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Argenti Lemon SA, an Argentinian fruit producer, is using an RFID system to track the labor productivity of its employees while picking lemons. The system, provided by integrator and software company Noanet, is also used by Argenti Lemon to manage payroll and to track inventory when processing and shipping shipments.
traditional management methods
Argenti Lemon is one of the largest growers and exporters of citrus fruits in Argentina. The company operates 24 plantations across the country and employs about 2,000 workers to pick the fruit, picking up to 3,500 boxes of lemons a day.
Previously, the company used traditional manual methods to manage employee productivity and corresponding pay scales. Workers pick the best quality lemons and put them in baskets, which are then checked and weighed by managers in the orchard. The administrator manually wrote down the worker’s name and the weight of the fruit picked on a piece of paper. The paper is then brought back to the office, where the information on it is entered into a computer, and employees’ wages are calculated based on the amount of lemons picked.
Obviously, manual recording is labor-intensive. In addition, some workers will send others to fill in on their behalf, thus causing some false data.
Argenti Lemon started working with Noanet and Psion Teklogix on automation solutions about two years ago, according to Psion Teklogix’s head of sales in Latin America.
HF RFID systems come in handy
The RFID system used this time includes Psion Teklogix’s 13.56 high-frequency tags (compliant with ISO 15693 standards) and Workabout Pro handheld readers, which help lemon growers scan fruit basket labels and employee badges to obtain the amount of lemons workers pick each day. After the labels are read, the lemons are packed into labeled boxes for tracking during processing and transfer to port.
In early 2008, Argenti Lemon started labeling fruit boxes and baskets. At the same time, each worker at Oceantina Orchard began to be provided with RFID wristbands whose ID numbers were linked to the person’s name and photo information stored in the company’s back-end system. Upon arrival at the orchard, employees first present their wristbands and ID cards for inspection, and supervisors hold readers to obtain ID numbers and transmit information about each worker to the back-end system via a Wi-Fi wireless connection, creating an electronic record .
After picking and loading the basket, the field supervisor takes the Workabout Pro reader and scans the ID number on the basket and the ID number on the employee’s wristband. At the same time, the weight of the lemon fruit is also recorded in the reader and corresponds to the relevant employee information. Workabout Pro sends relevant data to the backend system via a Wi-Fi wireless connection. There will be a laptop on site linked to the company’s core systems where supervisors can check.
Since workers pick an average of about 3,500 boxes of lemons per day, the system saves time for supervisors to verify.
After picking, the lemons are sorted and stored in bins labeled 13.56 MHz. The tags are read multiple times with a handheld reader before being ready for shipment to improve inventory visibility and ensure timely and accurate product shipments. Before being loaded onto the vessel at the shipping port, the label is read one last time to obtain information on when and where the product was shipped.
current progress
Currently, the system has enabled the company to better track the work of its employees and manage payroll distribution. Using this system, the company is also better able to ensure the efficiency of its employees and provide better quality fruit.
The company is also currently conducting a pilot using Workabout Pro’s readers and 125 kHz RFID tags to track cattle on its farms. The company began testing the system six months ago, with calves tagged at birth, and about 15,000 cattle are currently tagged.
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