowly
•Closer links to LMS suppliers
•RFID as a core service
The Portrait of Michel de Nostredame (Nostradamus), a French Renaissance Medicine & Astrologer, painted by his son César de Nostredame (1553-1630?) about 1614 A.D. 16cm x 18cm
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
8.0 Future Gazing.. The technology
•Competition will breed innovation
amongst suppliers
•..Smart Shelves, Intelligent
Displays, tunnel readers
•…the brick wall of SIP2
•New Comms standards
•User centered innovation
•..’the Internet of Things’
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
•LIB RFID UK mailing list
•https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=LIB-RFID-UK
• BIC / CILIP e4libraries
– http://www.bic.org.uk/e4libraries/11/RFID-/
• Mick Fortune's Blog
– http://www.mickfortune.com/Wordpress/
• ORILS website
http://groups.google.com/group/ORILS
• Richard Wallis’ recent presentations
•http://www.slideshare.net/rjw
8.0 Further Reading
www.swansea.ac.uk/lis
Thank You
Mark Hughes
http://twitter.com/Mark_H_Swansea
http://www.slideshare.net/Mark_H_Swansea