RFID to Save Lives

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

Melanie Coleman, Michael Dunn, Ryan Fetzer
Corey Harold, Brittania Howard

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

1
Spring 2016

Company Information
Motorola Solutions, Inc. seeks to improve the world through technological innovation. The
company began by producing battery eliminators and gained success by launching the first audio
radio (Motorola Company Overview). Motorola revolutionized the way we communicate by
being one of the pioneers of mobile phone technology (Motorola Company Overview). Our
purpose is to help people be their best in the moments that matter the most (About Motorola
Solutions). This implanted RFID chip project would fit best with Motorolas Public Safety
division which offers many services catered towards mobile computing and communication for
first responders.
Project Goal
To deliver a commercially available product which will establish Motorola Solutions, Inc. as a
technological innovator in the medical industry.
Scope Statement
To make the medical community more efficient by designing a RFID chip implanted in human
beings listed with their complete medical history. Doctors and emergency responders should
have access to an individuals entire medical history by scanning the patients chip without the
need for questioning. The RFID chip will be updated by the patients normal physician during
routine appointments. The project will begin on March 7, 2016, with an end date of March 17,
2017. Our total budget for the project will be $1.9 million.
Basic Approach
The project approach for the RFID healthcare implant project includes planning, initial testing,
specific hospital selection, patient seminars, equipment training, delivery of equipment and
transferring the technology to hospitals. Each stage of the project will require approval and
verification from the Motorola RFID Initiatives Board who will work closely with the hospitals
approved project management board.
Exclusions
Implants to non-trial patients and RFID implant certifications are not included in the scope of
work for this project. Also not included, are any medical follow-ups concerning RFID implants.
Deliverables
Phase 1 Kickoff
Statement of Work including purpose, scope, deliverables, milestones, assumptions, and
acceptance
Phase 2 Planning
Research areas of implants
Work Breakdown Structure

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

2

Project Schedule
Phase 3 Execution
Human patient testing
RFID chip development
Hospital review process
Customer equipment training
Phase 4 Finalization
Performance Evaluation
Hand-off, but will provide equipment support

Milestones
SOW release

March 7, 2016

Testing and Review complete

March 8, 2016-October 7, 2016

Hospital board seminars complete

November 18, 2016

Patient seminars complete

January 14, 2017

Equipment training complete

February 25, 2017

Delivery of equipment

March 17, 2017

Project Priority
The priority of this project is to deliver a product which will be viable in the marketplace.
Currently, this product would be unique and highly valuable to end customers. Cost and time are
secondary considerations because once commercially available, this product has the potential to
revolutionize the medical service industry.
Additionally, the project is constrained by government regulations. These regulations create a
situation in which the features of the product cannot be sacrificed to reduce cost or time.

Assumptions
Adherence to FDA regulations
Clinical trials will include patients with unpredictable allergies, pregnancies, and major
surgeries.
The RFID chip will be implanted in the same location on each patient during clinical trials
The patients medical history will be updated on the RFID chip by their primary physician for
use in case of medical emergency.
Acceptance
RFID chips did not negatively affect the health of humans in the trials.
FDA approves the project within a month and production continues on schedule.
Customers are properly trained and are comfortable with the use of equipment.

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

3

Motorola will be the only company to selling medical RFID chips without patent infringement.
Functional Requirements
RFID chips no larger than 100 cubic mm.
Chips will contain no more than 100MB of memory which will replace when updated.
Negative health effects of RFID implants will be negligible.
Training courses for customers to ensure proper use of equipment.

Labor Requirements
Activity

Duration

Resource

Prototype Development

20 days

ENG (6)

Equipment & Clinical Trials

30 days

PAT (20), RN (8), DOC (4)

Final Prototype

5 days

ENG (6)

Hospital Selection Review

30 days

MKTG (5)

Resources

Abbreviation

Available

Hourly Rate

Engineers

ENG

$ 200/hr

Patients (Trial)

PAT

20

$ 2500/ea

Registered Nurses

RN

$ 60/hr

Doctors

DOC

$ 370/hr

Marketing/Sales/Recruitment

MKTG

$ 100/hr

Issues with Scheduling

Both Prototype activities require 6 engineers. However, there are only 5 engineers available. The
Prototype Development and Final Prototype activities are both critical activities. Any delays to
critical activities will ultimately delay the project.
The project is short one engineer. Assuming each workday consists of 8 hours, each of these
activities will lose 8 engineering hours per day. Because Prototype Development has a duration
of 20 days, this activity will lose a total of 160 engineering hours. The project will also lose an
additional 40 engineering hours since the Final Prototype activity lasts 5 days.

