IUID Blog

The UID Forum in Atlanta was small by some conference standards, but the level of knowledge by those in attendance continues to grow at an impressive rate. There was an unmistakable urgency expressed by attendees who know that IUID is far more than another DoD mandate. Since I first blogged about smartphones and Auto ID in November 2010, they have gained momentum in everyday use. One reason for this is that they connect us to the “grid” in a valuable yet personal way. (Read More)

The long awaited GAO report on IUID was published late last week. From my viewpoint, as a commercial provider, the GAO has honed in on areas that require considerable DoD attention. To summarize, these include the following: (Read More)

A2B hosted a well-attended Executive Breakfast during the Forum. At that meeting I drew a parallel between two waves of bar code, the older UPC and the newer IUID. The former undeniably revolutionized the grocery and general retail supply chain by enabling tighter inventory control, instant price look-up, automatic product resupply, product batch and lot traceability, efficient item return processing and last but not least, in excess of billions of dollars in cost savings annually. (Read More)

A2B will be hosting an Executive Briefing Breakfast again this year at the UID Forum in Atlanta on Thursday, April 12^th.  We have held these events for the past few years and we’ve received feedback that it’s one of the most valuable sessions from the conference.  We plan to make this year’s breakfast briefing even better.  (Read More)

An October 13, 2011, DoD-wide memorandum, issued by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, directed the Department to accelerate key elements of the FIAR (Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness) Plan and to place greater emphasis on achieving key priorities. One of those priorities is effective management of mission critical assets, utilizing the unique item identifier to prove mission critical items’ existence, location, type, status and custody.  (Read More)

The need for property accountability for our US Department of Defense is extraordinary.  The thinking is simple: how can you budget and maintain equipment when you don’t know what you’ve got in the first place?  Mark an item, scan the item, and identify the location or custodian.  As we progress through 2012 we’ll see more legacy equipment accountability and inventory control application of IUID. (Read More)

Property accountability, a phrase that the Department of Defense uses frequently, is tough to understand.  I like to use a more simple reference:  “What do I have and where is it?”  IUID and barcode technology do a tremendous job of answering those questions, whether in a unit, a company or an enterprise.  (Read More)

We all wait in anticipation of “the rule.”  John Crowley, Senior Advisor for Patient Safety, Center for Devices and Radiological Health for the FDA, joked at the beginning of the UDI conference in November that we’re only two weeks away from releasing the rule and have been for almost six months now.  That became the running joke for the conference that often had the audience in hysterics. (Read More)

Over the past two years veterans have played a key role in A2B’s success.  All of us at A2B Tracking Solutions send a sincere thank you those veterans along with the 1.5 million men and women who are actively serving our country in every corner of the globe. Your sacrifice, like our gratitude, is beyond words. To all veterans and reservists who down through the decades have protected the freedoms we take for granted, thank you.    (Read More)

If you have ever doubted that accounting for personal property and equipment within the military is a hot topic, then take some time to watch this video from the House Armed Service Committee. (Read More)