Why is asset tracking so expensive?
Asset tracking is not cheap. When tracking your physical assets, how long does it take to account for your physical inventory, input this data into your systems, and reconcile the differences? If you calculate the cost of this labor, which is usually done by higher-paid finance professionals, it can definitely be a costly expense. For this reason, more and more businesses are turning to RFID technology
What exactly is RFID?
RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technology has been around since the 1940’s when it was developed to identify Allied versus enemy planes in World War II. Since then, RFID has been used for a variety of applications including the tracking of animals, toll usage and inventory stock. RFID uses electronic tags to track items by transmitting radio waves from those items to an electronic reader. RFID technology is an ideal solution for closed loop systems, including asset tracking, in which the same set of items are tracked multiple times. In fact, over the past ten years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of businesses that have begun using RFID technology for this type of tracking.
How can RFID help me track inventory?
One way an RFID solution could be used to automatically track items as they come into your location is to set up RFID portals at each entry and exit. Tags would be attached to each item as they are brought into your location. Additional RFID portals can be set up within your location to establish zones, allowing more finite tracking of items within your location. The RFID portals would automatically track an item’s movement into and out of your location (or even the item’s movement within the location) without the need for any scanning. With an RFID solution, there is no need for line of sight with the tag. Hundreds of tags can be read simultaneously, and the RFID system can write to the tags with such information as date and time an item passed by a portal.
The components of an RFID tracking solution can include tags, antennas, readers (portals or handheld computers), and software. L-Tron can provide all of these components – and most importantly, the consulting to design a solution to meet your needs. Why not give us a call today to understand how we can help?
