When a large government organisation runs on paper, the single hardest question is deceptively simple: where is that file right now? In 2024, Identium supplied and commissioned the first phase of a UHF RFID file-tracking system for a Directorate General under India’s Ministry of Defence, responsible for defence-estate and land records, at its New Delhi headquarters. This case study covers the Phase-1 hardware Identium supplied and what it achieved. (Client named withheld for confidentiality.)
At a glance
| Sector | Defence / government estate & land records |
| Challenge | Locating physical files across multiple storage rooms; manual registers; risk of misplaced files |
| Identium supplied (Phase 1) | UHF RFID file labels · UHF RFID fixed readers · UHF RFID handheld reader |
| Integration | Fed the client’s own in-house File Tracking application |
| Outcome | Tagged files searchable in seconds; room-level movement visibility; a proven base for full rollout |
The challenge
A defence-estates organisation of this size holds an enormous physical archive — estate files, land records and case dossiers — spread across several storage rooms. Retrieval depended on manual registers and institutional memory: finding a single file could mean a long manual search, and a misfiled or un-returned file could effectively disappear. The organisation needed a way to locate any file in seconds, to see when files moved between rooms, and to do it without ripping out the in-house application its records team already relied on.
What Identium supplied in Phase 1
Phase 1 was a focused, build-confidence deployment. Identium supplied the RFID hardware layer and integrated it with the client’s existing software. Three classes of hardware went in:
1. UHF RFID file labels
Slim UHF RFID labels were applied to file covers across an initial set of files, each encoded with the file’s identity so it could be read at a distance — even when stacked or shelved. These are the same paper-faced UHF labels Identium manufactures for high-volume tagging, on India’s 865–867 MHz band.
2. UHF RFID fixed readers
Identium UHF fixed readers — integrated reader-and-antenna units — were installed in selected file-storage rooms. As tagged files entered or left a room, the readers detected them and pushed the movement to the records team’s workstation, giving room-level location without anyone scanning manually.
3. UHF RFID handheld reader
A UHF RFID handheld reader was put in the hands of the records officer for search-and-locate and shelf audit. Using a find-a-tag style proximity scan, an officer could walk to a shelf and home in on a specific file in seconds — and run a quick audit of everything physically present on a shelf. This is exactly the kind of work the CX Flow Pro handheld utility is built for.
Identium did not replace the client’s software. The in-house File Tracking application remained the system of record; Identium’s hardware simply became its eyes on the ground.
How it works
The architecture mirrors the three-layer model Identium uses for file tracking everywhere:
- Tag every file — a UHF label on the file cover, encoded with the file ID.
- Readers in the rooms — fixed readers at the storage rooms register files as they move, while the handheld covers on-demand search and audit.
- Look it up — a search on the file ID returns its last-known location, so a file that used to take a long manual hunt is now found in seconds.
Results from Phase 1
The hardware performed exactly as specified. Readers came online, the handheld and the integration were commissioned, and the tagged set of files became searchable in seconds instead of through a manual register. The records team gained room-level visibility of file movement and a faster, more accountable retrieval process — a clear, working proof of the system on the initial file set.
Phase 1 deliberately covered an initial subset of the archive. With the technology proven, the natural next step is to extend the same labels, readers and tag ecosystem across the remaining file inventory — a phased rollout that protects the client’s existing investment because every new component runs on the same network and tag standard.
Why it worked — and why Identium
- It fit the existing system. No software was ripped out; Identium’s hardware integrated with the client’s own application.
- Built for the environment. Rugged UHF hardware, India’s 865–867 MHz band, WPC-approved and BIS-certified — all Made in India at Identium’s Delhi facility, which matters for defence and government procurement.
- A phased, low-risk path. Prove it on one set of rooms and files, then scale — rather than a single high-risk big-bang rollout.
Running a paper-heavy records operation — in defence, government, banking, legal or healthcare — and want files findable in seconds? Explore RFID file tracking and defence logistics, or talk to our team about a phased pilot.