Bluetooth Asset Tracking Option 1: Track Assets Using A Smartphone
Out of all IoT asset tracking technologies Bluetooth low energy (BLE) is the only one that allows for the direct communication with the smartphones and tablets.
Therefore, you can skip dedicated IoT gateways, and use company employees with the smartphones for the efficient asset tracking, in the field and warehouse.
Using a smartphone for tracking assets tagged with the BLE tags, field employees can:
- Record assets check in, check out, relocation and re-assignment, and submit data to the back end cloud software in real time.
- Fill out
mobile forms that may accompany asset transactions.
- Look up equipment documents, spec sheets, maintenance and service history, and other relevant data.
- Request equipment on the job site, record equipment delivery and sign for it in the mobile app.
- Fill out equipment maintenance, service and inspection forms, and other types of field paperwork on the smartphone using mobile forms.
BLE tags provide much better asset tracking automation than QR codes or NFC tags.
The scanning speed and convenience progressively increase from QR codes to NFC to BLE tags.
QR codes or barcodes asset tracking
In order to scan a QR code or a barcode you need to locate a label on each asset and scan it with a mobile app.
NFC asset tracking
In order to scan an NFC tag you need to hold a smartphone within an inch from a tag. You do not need to focus a smartphone camera for each scan, but you do need to scan each asset.
Since no camera focus is required NFC tags scanning is faster than QR code scanning.
BLE asset tracking
With the BLE tags you do not need to scan each asset.
You can bulk scan everything on a pallet, skid, or in a truck just by clicking a button in the mobile app.
BLE tags do not need to be visible and can be inside the packaging or casing.<
If you routinely move assets between locations and need to automate asset tracking, but do not have a budget or an option to use IoT gateways,
Bluetooth asset tracking with the smartphones will be a good option for you.
Bluetooth Asset Tracking Option 2: Automated Asset Tracking Using IoT Gateways
If you do not want to rely on the company employees for asset tracking tasks, or smartphone scanning is not feasible for your business workflow,
an
IoT asset tracking system,
an add-on to the QR Inventory software, allows you to track assets automatically using
Bluetooth IoT gateways.
For the automated Bluetooth asset tracking you need to install Bluetooth IoT gateways in the location(s) where you want to track assets.
These can be warehouse zones, zones in the large facility or a smart building, job sites, yards, shop floor, etc. You can install Bluetooth IoT gateways
at the entrance / exit to the facility to record what passes through, when and on which truck. You can also have a gateway in the service trucks, and
always know which assets are on each truck at any given time.
There are a variety of the Bluetooth IoT gateways that you can use. Depending on your exact situation and where the Bluetooth IoT gateway
should be installed, you can opt for:
- A pass through gateway or a gateway with the edge data processing capabilities
- A gateway that is rugged, weather proof and dust proof for the outdoor environment
- A gateway with Wi-Fi or cellular data connection
- A dedicated Bluetooth gateway, or a gateway software installed on the computer or tablet
Regardless of what type of Bluetooth IoT gateway you will be using, a gateway will automatically detect assets tagged with the
BLE tags.
It can optionally filter and process asset data, and send data to the backend cloud software for storage and reporting.
Authorized software users will be able to review assets locations, movement history, and receive
instant alerts on misplaced or missing assets.
You can find more information on Bluetooth IoT asset tracking and how it works
here.
In addition to tracking of the physicak assets location and movement, you can also add an
optional
IoT temperature and humidity monitoring system.
You can use IoT temperature and humidity monitoring to detect adverse conditions and damages early, and avoid costly equipment breakdowns.
If your assets require a specific temperature or humidity range, remote temperature and humidity monitoring 24/7 will ensure that there is no
assets damage.
If conditions go out of acceptable range you will receive an instant alert and can act fast to fix the problem.
A Bluetooth asset tracking system includes all
components that you need for the automated asset monitoring:
Bluetooth Asset Tracking Option 3: GPS Asset Tracking With A Smartphone
In addition to asset tracking in designated locations using Bluetooth IoT gateways or smartphones, you can track asset GPS location continuously
using BLE tags. As long as assets are handled and moved by the company employees, an employee with a smartphone can serve as GPS tag and IoT gateway.
An employee who handles company assets does not need to do any actions, such as asset scanning or data recording. He will, however, need to have
a smartphone in his pocket, with an asset tracking mobile app running in the background. A mobile app will be monitoring
assets tagged with the BLE tags, and sending GPS location of the found assets to the cloud software at pre-set time intervals.
This asset tracking method is available in the
mobile data collection module of the QR Inventory software.
