Asset management is one of the key applications, Users want to control their assets, keep track of where they are, and reduce shrink of assets and the inventory they're associated with. RFID may have finally found its niche where supply chain operations are concerned. Rather than simply tracking inventory, it can be put to higher uses, like serving as the enabling technology for sophisticated data collection initiatives
Companies looking to track supply chain assets had just two options when it came to RFID tags.
The first option was the passive RFID tag, with passive RFID tags users need an infrastructure of readers and software to gather the information encoded in the tags. That's because passive tags lack an internal power source and cannot transmit a signal. In order to collect the tags' data, users must scan them with a handheld reader within a 10-foot range or pass them through a fixed-read zone like a tollbooth portal.
Option two was the active RFID tag, which contain their own power supply, are capable of transmitting signals that can be read from as far as 50 to 100 feet away. Those signals can be detected by stationary readers with overlapping coverage areas, then triangulated to pin down the tag's location.
Now, a third option is emerging, that combines some of the best features of active and passive tags. Known as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the technology was originally developed for smartphones, so the signal can be read by consumer devices that run on the iOS and Android operating systems.
The standard was first deployed for "location-aware services," such as retail applications in which tags affixed to store shelves beam discount offers to the smartphones of passing shoppers. But BLE tags have since been ruggedized to meet industrial standards for shock, temperature, vibration, and battery life. And since they communicate on the common wireless standard used in consumer mobile devices, they require far less infrastructure investment than other tracking technologies do.
Interest in RFID and BLE is particularly strong among retail industry distribution operations that are struggling to fill e-commerce orders within ever-tighter time windows.
For these types of facilities, asset tracking is mainly a matter of ensuring that workers can lay their hands on the warehouse tools and equipment they need in their daily operations—items that can be easily misplaced when running at full steam. A shortage of even the most basic totes, carts, or pallets can throw a wrench in the works of a fast-paced e-commerce fulfillment operation. With its low tag costs, passive RFID offers users a way to improve the tracking of those basic assets.
In contrast, active RFID is a better match for a facility that's looking to track moving assets both inside the facility and out in the yard. This is great for classic warehouse applications where real-time location is a step up from the level of visibility you have with warehouse management systems, which only know the last location you scanned.
In response to the growing interest in RFID-enabled asset tracking, some vendors are shifting their focus from ways of making tags cheaper to ways of making tags smarter. That is, they're manufacturing tags that are capable of determining much more about each asset than just its location. As part of that effort, RFID suppliers have begun outfitting their tags with sensors, software, microprocessors, and batteries.
Typically deployed on large assets like lift trucks, intermodal containers, trailers, chassis, and rental cars, these tags can bypass handheld readers, beaming data directly back to a central network via Wi-Fi, cellular network, or satellite signal. In line with the growing popularity of the Internet of Things, this method tracks asset data through a tag-to-system model instead of the standard tag-to-reader approach.
Among other data, these long-range tags can collect information on odometer mileage, fleet usage, dwell time, and transit time for moving assets such as forklifts and chassis. By graphing the results and comparing the statistics with industry benchmarks, users can analyze the data with an eye toward eliminating extraneous vehicles, scheduling needed maintenance, and identifying savings opportunities.
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