IUID Blog

The brave men and women who serve our country in the face of danger know the true meaning of the term “readiness.”  In laymen terms readiness is knowledge of what you have, where it is, and whether it is ready for use.  For most of us that means the chain saw is in the garage and the last time we checked it was in working order.  But the term takes on a whole new meaning for those who are deployed for patrol through the unpredictable and dangerous streets of Afghanistan.  The need for that level of readiness is something most of us will never experience. (Read More)

This week the UDI (Unique Device Identification) proposed rule was released by the FDA. This represents a significant step forward for the FDA in managing medical devices throughout their lifecycle. Feedback from the community will come over the next 120 days. (Read More)

As I emerged from the cool, marble-floored corridors of the US Senate chambers into the sweltering heat of DC, only one thought came to mind – success! The past 24 hours had been filled with endless final preparation. Is the agenda perfect? Are the introductions scripted? Will I get the titles correct? Are the demonstrations ready?  (Read More)

AIM’s UID Supplier Alliance (USA) is hosting what may turn out to be a pivotal event in IUID adoption. Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who understands the broad spectrum benefits of  IUID and has a particular interest in the problem of counterfeit parts in the military supply chain, has been instrumental in helping to support “Budget Cuts, Counterfeiting and Barcodes” to be held on June 19th in Washington, DC.  (Read More)

I shared my thoughts in a wide ranging interview with Rick Morgan for the new issue of SCAN: The Data Capture Report. Regarding the newly issued GAO Report on IUID, I said that I feel the GAO did a very good job of providing a broad perspective on IUID within the military services. I also mentioned that the services are looking for benefits beyond marking and registering items. Certainly that has been our experience.  Military personnel with whom we work are seeing IUID as the tip of the proverbial iceberg. It is exciting when they recognize the power of serialized item management and begin to plan for streamlining of processes. That’s what IUID is all about – enabling a leaner, more efficient military.   (Read More)

Earlier this week the Senate Armed Services Committee released its Report on Counterfeit Electronic Parts.  Various news items have since carried the sobering facts that counterfeit electronic parts from China are “flooding” into U.S. military systems, risking the performance and reliability of critical defense systems.  

Committee Chairman Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., launched the year-long investigation along with the committee’s Ranking Member Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Levin is quoted as saying, “Our report outlines how this flood of counterfeit parts, overwhelmingly from China, threatens national security, the safety of our troops and American jobs.” 

Senator McCain says, “Our committee’s report makes it abundantly clear that vulnerabilities throughout the defense supply chain allow counterfeit electronic parts to infiltrate critical U.S. military systems, risking our security and the lives of the men and women who protect it.”

IUID enables track and trace capability, a key building block to solving the counterfeit dilemma.  IUID’s machine readable code generates high quality data exchange throughout the supply chain. Furthermore, global serialized item identification, the very foundation of IUID, enables traceability and visibility into patterns of distribution that relate to origin, maintenance activity, and other lifecycle events for analysis across the value chain.  With that data, remedial action is immediately available.  

When teamed with a trust network of suppliers, IUID is a proven methodology that is available today to solve the troubling and growing counterfeit problem.  (Read More)

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)