The concept of asset tracking is a simple one - put something on the asset and figure out where it is.
In reality, it is a much broader concept.
A warehouse could require identifying thousands of items. A fleet operator could need the location of vehicles between cities. A manufacturing facility could want to know where equipment is within a building. Another operation could not care much about the location at all and instead want to know if an asset is exposed to too much heat and vibration.
These are some of the factors which means that modern asset tracking uses multiple technologies rather than just one solution.
RFID: Identify the asset
RFID is often useful where the main requirement is for identification.
An RFID system usually involves tags that are attached to physical assets and readers which take information from the tags. Unlike a manual entry of an asset number, RFID can provide an automated identification as the item moves through a defined area.
This makes RFID useful for applications such as:
Inventory management
Warehouse operations
Equipment identification
Manufacturing
Tool tracking
The important point is that RFID is primarily about the identification of tagged objects and should not be considered as an alternative for every type of location technology.
GPS: Track movement outdoors
GPS is more useful when an asset is mobile and works outdoors.
Vehicles, trailers, mobile equipment, and other assets can make use of GPS devices to provide location information. Depending on the system, this can also be used for geofencing and alerts.
From a systems point of view, GPS tracking can turn the movement of an asset into a stream of location data which can be stored, displayed, and analyzed by software.
The limitation is the environment and that for indoor positioning there are other technologies when GPS is not providing the required level of accuracy and coverage.
BLE: Add indoor proximity
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) provides another option for use indoors.
BLE tags and beacons can communicate with nearby devices or receivers and allows systems to work out proximity or estimate where an asset is within a facility.
This can be useful for:
Indoor equipment tracking
Warehouse assets
Tools
Facility management
Proximity based monitoring
BLE is particularly interesting when an application requires low power wireless devices and needs visibility indoors.
IoT Sensors: Track more than just location
An asset can be in the correct location but have problems.
IoT sensors can provide more information about an asset or its surrounding environment. Depending on the sensor, this could include things such as temperature, humidity, vibration or other measurements.
This makes the question go from being:
"Where is the asset?"
to:
"Where is the asset and what is happening to it?"
That additional data can be useful when condition monitoring is a requirement for tracking.
Thinking in terms of data
A useful way to think about designing an asset tracking system is to think in terms of the data requirement.
Ask:
Do I need to identify the asset?
Do I need its outdoor location?
Do I need indoor positioning or proximity?
Do I need to monitor physical conditions?
How frequently does the data need to be collected?
Where will the data be processed and stored?
The answers to these can dictate what RFID, GPS, BLE, IoT sensors or a combination makes sense.
For example, a system could use RFID for asset identification, GPS for outdoor movement, BLE for indoor visibility and IoT sensors for condition data.
This also means the software architecture is important. Tracking devices generate data but this becomes useful when the data is collected, transmitted, stored, interpreted, and displayed in a way that supports an operational decision.
Choosing the technology based on the problem
There is no universal best asset tracking technology.
RFID, GPS, BLE and IoT sensors are solving different parts of the problem and the right choice is dependent on the asset, environment, movement, accuracy, power and the type of information the organization needs.
A technology-first approach can lead to unnecessary complexity and it is more practical to think in terms of a requirement first approach and define the information that needs to be known about the asset and select the technologies that can produce the information.
For an overview of asset tracking technologies and applications, Asset Track Pro provides additional information which can help when looking at different tracking approaches.
The goal is not to put a tracker on every asset but to create a system that turns physical activity into reliable data that people and software can use.
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