RFID takes off with Virgin

The study, which included Printronix RFID-enabled printers, was intended to evaluate the impact of RFID technology on accuracy, efficiency and accountability in the company’s central logistics, maintenance and engineering departments. Says Graham Holford, senior system analyst at Virgin Atlantic: “The trial received positive feedback from the users involved, as well as offering some measurable benefits. We were able to demonstrate that, should the RFID/mobile technology processes replace Virgin Atlantic’s existing ones, then task time would be substantially reduced.” Virgin Atlantic has a fleet of 33 aircraft based at London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports, and operates long haul services to 26 destinations world-wide as far apart as Las Vegas and Shanghai – hence the requirement for accuracy and accountability in its scheduled maintenance. The decision to pilot RFID at Heathrow was about finding ways to increase competitiveness and cut operational costs, while also taking opportunities for increased efficiency and risk reduction in the spare parts supply chain. Additional anticipated benefits included an increased ability to comply with traceability guidelines concerning aircraft components from the European Aviation Safety Agency and integration with RFID specifications proposed by Boeing and Airbus. “Working closely with Tata Consulting Services and Oracle, we chose to partner with Printronix after considering other RFID printer manufacturers,” says Holford. “The technology and support offered by Printronix was unparalleled in terms of reliability and professionalism. In addition, the company was able to work to a quite aggressive timeframe of under five months from initial meeting to full trial rollout.