When designing a system to track assets it's easy to simplify the problem down to just one question:
"Where is the asset?"
That's just one piece of data though.
Depending on the environment in which something needs to be tracked an application may need to find it, locate it to understand how it is moving, understand what is around it, or gather other details like temperature, humidity, or vibration.
So it should be no surprise that asset tracking is really about not what technology you choose to implement but really what information do you need the system to bring you?
RFID, GPS, BLE and IoT Solve Different Problems
Different technologies can bring varying levels of information.
RFID: "What is this?"
RFID can be used to identify things.
An RFID tag can be attached to an asset which can then be queried as it passes a reading station.
RFID is good in places like warehouses, on production lines, at points of inspection, and entry/exit checkpoints.
The value of RFID is in identification, not in finding things.
GPS: "Where is it?"
Global Positioning System technology is often used in tracking solutions.
While GPS is great when assets (like cars, trailers, and equipment) are operating in outside or spread out environments, it doesn't have a lot of value indoors.
GPS information can then be processed by an application for mapping and fleet management.
GPS is about finding things, but not necessarily identifying them.
BLE: "Which area/proximity zone?"
Bluetooth Low Energy can be leveraged for proximity tracking.
BLE beacons and tags can provide some interesting information to an application about what else is nearby.
BLE is often used indoors where GPS has very limited value.
IoT Sensors: "What's happening to it?"
Location information is valuable, but there are other aspects of an asset that might be important too.
An IoT sensor could be used to measure temperature, humidity, or vibration.
This data is another layer of information that an application can process in addition to identification and/or location.
The Interesting Part Is The Data Combination
Let's say you have an equipment asset that is heading down a supply chain.
Your application could process RFID data as the item moves through different checkpoints or is inspected.
You might also see GPS data if the equipment is being hauled somewhere or operated in remote areas.
Further, BLE data might be used to track the equipment in certain locations or facilities.
And finally, IoT data could be used to see what's happening to the equipment as it makes it's journey.
To someone using an application these are all events, but they can be combined together to create a timeline or series of actions around that equipment asset.
Identification, finding, monitoring, and analyzing events are all more valuable than just some or any of those things.
As a general reference, Asset Track Pro's asset tracking resources provides more information on the various ways that things can be tracked and monitored.
Start With The Data You Need
When starting out with designing an asset tracking system it's important to understand what the application needs to know.
Asking what is the application trying to do or know can lead to questions like:
Do I need to identify assets?
Will I need to know where assets are at all times (or periodically)?
Do I need to identify things within a particular space?
Do I need to know other metrics like temperature?
How frequently will I need to collect this data?
What form of connectivity will I have?
Where will I store this data and how will it be processed?
This sets the foundation for knowing what technology to select and how your system needs to be architected.
Avoid the common pitfall of choosing a technology and then designing the requirements around it.
From Tracking To Data To Information
It's all well and good to have a tracking system, but when it comes to creating a useful and valuable application for users it's all about taking the raw data and turning it into something meaningful.
An RFID reader event, a GPS latitude/longitude, a BLE beacon, or an IoT sensor reading aren't much of value on their own.
But an application can take each of these and combine them with other data to provide a better picture and understanding of what is going on with an asset.
Depending on what the problem is different combinations of RFID, GPS, BLE, and IoT sensors may make more sense.
Sometimes you just need RFID.
Sometimes GPS makes much more sense.
There are cases where BLE alone might be sufficient, or IoT sensors, or a combination of different technologies.
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