The University of California San Diego founded the Simons Observatory in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile alongside the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton and Berkeley. The aim of the observatory is to help unpack the mysteries of space.

The remoteness and altitude of the Simons Observatory create a unique challenge. With the necessity to build high up and surrounded by vast miles of desert, isolation becomes a dangerous challenge to overcome. Safety assets, such as oxygen canisters, are necessary for researchers and workers, as well as a steady supply to avoid interruptions.

For the most accurate and effective observations, the Simons Observatory needs to be built high up and in a remote area, where light pollution can be controlled and removed. As such, it is currently under construction in the Chilean mountains in the Atacama Desert. This creates a higher risk of altitude-related illnesses which is compounded by the isolation as, while the technology is getting perfected, the people using it need to be protected also.

Safety, therefore, is a concern that needs to be addressed. Essential equipment such as defibrillators and oxygen canisters are needed to ensure everyone has enough oxygen and to assist in an emergency. Satellite phones are also essential due to the low signal environment as, if assistance is needed, speedy contact can make all the difference.

This creates a few unique challenges that must be overcome to ensure the safety of the crew. Phone bills need to be topped up and paid for at all times, the number of oxygen canisters needs to be known, knowing the location of all safety equipment is paramount, and knowing how much can be retrieved from storage in California is needed, too.

The University of California San Diego approached itemit to solve this challenge.

itemit is an asset and equipment tracking software owned and developed by RedBite Solutions. With itemit, you can log all of your assets and equipment, track relevant information, set reminders, and track asset locations.

This solution has been implemented by the Simons Observatory to track their safety equipment. The solution is used across America, with the team at the University of California San Diego using itemit to send items to Chile for a better, steadier supply chain of safety equipment.

itemit also has a streamlined asset tagging system. Asset tags are physical tags that you can stick onto tools and equipment. Then, these tags are used to link the physical equipment to their profiles in itemit. 

Every time an asset’s tag is scanned, the last seen location updates and the user who scanned the tag and the time of the scan is also recorded. This creates a clear, tidy, and transparent audit trail of asset interactions and automates asset location tracking.

The results are more safety and more peace of mind when it comes to the Simons Observatory’s healthcare and emergency equipment tracking. As the assets have been logged in itemit and tagged, tracking the locations of the assets is simpler, even in remote, low signal and WiFi environments.

The Simons Observatory can keep a log of ownership between sites, too, showing where all of their equipment is across the globe. Reserve oxygen canisters are kept in San Diego and logged as such where onsite oxygen canisters are logged as onsite. This gives the team a transparent overview of what they do and don’t have onsite and, therefore, what they have access to.

Knowing the number of oxygen canisters is critical as is knowing where they are and how many can be accessed with a resupply. Then, when the new canisters are shipped, the workers at the observatory can track the shipment to better predict when the resupply will occur. itemit’s core features make all of this transparency quick, easy, and effective.

itemit’s equipment tracking software also allows the user to track reminders. So, when it comes to ensuring the satellite phones are topped up with enough data, the team are using itemit to set the reminders to renew contracts. 

This has already proven invaluable, as the team were alerted to a phone contract ending which meant they were able to top up the phone rather than it running out. Due to the remote location of the operations, having access to reliable communication devices is of paramount importance. Without this transparency itemit provides, the outcome would have been significantly more dangerous. 

Paloma Farias, researcher at the Simons Observatory, says:

“itemit is a critical tool for us. itemit gives us more visibility over our assets and more peace of mind, helping us ensure the safety of our team.”

itemit looks forward to a long partnership with the Simons Observatory and hopes to help further when the observatory is fully constructed.

itemit’s asset tracking software can help anyone track and manage their business’ assets. Whether you’re tracking tools or equipment, IT assets, fixed assets or high-value assets, itemit gives you the tools you need to log and manage asset information.

