Mobile App - RFID Plant Counts

RFID Plant Counts

Quickly and accurately count plants in your cultivation areas using RFID technology. Walk through a room with your Zebra RFID reader and count hundreds of plants in minutes instead of hours.

Overview

RFID Plant Counts uses your Zebra TC22 (or TC77) device with an RFD40 RFID reader to scan plant tags and verify inventory. The system automatically matches scanned tags to expected plants in each area and identifies any discrepancies.

Key Benefits:

• Quickly verify if plants are present in a cultivation room
• Instantly identify missing or misplaced plants
• Maintain audit-ready count records

Requirements

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Zebra TC22 or TC77 device with RFD40 RFID sled attached
• Flourish Mobile App installed with RFID Plant Counts enabled
• RFID tags applied to all plants in the area you want to count

Getting Started

Step 1: Open RFID Plant Count

1. Open the Flourish Mobile App
2. Tap Cultivation from the main menu
3. Tap RFID Plant Count

Step 2: Select an Area

1. Tap the Select Area dropdown
2. Choose the cultivation area you want to count (e.g., "Flower Room 1")
3. The screen displays the expected plant count for that area

Step 3: Start the Count

1. Ensure your RFD40 RFID reader is connected and powered on
2. Clic the RFD40 Reader trigger to Start Count
3. Walk through the cultivation area, pointing the RFID reader toward plants
4. The screen updates in real-time as tags are scanned:
   • Expected: Total plants that should be in this area
   • Scanned: Number of plants detected so far
   • Missing: Plants not yet scanned (updates as you scan)
   • Unexpected: Plants found that belong to a different area

Step 4: Complete the Count

1. Once you've scanned the entire area, tap Finish Count
2. Review the count summary:
   • Total expected vs. scanned
   • Variance count and percentage
   • Missing plants list
   • Unexpected plants list

Step 5: Review Discrepancies (If Any)

If there are missing or unexpected plants:

1. Tap View Details next to "Missing" or "Unexpected"
2. Review each plant:
   • Missing plants: Shows Plant ID, strain, group, and last updated date
   • Unexpected plants: Shows Plant ID, strain, group, and the area where the system expected to find it
3. For plants that need follow-up:
   • Toggle Flag for Investigation on
   • Add notes in the text field (optional)
4. Tap Back to return to the summary

Step 6: Submit the Count

1. Review the final summary
2. Tap Submit Count
3. The count is saved and appears in your count history

Count Screen

While scanning, you'll see:

Available Actions

RFID Settings

Adjust the RFID reader power based on your environment:

1. Use the slider on the count screen
2. Select a power level:
   • Lower: 3-5 foot read range (best for small, dense areas)
   • Mid: 10-15 foot read range (recommended for most rooms)
   • Higher: 15-20 foot read range (best for large, open areas)
3. The read range is adjusted in real time

Tip: Start with Medium power. If you're picking up tags from adjacent rooms, reduce to Low. If tags aren't reading reliably, increase to High.

Understanding Discrepancies

Missing Plants

A plant is marked as "missing" when it was expected in the area but not scanned. Possible reasons:

• Plant was harvested, destroyed, or moved and the system wasn't updated
• RFID tag is damaged, missing, or not readable
• Plant is in a location the reader couldn't reach (behind equipment, etc.)
• Scanner didn't reach that part of the room

What to do:

1. Try rescanning the area, focusing on spots you may have missed
2. Physically locate the plant and verify its tag
3. Flag for investigation if the plant cannot be found

Unexpected Plants

A plant is marked as "unexpected" when it was scanned but belongs to a different area in the system. Possible reasons:

• Plant was physically moved but not updated in Flourish
• Plant is near the boundary and was picked up from an adjacent room
• Incorrect area selected for the count

What to do:

1. Verify the plant's physical location
2. If the plant was moved, update its location in Flourish
3. If scanned from an adjacent room, you can ignore it

Tips for Best Results

Before Counting

• Ensure all plants in the area have RFID tags applied
• Verify your RFD40 is fully charged
• Close doors to adjacent rooms to prevent scanning tags in other areas

During Counting

• Walk at a steady pace through the entire area
• Point the RFID reader toward the plants (waist to shoulder height)
• Cover all aisles and rows systematically
• Watch the "Scanned" count to ensure tags are being read

For Dense Canopy Areas

• Use Low power setting to reduce read range
• Move the reader closer to plants (1-3 feet)
• Scan in sections, pausing between areas
• Allow extra time for the reader to detect all tags

For Large Open Areas

• Use High power setting for maximum range
• Walk the perimeter first, then cover the interior
• The reader can pick up tags from 15-20 feet away

Troubleshooting

Tags Not Reading

Symptom: Walking through the area but the scanned count isn't increasing.

Solutions:

1. Verify the RFD40 is connected and powered on (check the indicator light)
2. Ensure the app shows "Scanning..." status
3. Move closer to plants and point the reader directly at them
4. Check that RFID tags are actually applied to plants
5. Try increasing the power setting to High

Too Many Unexpected Plants

Symptom: Scanning plants that belong to adjacent rooms.

Solutions:

1. Reduce power setting to Low or Medium
2. Close doors to adjacent areas
3. Stay away from shared walls while scanning
4. Scan the center of the room first, avoiding boundaries

Count Doesn't Match Expected

Symptom: After completing the count, there's a variance between expected and scanned.

Solutions:

1. Walk through the area again to pick up any missed tags
2. Check for plants behind equipment or in corners
3. Verify that new plants were added to the system
4. Check if any plants were recently harvested or moved
5. Review and flag discrepancies for investigation

App Freezes or Crashes

Solutions:

1. Close and reopen the Flourish Mobile App
2. In-progress counts are auto-saved; you can resume where you left off
3. If the issue persists, restart the device
4. Contact support if the problem continues

Viewing Count History

To review past counts:

1. Log in to Flourish Web App
2. Navigate to Analytics to find a report for RFID Plant Counts
3. View the list of all counts with:
   • Date and time
   • Area counted
   • Expected vs. actual count
   • Variance percentage
   • User who performed the count
   • Status (In Progress, Complete, Cancelled)
4. Click a count to view details, including flagged discrepancies
5. Export to CSV for reporting

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does a count take? For a typical room with 500 plants, expect 3-5 minutes of scanning time, plus a few minutes to review discrepancies.

Q: Can I pause and resume a count? Yes. The app automatically saves progress. You can leave the screen and come back. The count will appear as "In Progress" and you can resume it later.

Q: What if I select the wrong area? Tap Reset Scan to clear the current data and start over, or tap Cancel to exit and select a different area.

Q: Do I need to scan every plant individually? No. The RFID reader picks up multiple tags simultaneously as you walk through the area. Just ensure you cover all sections of the room.

Q: Can I count multiple areas at once? Currently, you can only count one area at a time. Complete one area, submit the count, then start a new count for the next area. You can have multiple plant counts open at one time.

Q: What happens if a tag is damaged? The plant will appear as "Missing" in the count. Flag it for investigation and replace the tag.

Q: How do I know if my count was successful? After submitting, you'll see a confirmation message. The count appears in your history in the web app with status "Complete."