Aucxis is an RFID integrator which automates business processes by implementing RFID solutions. They realize projects from A to Z, from analysis and development to integration.
In addition to the thorough knowledge of RFID hardware (readers and tags), Aucxis also develops in-house the underlying IT, middleware, interfaces and applications.
By integrating hardware, middleware and software, Aucxis creates innovative customized solutions for tracking & tracing, stock management, inventory, specialized access control, warehouse management, process control etc.
Interview with Jason Scrivens, Chief Innovation Officer & Business Unit Manager RFID at Aucxis
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Jason Scrivens: By integrating hardware, middleware and software, we create innovative customised solutions for tracking & tracing, stock management, inventory, specialised access control, warehouse management, process control etc.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
J.S: The numerous projects realised by Aucxis led to some standard solutions for specific activities: ATLAS Item Identification & Tracking, NOVA RFID Asset Management and METIS RFID Stock Management.
ATLAS Item Identification & Tracking
Automatic identification and localisation of your goods
ATLAS offers a unique combination of identification (load carriers) and localisation within a process flow in logistic environments. The intelligent use of RFID technology enables the full automation of intensive (manual) operations to trace and process goods. By reducing labour costs and increasing productivity, the workforce can be deployed for more customer-focused and strategic actions.
Why ATLAS RFID?
Accurate real-time info about your goods: what is located where?
Increased efficiency thanks to streamlined pick-up and drop-off.
Automation excludes human errors.
Manual scan actions are avoided.
NOVA RFID Asset Management
NOVA registers, localises and makes the inventory of your assets. Fast and accurately.
This smart solution tells you where your assets are located, enabling you to keep the overview at any time! NOVA’s innovative nature is to be found in the application of RFID technology and the flexible use of modules.
The modular structure of NOVA allows you to choose the formula which suits your needs best. In certain cases, a few handheld scanners and a management platform will be sufficient. In other cases, it would be useful to integrate RFID gates in order to be able to register large numbers of assets faster and accurately.
Web portal with POLARIS Asset Management Software
Via our POLARIS web portal an practical app, you manage and follow your assets in a transparent way. Via filtering, you quickly retrieve the exact desired information. The menu offers the following sections: inventorize, move, pick, load, ship, return, asset details, dashboard, locations, orders, tag linking, programming, printing, reports
METIS RFID Stock Management
METIS is an RFID solution for stock management, automatically monitoring and/or reordering all incoming and outgoing articles of a warehouse or storage room. Manual counting is no longer necessary. A saving of time, data security, user-friendliness for picking, replenishment and order processing are guaranteed.
The solution can be used as a stock management system based on RFID labels to be scanned or as an RFID Kanban system (empty/full concept). METIS offers a stand-alone order system and can also be used as a transparent module which transfers information to WMS/ERP/MES software.
Intelligent software
The Aucxis Middleware HERTZ ensures a correct data exchange between the RFID database and your internal WMS. Identified stock changes can be automatically processed as an order or transferred to the WMS. The METIS solution contains the necessary lists and filter modules enabling the administrator to view data in a quick and intelligent way and to perform stock monitoring.
With our POLARIS app or web portal, you can check the status and functioning of your warehouse in real time per box, as well as verify the entire order inventory.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
J.S: We feel that the digital transformation within companies has gained momentum over the past years. Technology adds a new dimension which companies should use to monitor and streamline their business and logistics processes, warehouses and inventories.
Companies which want to keep pace with the developments in the long term will need to embrace the new technologies and implement them in their existing processes.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
J.S: We notice an improvement in terms of RFID hardware: tags and readers are becoming more sensitive and offer more possibilities.
We are delivering more hybrid solutions to our customers. Combining technologies: RFID, Vision, BLE, HERTZ Middleware… helps companies to improve their supply chain operations and increase their data accuracy.
Take for example Coöperatie Hoogstraten, they adopted an RFID solution to automatically track individual cartons of strawberries from the farm to the end customer. By combining vision and RFID technology they are able to provide customers with accurate information about the farm their strawberries came from. The also save time by eliminating barcode scanning and increase processing speed with fewer errors.
Other trends in the market are:
Just-in-time manufacturing, having the right parts, at the right place, at the right time so you can produce your product. RFID can help to improve the asset tracking throughout manufacturing processes. It is a unique opportunity for companies to not only track their end products, but track all materials and assets and create real-time visibility into the entire process.
End-to-end visibility becomes also more important. RFID solutions enable suppliers to enhance visibility into their supply chain, better manage their stock, and keep track of the arrival date, batch number, and expiration date of every product. Additionally, data from RFID solutions can provide insight for how to improve processes, reduce overall costs, and boost safety and brand reputation.
Fashion retail adapt their processes with RFID in order to keep up with their clients’ needs with an accurate inventory tracking.
Machine learning algorithms in a ‘Smart RFID gate’ that make it possible to distinguish tag reads of goods passing through the gate (item level) at a loading dock from waiting or passing goods. This will prevent RFID gates with a high reading range will be faced with incorrect or unwanted detections.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
J.S: Ultra-small Minidome U8 RFID inlays for pharma applications from Avery Dennison Smarttrac.
As the smallest product currently on the market RFID inlay meets the needs of a wide range of pharmaceutical item-level packaging solutions. A high value for healthcare, pharmacies, and laboratory RFID asset management.
Wiliot’s Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel tags, compared with conventional Bluetooth beacons, Wiliot’s new battery-assisted beacon features extremely low power consumption that enables longer lifetime in a smaller form factor. They are also thinner (1.3mm at its thickest), lower cost, and more physically flexible – so they can easily attach to products on a production line at speed and in volume using a label applicator.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
J.S: End-to-end item-level visibility will become even more important. RFID data will be combined with information from partners up and down the value chain, in order to gain complete end-to-end visibility on individual items that is necessary to verify product origins, ensure recycling or increasing safety in production.