The use of location technology to track assets in real- or near-real time is increasing, largely due to its potential to demonstrate a strong return on investment and operational efficiency.
With a system that automatically tracks resources and provides insight into the state of the business, enterprises can spend less time collecting data and focus on reducing capital expenditures, increasing revenues and improving workflows.
Location technology has many applications to improve asset and supply chain management, sensing and monitoring, maintenance and repair, safety and security, workflow optimisation and even compliance.
With a wide range of location technology solutions on the market, including the current favourite real-time locating system (RTLS), we still find enterprises struggle with selecting the appropriate solution for their needs. Choosing the wrong one can be a costly mistake.
Evaluating the need
When it comes to the discovery and research process, enterprises must address the suitability of assets to be tracked and determine whether a technology solution is required. For example, enterprises should ask themselves: what are the items they want to track? How often should these be tracked? What problem is the business trying to solve here? Where does it need to move to next and by when? Is it currently in the right place for the next phase of the project to commence?
Enterprises should also consider key factors such as its value, how mission critical are the items to be tracked, how mobile are their workflows and how items can be tagged effectively. At this stage in the assessment process, enterprises need to look at the 'four Ps' of locating terminology:
. Point in time refers to an indication of location as a specific point in time, not continuously
. Persistent location shows a continuous notification of location at user defined intervals
. Presence or Proximity relates to items being in the proximity of a transmitter or receiver at a known location; this is always a point in time
. Position gives the precise location of an asset relative to a reference point on a Persistent basis.
The list of vital yet logical questions that need to be answered are often overlooked. It is recommended to plan a workshop to ascertain what assets need to be located and tracked along with all the operational detail required to establish a return on investment.
Choosing the right technology
One key solution is RTLS. This technology can identify and track objects, animals or people in a wide variety of environments, though typically in a building or contained area.
How does it work? RTLS technology uses radio frequency communication to monitor items. Tags and fixed reference points can be transmitters, receivers, or both, resulting in several technology combinations. Examples of RTLS in use include tracking cars through an assembly line, locating pallets of merchandise in a warehouse, or finding medical equipment in a hospital.
Another technology under the RTLS umbrella is ultra-wide band (UWB). This is used in wireless networking that uses low-power consumption to achieve high-bandwidth connections. UWB tags can provide a high-level of location accuracy over a medium range, with a high number of transmission times to enable the exact location in real time. They can provide basic identification, as well as position and other sensor data. A use case is the tracking of human motion and orientation for safety and security in which a high-level of location precision is required.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is another useful solution. Built on the universal Bluetooth standard, this affordable solution is readable from Bluetooth-enabled devices or smartphones. Beacons transmit information to mobile devices or dedicated gateways and forward them over Wi-Fi or cellular to a platform, middleware, and in turn, location is inferred by proximity to a known receiver or transmitter. Examples include providing inexpensive, easily installed pay points that a retailer's loyalty application can be used to drive customer engagement. Wi-Fi is a common location solutions tool. Wi-Fi location-sensing can be an inexpensive and easy option. Since businesses already have Wi-Fi, organisations can take advantage of their existing network for location sensing. Use cases include visitor or employee tracking, where only zone-level accuracy is needed.
Finally, ISO 24730 is a standardised wireless protocol that performs better than Wi-Fi in industrial environments where metal, equipment and other barriers block or reflect signals. This solution is best used for asset tracking and is ideal for trailer yards or outdoor facilities where accuracy is needed down to the parking space level.
Choosing the correct location solution for your business needs is a challenging process. However, using the right location technology in your enterprise can save vast sums of money and staff time that can be used on more pressing tasks. The golden rule here is to spend time researching exactly what your business needs are and then selecting an experienced partner in the locations technology space that can help you deliver a strong RoI.
By Hozefa Saylawala
