In a busy factory or warehouse, one lost tool, piece of equipment or out of stock component can bring an entire workflow to a halt. Employees might waste time searching around the warehouse, opening spreadsheets or searching through other departments for information about where an item was last used.
Industrial asset tracking connects these assets to trustworthy data about what they are, where they are, how they're moving or being used. When it's coupled with analysis and the right operational processes, this can help business make more informed decisions about resource management.
- Why Asset Visibility Matters in Industrial Operations
Diverse, multi-location equipment, tool, spare part, vehicle and material inventories within industrial organizations make it difficult to keep track of things as operations expand.
While manual tracking may be sufficient for smaller inventories, these items are often moved around and not frequently entered into the system, resulting in inaccurate data.
Asset tracking systems enable organizations to capture and retain more reliable data about a physical asset. In some use cases, asset tracking data will include information such as the identity of the asset, last known location, previous location history, operational status, and so on.
It's not just the location you want to know...it's the location you want available when they need it to do their work.
- Choosing the Right Tracking Technology
The type of asset and environment will dictate the tracking method needed. How precise the location needs to be, by area or by individual asset, how hostile the environment is and the budget all help determine the correct system.
Several technologies are commonly used.
Radio-frequency identification (RFID)
RFID collects data by means of radio frequency when it detects a tag on a given item. RFID may be effective for taking inventory, spotting a piece of equipment as it moves through the specified reading point, and logging material flow.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
BLE devices can be used for proximity detection and indoor location applications. How good it is depends on the placement of beacons, the infrastructure of receivers and the level of accuracy needed.
GPS Global Positioning System
GPS allows monitoring the vehicle and other appropriate assets in an outdoor environment. It cannot be used in the interior or when satellite signals are blocked.
Connected sensors
Sensors can deliver further data that may be relevant to understanding the state of the asset or its operational status such as temperature, vibration or movement.
The technologies are designed to work with each other however its not essential to combine every single capability available. Identify the information you require, and choose a solution that best fits your operating environment.
- Reducing Search Time and Workflow Delays
Shared equipmentemployees may not know where a piece of equipment is in the building, or if it is currently being used.
A tracking system can help a recorded asset's information be easier to find through preventing the need to repeatedly manually search for it and check status.
As an illustration, it can be a maintenance crew making ready for a scheduled maintenance to examine the recorded availability of a substitute element, prior to attending to the problem. If the element is not out there, the crew can look into alternate options or shift the schedule sooner.
It will always be the case that. Benefits will be dependent on the level of precision with which asset movements are accounted for and the degree of system utilisation by the staff.
While tracking tech won't be able to remove all the delays, it can help minimise the guesses about where potentially critical assets are.
- Improving Inventory and Resource Utilization
Asset tracking may help organizations gain insight into the way their equipment and supplies are used.
Analyzing movement histories and utilization rates can help managers detect the equipment that moves around too much, wasted resources, or recurring shortages.
This information helps aid decisions related to the locations assets should be maintained, how equipment should be allocated and if further acquisitions are needed.
In Inventory Management Tracking data can be used to reconcile storage counts and physical inventory and locate discrepancies.
Note: Do not interpret movement data in too literal terms. An asset might seem to be out of use but may still be called on for emergency maintenance, seasonal demand or particular operational procedures.
Our goal is to better utilize our resources without reducing what we have and how we use it.
- Turning Tracking Data Into Operational Intelligence
The most basic level of tracking can answer simple questions such as, "where is this asset?" More complex analytics help organizations learn things like, "why is this equipment "out of circulation" so often?" or "where are bottlenecks occurring?"
Analytics can show when assets are moved, used and in what quantity, provided that accurate data exists.
For instance, a distributor might learn that high-demand tools are kept at a distant location from the worker's stations where the tools are required. Management might look into whether a change in the location of the tool for high-demand tool would help reduce walking time.
AI might further enhance this analysis through detecting trends across wider datasets and assisting in demand projections or resource allocation suggestions.
These features have limitations of data quality and suitable models, along with the quality of incorporation into existing operational workflows. Recommendations generated by AI should be scrutinised prior to being used to inform important decisions.
- Integrating Asset Tracking With Existing Systems
An asset tracking system is more valuable when the data contained within it aligns with the workflows your employees are using.
Tracking information may be integrated with inventory management systems, maintenance programs or enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications, based on the needs of the company.
For instance, having the location of assets together with the maintenance history of those assets can enable your teams to work together to get the right equipment to the right place at the right time.
Prior to implementation, review how well the system works, the network coverage, data security, access permissions, and who will be responsible for keeping data records current.
A pilot that is limited in scope can be a good option. Businesses can monitor a specific group of assets, troubleshoot integration issues, get input from employees, and measure the effectiveness before growing the installation.
- Measuring Whether Asset Tracking Delivers Value
While technology adoption does not imply improved operational performance, it is important that organizations first define objectives and then act accordingly to measure results.
Other relevant indicators are:
- Average time required to locate equipment.
- Frequency of missing or misplaced assets.
- Inventory record accuracy.
- Equipment utilization rates.
- Time spent on manual inventory checks.
- Waiting on tools or parts to be available.
Documenting a baseline prior to implementing the system helps to make it easier to measure post-implementation performance.
Consider all the costs of the solution, as well, including tags, readers, connectivity, software integration, support and employee training.
The most compelling business case relates to actual operational benefits not to how many assets are attached to a system.
Conclusion: From Tracking Assets to Making Better Decisions
Developments in Industrial Asset Tracking Can Streamline Efficiency Monitoring Information is available and more reliable when using industrial asset tracking.
RFID, BLE, GPS, and Sensors – Similarities and Differences They all provide information but for different reasons. When implemented strategically and with correct records, analytics, and business processes in place, these systems can help organizations eliminate uncertainty, optimize assets and align logistics.
The most sensible method is to begin with a specific challenge, trial the appropriate solution on a small subset of your assets and measure the results before rolling out.
About these concepts, you might find Aperture Venture Studio's summary of Physical AI and AIoT engines interesting as they relate to asset visibility with intelligent industrial operations.
At the end of the day, industrial asset tracking is not about capturing data, it's about empowering employees to leverage the data that they have in order to make smarter decisions.
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