To find out more about how itemit can help you, you can contact the team at team@itemit.com. You can also start a free trial by filling in the form below.

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A Customer Has Used itemit To Assist With Their House Move

“We greatly appreciated the versatility and usability of itemit”

 itemit has been used to help a customer move house. The customer wished to verify that their belongings had been transferred effectively after the move and were still accounted for. Therefore, they searched online and found itemit’s asset tracking system.

itemit’s asset tracking system is built for a variety of different uses and operations. At its core, itemit was developed to ensure that assets are in the correct place and accounted for, too, which is how it can be applied to so many different use-cases.

Charlotte Ellarby, co-creator of the itemit app says “it’s thrilling to see itemit being used by so many different people and for so many different things. We’re very keen to see itemit continue to grow and continue to help so many different people!”

The Challenge

The challenge the customer faced was the risk of losing assets during the move. Assets are most likely to become lost or unaccounted for when they’re in transit. Without a system in place, it would be a very manual process to verify that all assets have arrived.

There is a clear challenge in auditing and verifying assets still exist either physically or on your asset register whenever something moves, hence the unfortunate prevalence of ghost and zombie assets on manual systems.

Automated systems, however, provide more visibility, more transparency, and more accountability over your assets. Whether this is when they’re physically in front of you or if it’s in an auditing process to verify that they’re where they should be.

itemit’s Asset Auditing Solution

itemit’s asset tracking software allowed the customer to log all of his assets onto itemit. They could then use their own asset tags to link their physical assets to the digital assets on the system.

They could then also use collections to monitor which assets were in which boxes for more clarity across the board. Now, they’d be able to look at the itemit system and see exactly which assets should be in which boxes and, therefore, have a much clearer view of everything overall.

The customer would be able to create a simple asset register, add granular information to assets, track the locations of assets, and assign certain assets to certain boxes. This would work in much the same way as any other asset management operations, as it would allow the customer to keep a closer eye on where their assets are and how they’re being interacted with.

The Results

itemit provided the customer with a simple, cost-effective system that could give them more visibility over which assets they own, where the assets are specifically and more generally, and where the customer could verify that everything was correctly moved.

The customer said: “We greatly appreciated the versatility and usability of itemit. It was easy to use and saved us time and effort in the long-run in terms of finding things after a chaotic home relocation. We appreciated the support of itemit, and would recommend the app for keeping your things organised.”

With the amount of control and clarity the system provided, the customer also said they “saved many hours of searching” before adding that they also saved “many hours of frustration”.

The itemit team wishes the customer all the best after the move and looks forward to continuing to assist a wide range of individuals and businesses.

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The Royal Corps Of Signals Are Using itemit For Auditing Purposes

“itemit’s solution is easy to use and easy to set up.”

Wally Drain, Corps Property and Heritage Officer

itemit has teamed up with the Royal Corps of Signals to assist in their asset tracking and management. The Royal Corps of Signals are leaders in IT, Telecommunications, and Cyber within the British Army.

itemit was referred to the Royal Signals team by REME who recommended itemit as a better way to track and manage collections of furniture and artwork as well as other fixed assets. The itemit team helped the Royal Corps of Signals set up their fixed asset register and start tracking their assets.

Alex Wong, co-creator of itemit, said of the deal: “The itemit team is thrilled to be working closely with another member of the Ministry of Defence and helping them preserve historic assets.”

The Challenge

Before the implementation of itemit, the Royal Corps of Signals faced a lack of transparency related to their assets. The challenge was presented as an archaic access database was in use, meaning there was no ability to update in real-time as audits were being undertaken. Without automation, the manual input quickly became unwieldy and incredibly lengthy.

On their asset register, the Royal Corps of Signals has a wide range of different assets from books to paintings to furniture to fixtures. Without a cloud-based system, no real-time updates could occur. This meant asset records quickly became out of date and inaccurate.

