If you are an owner of some valuable equipment or items in your company, things like industrial parts, trailers, pallets, containers, pumps, compressors, and what have you. You most probably must have heard about asset management. To understand what assets are, they are presented in two categories; the powered assets and non-powered assets.
Powered assets possess an internal battery that powers them, such as compressors, while non-powered do not; a good example is a trailer. Manually keeping track of all these assets, trying to ascertain their usage and location is a tough thing to do. However, thanks to asset tracking, you can now have real-time updates on not just the locations but also the usage of your assets. An asset tracking Software Company is a firm that offers either indoor or outdoor asset tracking or both.
So as an answer to that unasked question, asset tracking ensures that you curb equipment abuse and loss, augment operational efficiency, and advance valuable corporate insights. Having come a long way, today, in the market, there are a lot of methods that you can use to track your assets. To make it more comfortable for you to choose the right one, each of them is explained below;
- Radio Frequency Identification;
RFID, as it is referred in short, is a form of tracking that uses radio waves to wirelessly share and communicate the location, usage among other features of an asset. This type is perfect for the assets that are always on the move, and it works by putting an RFID tag on an asset and using an RFID system to track it. This method is not only easy to maintain but also cheap and can offer both the location and identity of an asset at ago.
- GPS Tracking;
As the term already suggests, this is the use of GPS to track assets. This option works by working hand in hand with already fitted infrastructure. It offers a wide range of connectivity and can work globally. This method is widely used primarily by trackers. Other than global coverage, GPS also offers the accuracy of the location. However, it requires a source of power, which is usually an internal battery that does not depend on the asset linked.
- Bluetooth low energy;
This method is also best for mobile assets as once fitted, and a beacon emits the asset ID that can be picked by close by trackers, local Bluetooth gateways, or Bluetooth enabled devices such as smartphones.
- Near-field Communication;
Otherwise known as NFC, this method is almost the same as RFID only that it does not need any infrastructure. It offers an option of linking to smartphones where you can get real updates about your inventory. The downside, however, is that it requires you near whatever that is being tracked and can read each of the assets separately.
- Barcodes;
Here, it requires uniquely printed parallel lines known as barcodes on inventory. These lines are the ones that are scanned by a barcode scanner, an option that can now be installed in smartphones. This method is cheaper than methods like RFID; however, it is not fully automated, and it needs the physical presence of the scanner at the location of the inventory.
In conclusion, any asset tracking Software Company out there offers all these options, and it falls on you to choose the right one for your assets. Ensure that your assets are managed effectively to optimize usage, increase operational efficiency, curb risk, and even reduce maintenance expenses.
