How the USPTO Saved $1.2M a Year (and 11,000+ Work Hours) with RFID Technology

Imagine this: You’re a government agency overseeing 130,000+ IT assets across multiple locations. You’re spending 7,700 hours a year tracking those assets—time that could be spent on high-value tasks like processing patents and trademarks.

Now, what if a technology shift cut that time in half and saved over $1.2 million annually?

That’s exactly what the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) achieved by adopting RFID and ItemAware?, an automated asset-tracking solution.

Here’s how they did it—and what you can learn from their success.

The Problem: Manual Inventory Was Slowing Everything Down

The USPTO is responsible for processing patents and trademarks, but their asset management process was costing valuable time and resources:

• Employees—including patent examiners—were spending hours each year verifying equipment instead of processing applications.
• Field technicians had to manually update asset locations, leading to frequent errors.
• The agency had to conduct four inventory counts a year just to stay compliant.

Keeping track of assets was a logistical challenge, pulling staff away from revenue-generating activities. The solution? A smarter, automated way to manage inventory.

The Solution: RFID and ItemAware

The USPTO deployed RFID-based asset tracking, tagging 130,000+ assets and installing over 1,100 antennas across multiple locations. The result? Real-time visibility and automation that replaced tedious manual tracking.

Key improvements included:

• Automated Tracking – RFID readers captured asset movement in real-time, eliminating the need for manual updates.
• Seamless ERP Integration – The system synced with USPTO’s ServiceNow ERP (previously Remedy), providing instant visibility into asset locations.
• Faster Inventory Checks – Handheld RFID readers could scan hundreds of tags in seconds, cutting down on audit time.
• Error Reduction – The system immediately flagged missing assets, dramatically improving loss prevention.

And the results? A major shift in efficiency and cost savings.

The Impact: Time Saved, Costs Slashed

By the time the system was fully operational, the USPTO had completely redefined efficiency in asset management.

• Error Costs – Down 54%
• Labor Costs – Down 77%
• Loss Prevention Costs – Down 98%

Total savings? $1.2M per year and 11,132 labor hours.

And they achieved a full return on investment in just 2.5 years.

“With automated asset tracking, we can spend less time thinking about where things are and more time planning for future requirements.” —Tom King, USPTO

Key Takeaways for Your Organization

The USPTO’s experience highlights some critical lessons for organizations managing large-scale assets:

? Automation Drives Efficiency – RFID eliminated manual tracking and freed up thousands of work hours.

? Real-Time Visibility Prevents Loss – Knowing where assets are at all times reduces loss prevention costs by 98%.

? Integration is Essential – A seamless connection with the ERP system made RFID tracking more effective.

? ROI Comes Faster Than Expected – The USPTO saw a return on investment in just 2.5 years, proving that asset-tracking automation pays off.

If your organization is still relying on spreadsheets, manual counts, or outdated systems, it may be time to rethink your approach.

See How Aware Innovations? Can Help

If tracking and managing assets is slowing down your operations, Aware Innovations? provides cutting-edge solutions like ItemAware? to streamline inventory and reduce costs.

Learn more about how we can help your organization achieve similar results: Visit Aware Innovations?.

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About The Efficiency Edge

The Efficiency Edge by Aware Innovations? shares simple and smart ways to improve inventory management, track assets effectively, and make operations run smoother while saving time and money.