The starting point
Start with the object you need to identify, the surface available for attachment and the conditions the tag must pass through. A windshield label, a paper/PET label, a PCB on-metal tag and a textile tag address different mounting briefs. Shortlist the documented construction, confirm the radio variant and encoding requirements, then compare samples on the actual item with the intended reader. A loose-tag demonstration or an advertised read distance is not an acceptance record for your installation.
Describe the tagged item before choosing the chip
Record whether the identifier belongs to a tool, carton, vehicle, reusable container or textile item. GS1 explains that metal and liquids change RFID performance and that dedicated tag designs can address some of those conditions. Treat a material label as a starting point for evaluation: include the attachment surface, nearby contents and permitted tag positions in the brief.
- Photograph the actual item and mark the available mounting area.
- Identify metal surfaces, liquid contents, glass and any changeable packaging.
- Specify whether the tag identifies one item, a group of goods or a reusable carrier.
Match the attachment to the operating process
Compare the quoted dimensions and mounting method with the physical space on the item. The catalog examples below list self-adhesive, screw and thread-installation formats. Describe cleaning, abrasion, removal and replacement as requirements to confirm; do not assume that a material name establishes an adhesive's service life, a wash-cycle guarantee or suitability for every surface.
- Provide the usable length, width and clearance around the attachment.
- Describe surface preparation, cleaning agents and operating stages for quotation review.
- Agree how a damaged tag or replacement label is associated with the existing item record.
Confirm the variant and identifier requirements
Use the installation country and the intended reader configuration when requesting the exact tag variant. Published frequency and protocol fields describe the source reference; they do not establish that every offered variant has the same regional configuration or approvals. Specify the identifier to encode, any printed human-readable code and the receiving system's import or verification procedure before approving the quantity.
- Confirm the quoted radio variant with the installation country and reader documentation.
- Request the chip and memory configuration needed for the project's encoding scheme.
- Define who writes, checks and replaces identifiers, including duplicate or unreadable labels.
Compare samples as tagged items
Keep the actual object, attachment position and reader arrangement in the comparison record. GS1's Tagged-Item Performance Protocol provides a controlled testing methodology; an operational pilot must also cover your movement, neighboring goods and exception decisions. Agree the expected observation and acceptance criteria before collecting results, and retain failures alongside successful reads.
- Test the intended mounting positions and representative item orientations.
- Include the relevant load, packaging and handling conditions using a documented reader setup.
- Separate the proposed trial, observed result and purchasing decision in the worksheet below.
Keep a tagged-item sample record.
Use one row for each candidate tag, object and mounting arrangement. Define the planned observation and acceptance criterion before entering any measured result.
Fields to retain
Trial ID · Catalog code and quoted variant · Object and material · Attachment method and position · Reader and antenna configuration · Movement or handling condition · Expected observation · Acceptance criterion · Observed result · Issue and next decision
- Use representative objects, packaging and mounting positions for each candidate.
- Keep the reader configuration and trial conditions with the observations.
- Leave results blank until the trial is performed; retain missed or unintended observations.
This is a planning template. Empty fields are not test results or evidence of a completed RAVODEX deployment.
Common questions
Can a general paper RFID label be used directly on metal?+
Do not assume that a general label is suitable for a metal attachment. GS1 identifies dedicated on-metal designs as a way to address metallic objects. Request a tag documented for the intended surface and compare representative mounted samples; the tag's dimensions, mounting position and surrounding objects still need review.
Which catalog tag has the longest read range?+
The available product references use different stated readers, conditions and read-distance descriptions, so they are not a common performance test. Choose the attachment and configuration first, then compare the shortlisted tags on the same representative objects with the intended reader and agreed acceptance criteria.
What should I include in a tag sample or quotation request?+
Include the installation country, item material, available mounting area, attachment preference, quantity and intended reader. Add the encoding or printing requirements and relevant cleaning or handling stages. Use a catalog reference if you have a shortlist; otherwise describe the item so the team can review the available options.