Asset tracking is often framed as a location problem: where is this asset?
But for connected operations it is a system-wide question - what is the asset? where is it? has it moved? who or what is interacting with it? what is its condition? and what has its condition been?
It is a multi-technology problem, with RFID, GPS/GNSS, BLE, UWB, IoT sensors, gateways and software all playing a part in answering the questions above.
Modern asset tracking architecture can be thought of as a set of questions:
What is the asset anyway?
Where is it?
How is it doing?
And, how does it all come together?
Let's look at each issue in turn, and how they might be connected.
1. Identity As An Initial Data Point
RFID technology offers a means to associate information from the physical world with the digital one.
A tag can be associated with a record and read by compatible infrastructure, making RFID tags useful for inventory, equipment identification and even movement events.
Barcode and Qr code scanners can similarly be used to associate information with a physical tag, when visual scanning is a reasonable approach.
The most important aspect from a software standpoint is that we have some kind of consistent association between the physical asset and its digital representation, perhaps something as simple as:
Asset ID => Asset Record => Tracking Event
Without data about an asset's identity, location data and sensors are significantly harder to work with in software.
2. Location As A Second Data Layer
The location of an asset is a separate data layer to the information provided by RFID tags.
GPS/GNSS provides a means for determining the location of some assets (such as vehicles), while BLE can be used for proximity and location-finding in more contained environments.
UWB can also be useful for location-finding in certain circumstances.
In most cases there is a choice of the right technology for the job based on accuracy, range, mobility, infrastructure, power, and whether the asset in question is inside or outside.
The fundamental pattern is similar to RFID scanning, but centered around a concept of a location:
Asset => Identifier => Location Event => Timestamp
Once again we are associating data (this time about a location) with digital records. This is especially important with the timestamp, because most asset tracking systems involve more than just the present state of an asset. Its past location and movement are often useful or necessary information too.
3. Sensors Provide Extra Information
Sensors open up new possibilities when it comes to collecting information about assets.
A wide range of IoT sensors can be used to determine or infer the condition of an asset.
This might include temperature, humidity, pressure, vibration or other variables which have an impact on the asset.
This represents another data layer that can be associated with the asset record:
Asset: Machine-102
Location: Production Area B
Vibration: Elevated
Timestamp: 14:32
If we only had a record of this asset's location we would not know to expect the vibration data. We are now associating more information (the vibration event) with the asset.
4. Bringing It All Together
Many connected tracking systems take the following general form:
Identify
↓
Locate
↓
Monitor
↓
Collect
↓
Analyze
↓
Act
Tags, trackers, sensors and readers all play a part in generating data about the physical world. Gateways and connectivity help to get that data to applications, which in turn might store, display, analyze or consume that data in other ways.
A more detailed technical view of how different technologies might tie together can be found in this asset tracking technology guide.
5. Thinking Through Requirements
When designing an asset tracking solution it is common to get frustrated by selecting a technology and then finding out later that it is not a good fit.
A better approach is to begin with questions such as:
Is the asset indoors, outdoors, or both?
Does the asset move around, or is it mostly in one place?
How precise does the location data need to be?
Do I need to monitor the condition of the asset?
How frequently do I need to collect this type of information?
What connectivity options do I have available?
Are there any limitations around power?
What kind of storage, data platform or application will hold or consume this data?
Some combination of RFID, GPS, BLE, UWB or other sensors may be appropriate. What matters most is that the system captures the data necessary, in the way that is necessary for your application to actually work.
Modern asset tracking systems are more about data integration than individual devices or technologies.
Every asset record, location, movement or event is a stream of data that can be associated with the physical asset record, creating a single resource that can be analyzed and consumed by other systems.
The ultimate goal is to capture information about physical assets in a way that lets us make those insights accessible and actionable.
