Barcodes or RFID?

Vic Lineweaver is having a bit of trouble keeping track of those Juvenile Court files and has suggested a barcoding system to help him do this. Via Jim Grinstead:

Vic Lineweaver, the juvenile court clerk who can't seem to keep track of the records, a basic requirement for the clerk's office, says bar codes are the solution. He's been asking for it for three years.

He's just not sure how much it will cost or how it will help, since he doesn't know of many other clerks who use such a system to keep track of their records.

But he really, really needs it.

Now, I'm not really sure how barcoding will help, but lemme make a suggestion Vic...how about RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)?

Now, I'm not sure what exactly the problem is with keeping track of these files, so I don't know if this will solve the problem (a nice filing cabinet and attention to detail might be all that's in order), but this might help your situation if the problem is that the files are being misplaced in the wrong drawers, or falling between desks, or being used to even out a desk with a shorter table leg...whatever the problem is, I suggest you go hi-tech.

3M makes RFID tracking tags which will help you keep track of those hard to locate files.

In fact, in Dekalb County, the Juvenile Court Clerk instituted a similar system (pdf):

The system uses a passive RFID tag on each file folder and includes handheld and desktop readers. Total costs were approximately $42,000, plus $4,000 in annual maintenance expenses. Court officials project that the system will pay for itself in less than two years through estimated annual savings of up to $30,000 in lost productivity because of time spent searching for files throughout the three story courthouse.

Now, Dekalb County is much larger than ours, so I don't know if we really need this kind of system, but it is worth investigating. This isn't to say that Vic Lineweaver hasn't earned some blame for the matter, but he's not the only Juvenile Court Clerk who has sought out technology to help track and maintain court documents. Before we just laugh at Vic and ridicule him (you can still do it), I think its not out of bounds that we investigate ways to make his, and all departments more efficient so as to cut back on delays and lost labor costs.

Update: RFID Filing in Action...