All of the Royal Corps of Signals’ assets needed to be tracked down to their location for auditors and insurance purposes. With the number of sites that assets spread across, this quickly became an insurmountable task with their previous access database.

The assets needed to be segregated, too, so that it was clear which were stored on each site. In addition, a member of staff at each site needed to know what they had onsite in order to accept responsibility for those assets and collections. Therefore, a solution was needed that allowed staff to view assets only at their own site.

itemit’s Fixed Asset Register Solution

The Royal Corps of Signals were recommended itemit by a similar organisation. itemit’s fixed asset register solution would give them a clear view of what they own, with images, and help track the minutiae related to assets.

itemit’s system streamlines many auditing and accounting operations as the use of asset tags, in this case QR codes, allows for an in-app scan to make any edits that are required. 

After discussing the requirements with the Royal Signals team, the itemit team also improved the implementation of itemit’s locations feature to include a simple and powerful way to track the locations of assets from room to room.

The Results

With the Royal Corps of Signals asset register uploaded onto itemit and working effectively, there was nothing left to do but to start using the system.

Wally Drain, the Corps Property and Heritage Officer, says “itemit’s solution is easy to use and easy to set up. The reports and asset register is always accurate and up to date for auditors, which saves us a lot of time!”

Since using itemit, the locations of assets have been much easier to maintain and track regardless of which building or regiment the assets are currently in. There is more transparency over what the corps owns.

With itemit, the Royal Corps of Signals can:

• Audit which assets are in each location, across all of their sites
  
• Track the data they need for auditors and insurance purposes

• Segregate views for security and privacy reasons

• Make changes in real-time, across the board, from any of their sites

• Export and customise a report for auditors and insurers to use with the inclusion of images and asset data

The itemit team looks forward to future developments and discussions with the Royal Corps of Signals and rolling this out to many more similar organisations in the near future.

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Cambridge University Is Using itemit’s Asset Tracking System For Asymptomatic Test Kit Tracking

Cambridge University has implemented a pooled testing programme to provide asymptomatic COVID-19 tests to its students regularly. The testing programme aims to make the University a safer environment, mitigating the risks of an outbreak, allowing for consistent study and research. itemit is assisting in the University’s efforts by allowing for more communication within the supply chain and by providing the ability to monitor the movements and stock levels of the test kits.

The operations work on a pooling basis. Various “households” of 6-10 students have tests delivered to them. Each student then takes the test and places it in a collection box. These boxes are then collected daily ready to be analysed. If any of the test results are positive, that household is told to isolate, while individuals are tested to identify who has the infection. Overall, this increases the effectiveness of the testing capacity of around 2,000 tests a week as minor outbreaks can be identified and addressed.

itemit’s asset tracking software allows Cambridge University’s testing team keep track of test kits from a central hub to 37 Cambridge colleges across over 50 sites in a closed-loop logistics effort. Test kits are tracked in boxes, each with an itemit QR tag, and scanned by delivery drivers as they are moved between locations. 

“At the very start of the pandemic, we donated use of the itemit asset tracking system to the University of Cambridge to provide an instant solution to tracking PPE stocks, initially, and test kits more recently. This powerful collaboration ensures tracking of critical test kits that allows the University to detect and control outbreaks of COVID-19.” Dr Alex Wong, Co-founder and CEO of RedBite says. 

The Challenge

On any scale, supply chain management and mass testing have many challenges that need to be addressed. Creativity and innovation are often required to overcome challenges related to communication, transparency, and performance.

The most pressing challenge is ensuring each household receives the correct tests on the correct dates and to ensure that these tests are promptly collected and analysed. A manual system would not allow for the flexibility and real-time nature required to keep an accurate history of test kit movements.

It was essential for the University to ensure that every step in the logistics process worked as quickly as possible, with under two weeks to put all necessary processes in motion. From preparing kits to delivery, to the collection of samples, to the delivery to testing centres, every step must tightly and seamlessly progress to the next. Without KPIs or an established system, any improvements or changes would be slow and risk a lag in scalability or the overall success of the programme.

