Bahrain has become the first country in the Middle East to electronically track all of its land deals through the Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB).

The completion of the Radio Frequency Identification Deployment (RFID) project by telecoms giant Motorola is said to use one of the most advanced technologies of its kind.

'With this system in place, we will benefit from reduced costs, create best practices and ensure both centralised and de-centralised filing,' said SLRB resources and information systems general director Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

'We have always faced challenges in tracking movement of files within the organisation and were looking for an advanced, long-term solution that offers added-value benefits.

'Implementing this technology enables us to always track and trace the movement of files in a thorough manner, while eliminating the risk of errors.

'We are confident that this deployment will significantly add to our future growth.'

Motorola Middle East and North Africa regional sales manager Hozefa Saylawala said the system and its first-of-its-kind deployment in the Middle East and Gulf demonstrated the pioneering vision of SLRB and its ability to advance and improve business practice.

Process

'Files can now be located between the departments and can be tracked down to the last process in the land deed registration system,' he said.

'As a result, the final deployment of this system will not only benefit SLRB but also sets an example for all government departments where manual tracking of files is a tedious task.'

Each file is labelled with RFID tag inlays as an effective and long-lasting solution to provide maximum functionality for high-performance reading and writing and efficient radio frequency communication.

'Tagged files are accessed through designated RFID readers at entry-points of file-rooms and workspaces,' said  Saylawala.

He said the file information was maintained in a host-based database along with the corresponding tag identification number.

'The deployment of this system not only ensures accuracy of information but also limits the amount of error-prone human interaction that is needed,' said  Saylawala.

'With information that is updated in real-time, RFID can further reduce costs by allowing SLRB to decrease shrinkage.

'In addition, RFID tags allow SLRB to capture and track a wide variety of data on the files.

'This information aids in the development of accurate inventory forecasts.'

The application used in this deployment is flexible and completely automates the document tracking, said Saylawala.

'It also helps reduce the occurrence of lost files, and provides a centralised repository where files can be tracked instantaneously.'

A parliament probe committee was earlier set up by MPs after claims that around 65 square kilometres of land had been 'stolen' and another 100 sqkm was suspected to have been the subject of illegally trade, exchange or sale.

Sources said it was hoped the new technology would virtually eliminate the opportunity of any land being grabbed in the future.

Implementing company Track IT Solutions chief executive officer Soma Sekhar Vedantam said any growing organisation in the region would confirm an increase in documentation associated with development.

'It is crucial to have the ability to track and maintain these files in a streamlined and effective way,' she said.

'In partnership with Motorola and Al Moayed Group, we have successfully deployed this solution.'-TradeArabia News Service