Rule 1. Choose a meaningful challenge In testing passive RFID, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center focused on accurate patient identification, a critical safety issue in health care.

Rule 2. Demonstrate rapid return on investment (ROI) For active RFID tags, the hospital showed a first-year savings of $300,000 on an investment of $100,000.

Rule 3. Leverage your current infrastructure Using the existing Wi-Fi network eliminated the need to invest $2 million in proprietary network infrastructure.

Rule 4. Recognize when barcodes are "good enough" Less costly than RFID, barcodes were an acceptable choice for two applications that were considered: employee badges and identification bracelets for adult patients.