Therefore, the main risk was that a lack of communication between steps in the supply network could stagnate the entire programme. This meant that a system would be needed that could track test kits as both inventory and individual assets and that would allow for automated communication between delivery drivers, the colleges themselves, and the testing labs. This system would then have to be scalable to allow for rapid growth, contributing to the success of the programme and allowing for a faster implementation to address this pressing need.

itemit’s Asset Tracking System

The itemit asset tracking software is owned and created by RedBite Solutions. RedBite has over a decade’s worth of expertise solving the world’s most complex asset tracking challenges and supply chain issues. The itemit app was developed as a response to the patterns RedBite found regarding common asset tracking challenges, allowing for an affordable off-the-shelf solution to archaic asset tracking methods, such as spreadsheets.

RedBite Solutions is a spin-out from the University of Cambridge’s Auto-ID Centre and has had a productive relationship with the University since its constitution. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to spiral out of control and the University was inundated with PPE donations, there was an urgent need to manage donations received and deliver these to local hospitals in dire need of PPE supplies. RedBite donated the use of the itemit system to the University in immediate response to the growing pandemic.

itemit, therefore, started a partnership with the testing logistics team by first helping them collect and log donations of PPE before delivering them to Addenbrookes hospital. This partnership has since developed into the tracking of COVID-19 test kits as a result of the University’s impressive testing procedures.

Primarily, itemit provided the logistics team with the system and assisted them in setting up a PPE logistics pop-up warehouse in under three days. Due to this partnership, itemit has since developed new features to assist with the University’s efforts in tracking its test kit inventory. 

itemit is continuing to add additional capabilities as it has been awarded an InnovateUK grant in response to dealing with the threat of global disruption. The project aims to assist with end-to-end communication and inventory management within logistical testing and PPE operations on a national scale. These new features will continue to benefit the University in its testing efforts, but also assist in equipment pooling, allowing different warehouses to communicate their stock levels to ensure there’s no stagnation or shortage in the supply chain.

The University team utilise itemit to track stock levels and test kits when they’re sent out or collected. This way, by scanning a QR code, delivery drivers can verify that the package has either been collected or delivered. Every time a QR code is scanned in the app, the phone’s GPS location is automatically recorded and the last seen location is updated. In addition, the team place itemit’s GPS trackers in test kit boxes to ensure critical test kit swabs are not lost or misplaced. itemit GPS trackers allow for real-time monitoring of asset location and provide much-needed reassurance to the University.

As the system is cloud-based, these updates happen for all users in real-time, allowing for instant verification of delivery, stock levels, and test kit location. Remote verification is therefore possible, too, allowing the logistics team to identify and rectify issues faster and from the testing warehouse.

The Results

The system is an ongoing success. Positive COVID-19 cases are accurately identified and addressed creating a safer environment for both students and faculty. The system has been so effective that in the final week of term 10,000 students were tested without a single positive case.

Rob Glew, a researcher in operations and supply chain management who headed up the PPE Logistics Project, says “itemit allowed us to change our entire operation within a couple of days. It has played a critical role in assisting with wide-scale supply chain disruptions due to the ongoing crisis. Using itemit allows us to be extremely adaptable to address the constant challenges faced by an ever-changing global pandemic.”

The system has proved of vital importance on so many occasions already. For example, when delivery drivers believed some test kit boxes had not been picked up, the team have been able to rely on itemit’s tracking data to see that in fact the boxes were collected. Not only does itemit show the history of the boxes’ movements but it also shows who had them and when. On a separate occasion, the team worried a box of test kit swabs had gone missing, but thanks to itemit, they were able to retrieve the box as a result of knowing its last known movements.

How can itemit help you?

If you need a solution to track inventory or assets, book a demo of itemit here and we’ll show you everything it will do for you.

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