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

4

Solutions
Concerning Prototype Development, we will need to have all 5 available engineers work an extra
32 hours each in order to make up the 160-hour shortfall. We can do this by having them all
work 1.6 extra hours for each day for the 20-day duration. Likewise, we will need to have the 5
available engineers each work an extra 8 hours on the Finalize Prototype activity in order to
cover the 40-hour shortfall. We can have each of them work 1.6 extra hours for each day of the
regular 5-day duration.
Material Requirements
Hardware
RFID chips
Protective, non-corrosive coating
Chip stabilization mechanism to eliminate internal migration post-implant
Chip implanting tool
Scanning device
Device to upload information post-implant
Software
Compatible software for scanning information to desktops and mobile platforms
Software to upload information post-implant
Encryption to protect information integrity

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

5

Activity-on-Node Diagram
Figure 1 (below) outlines the flow of work packages and estimated project duration. The critical
path of the project is highlighted in pink.

Figure 1. Activity-on-Node Diagram

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

6

Risk Assessment
Figure 2 (page 5) presents risks associated with the project and grades corresponding to their
likelihood to occur, impact to the project, difficulty of detection, and at what stage in the project
they might occur. The grades are rated on a scale of one to five with five being the most likely,
most significant impact, and most difficult to detect.
To determine the grades in each of the categories our team reviewed the project plan to rate how
likely each event is to occur. Most events will provide ample time to react to the situation;
however, bureaucracy, complications with the human trials, and information security will provide
very little time to react.
The grading for the impact of an event was determined at higher levels than the likelihood of the
event. Complications in humans trials and information security would have the most significant
impact causing the team to act immediately.
To implement a full risk assessment, our team had to determine when each risk event is most
likely to occur and the detection difficulty. The detection difficulty grade is based on the
anticipated amount of time to mitigate the circumstances of a risk occurring. Information security
gives the team absolutely no warning if the risk were to occur.
Figure 2. Risks Associated with the Project

Risk Response Matrix

Figure 3 (below) explains the response plan should each of the risk events occur. The table also
outlines plans to proactively reduce the likelihood and/or impact of each risk.

Figure 3. Risk Response Matrix

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

7

Financial Overview
Through resource allocation and scheduling, the RFID to Save Lives Project will cost
$1,980,840. Because of the scheduling issue with prototype development, the project cost an
additional $48,000. The most expensive activities are Equipment & Human Trials at $520,400
and Hospital Training at $309,600. Additionally, costs are deferred until the 2nd and 3rd
quarters of the project. Quarters 2 and 3 are projected to cost $638,480 and $702,560 which is
equitable to 67% of the projects total cost. Quarters 1 and 4 will cost $177,040 and $474,760.
The following table shows this distinction.
Table 1. Monetary Requirements for the Projects Duration

On-Going Concerns

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

8

For Motorola, a major concern of this project is mitigating the short and long-term effects of the
implanted RFID chips during clinical trials. RFID chips contain the technological capacity to
achieve our goals, but their interaction with the human body could present issues. The results at
this stage of the project could put the projects viability into jeopardy.
Additionally, a previous attempt to manufacture a similar device, the VeriChip, was shut down by
the FDA. According to an article written by Daniel Dimov for the Infosec Institute, It should be
noted that the FDA discussed the potential risks to health associated with VeriChip. In a
document published in 2004, the FDA stated as follows:
The potential risks to health associated with the device are: adverse tissue reaction; migration of
implanted transponder; compromised information security; failure of implanted transponder;
failure of inserter; failure of electronic scanner; electromagnetic interference; electrical hazards;
magnetic resonance imaging incompatibility; and needle stick. (Dimov, 2014)
VeriChip was unable to satisfactorily address these concerns and discontinued production in
2010. Motorolas prototype development and clinical trials should focus primarily on alleviating
these concerns.
Project Change Requests
Changes to the project terms are inevitable, and should be encouraged should conditions change.
In this case, all proposed changes should seek review from the project manager. The changes
should be supported by documentation including the issue being addressed, the proposed
solutions and alternatives, and the impact of the project terms.
Conclusion
The scope of this project is high risk, high reward. If Motorola is able to invent this unique
product, it has the potential to revolutionize the entire medical service industry from primary to
emergency care. Doctors, nurses, and first responders will have access to a patients medical
history, allowing patients to receive individualized care no matter the situation. Our team hopes
that Motorola will recognize the potential of this project and allow it to proceed.

RFID TO SAVE LIVES

9

Works Cited
Dimov, D. (2014, April 17). Human Implanted RFID Chips. Retrieved from Infosec Institute:
http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/human-implanted-rfid-chips/
About Motorola Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved from Motorola Solutions:
https://www.motorolasolutions.com/en_us/about.html
Motorola Company Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved from Motorola Solutions:
https://www.motorolasolutions.com/en_us/about/companyoverview/history/timeline.html