Traceability Consultations

Site Assessment

ITS site assessments pay important attention to detail. Infrastructure changes needed and requirements for a successful traceability system installation are recorded. This includes current auction market unloading, penning, sorting, and sale procedures to assess the required changes to facility setup. Electrical RFID system requirements using a spectrum analyzer to analyze outside noise interference or “EMI” are standard practice for an assessment.

Physical Review and testing

When considering the use of RFID equipment, it can be difficult to predict the propagation of radio waves and detect the presence of interfering signals without conducting a site analysis. Every environment where RFID is to be installed can be expected to be different from an RF perspective. Interference from wireless networks, short-range radios, cordless phones, and other battery powered electrical implements (i.e. cattle stock prods) can dramatically and negatively affect RFID system performance. Sources of this interference can be behind walls, around corners, or otherwise hidden. ITS utilizes a software specifically for tracking Reader Interference Aleis Noise Logger with measures HDX and FDX interference.

System Design

There is not one solution that works for every set up. Not all livestock systems are set up to handle cattle in the same nature. Changes need to be made around business processes that will not impede the speed of commerce.

Government

ITS provides needs assessments with regard to disease for livestock co mingling areas such as: Auction Barns, Assembly Yards, Deadstock operators, Rodeo’s, Community Pastures, and Fairs. The needs are what drive whether a system will be required by the parties involved. For Other Livestock (Commingled) traceability they depend on: Disease containment, Speed of Commerce, Environment, and Cost of Systems, Economies of Scale, Incentives and Subsidies. Once the needs are identified, the ability to fulfill those needs is determined by measuring the gaps which are Government requirements and enforcements, cost of systems, Chain of custody issues, Data sharing, Data schemes, Agreements with other province, and countries, Incentive and disincentives.