Abstract: Methods are disclosed for using an RFID tag associated with a component, and for organizing and storing data on the RFID tag in a user selected format. The selected data format may be recorded or stored remote to the tag, with a data format name. The data format name may be stored on the RFID tag, such that a tag interrogator retrieving the data format name from the tag may thereafter retrieve and/or load the corresponding data format to properly parse and interpret the data stored on the tag, in that format. Thereby, a customized data format may be used, while the data format need not be provided on the tag. The methods also include providing more than one data format on a particular tag, such as where each data format is defined by a corresponding user of a particular portion of the tag. Thereby, a tag may include multiple formats to meet the data storage needs of multiple users of a tag. Methods are also included to improve or maximize effective utilization of the available memory on an RFID tag.