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Secure ID card programs help clients manage who goes where

American Barcode and RFID provides customers with comprehensive data management and security solutions. The Phoenix-based company works closely with manufacturing partners to supply secure identification cards, for instance, but that doesn’t make them a “reseller,” says Ted Morgan, director of card and security solutions. “Our whole structure is built on automatic identification and data collection,” he says. “We don’t push boxes. We provide solutions for industries that are interested in managing their data, improving their businesses and growing their bottom line,” he says.

AB&R initiates every sale with a Systems Requirement Design Study (SRDS), a multi-day, on-site process which Morgan describes as opportunity for the decision makers to meet with his development team. “It’s more than a statement or scope of work. During the two to four days it takes on site, we analyze business practices and processes that address the customer’s business needs.”

For example, a pharmacy group approached American Barcode with the need for more accurate tracking of its medication deliveries. “They provide pharmaceuticals to nursing homes and hospitals,” Morgan says. “If they send medications to a nursing home, they need to document that they were signed for. We provided a start-to-finish system.” Delivery drivers were outfitted with terminals connected to a cellular antenna that relayed the order to be delivered. The terminals also are able to capture signatures, so once drivers deliver the order, the customer signs directly on the terminal.

AB&R also worked with a nuclear power plant to update its access authorization procedures. Every employee and visitor had to be credentialed. The company provided the power plant with wireless portable data terminals and P640i card printers from Zebra Technologies, so secure IDs could be printed on site. To enter the site, everyone must present an ID badge to a security guard. The guard uses the wireless data terminal to scan the card and confirm the cardholder’s identity. “When a car approaches the gate, the security officers can see if it’s the correct credential. They scan a bar code in a real-time environment that links to the server and they confirm that it matches the picture of the person on the card,” Morgan says.

The initial SRDS increases the chances of the solution’s success. Rather than change its client’s business practices, AB&R designs solutions to fit within its existing processes. By positioning itself as a consultant to its clients, AB&R avoids being pegged as a low-cost provider. “Anytime a company is interested in enhancing security—that’s not a cost, that’s an investment,” Morgan says. “Once clients see it as an investment, they look for a return on that investment rather than an expense line in the general ledger.”

—Andy Brown