Making decisions that largely impact your manufacturing plant takes careful consideration. Manufacturers have recently been evaluating technology solutions for their companies. One way to evaluate if an RFID technology solution would be beneficial is to make an old-school pro/con list.
Pros of Implementing Asset Tracking
As unfinished materials move through the production process, you can use a location tracking system to watch their location within the process at all times. The tags attach to your equipment and other assets share their location to the cloud so you can have their real-time location. Having this visibility saves you the time you typically spend searching through your large facility for the materials.
When it comes to sensitive materials, monitoring their condition can save you money. Cold chain monitoring helps to ensure they remain in the proper temperature range. If these sensitive items fall out of their required range, they become lost money since they can no longer be used or sold. Having a system to monitor this delicate information and even send alerts if the temperature is getting close to unusable can ease stress and save money. Asset tracking systems can monitor more than just temperature. They can sense acceleration, shock, and more!
Identify Location With Ease
Keeping track of equipment and other valuable assets within your plant is difficult to do with pen and paper. Even barcode scanners are an outdated way to track inventory. These methods of tracking leave room for human error and provide unreliable information. An RTLS asset tracking system takes humans out of the equation to avoid human error and does all the work for you. All you have to do is look online to see the location.
Measure Workflows
Sometimes production processes get slowed down because of unforeseen bottlenecks. Consistent bottlenecks are easy to plan around because you know they are always there. The ones that come up unexpectedly are the ones that you can’t plan around. Sometimes you aren’t aware of them until you’ve fallen far behind schedule. To avoid this, use an asset tracking system to alert you when unplanned delays occur.
Real-Time Data Reporting
Using an asset tracking system provides the location of your assets in real-time. Relying on a sign-out sheet isn’t always accurate. You can see who used it last and when (as long as they filled it out), but you can’t see where it is at that moment. In addition to providing the current location of assets, the location and condition information can be automatically placed into a reporting structure to save you additional time. You can reallocate that time to making decisions based on the reports.
Increase Your ROI by Investing in AirFinder OnSite
- Low Cost. AirFinder OnSite XLE is a fraction of the cost of competitors' pricing.
- Long Battery Life. XLE lasts up to 7 years with hundreds of location updates daily.
- Increased Efficiency. Spend less time looking for assets, and more time being productive.
Cons of Implementing Asset Tracking
Initial Implementation Costs
The RTLS system's cost can vary widely based on how large your facility is and how much you want to track. Plus, that cost can go up or down depending on the technology used to make up the system. Even though these costs can be pretty high, these systems ultimately save you money. Because of these systems, you don’t have to spend money to replace lost assets.
When it comes to technology, there is always a security risk. Security is an important consideration when investing in technology. As technology advances, so do hackers' capabilities.
At Link Labs, we are aware of the risks that come with an IoT solution; that is why we have made efforts to make our solution as safe as possible. We offer an end-to-end solution, meaning we offer the hardware and the software. Because we offer the entire solution, you do not have to worry about too many companies accessing your information. Creating our own software platform allows us to ensure the safety of your information.
Do The Pros Outweigh the Cons?
The pros on this list clearly outweigh the cons. It is worth the money you put into the system. Our AirFinder system is an RTLS system that provides companies with all the pros listed above. Companies that we work with have seen an ROI for the initial money they’ve put in. Book a demo with us to learn more ways AirFinder can advance your company!
