What Is Asset Tracking Hardware And How Can You Use It?

by

Asset tracking software can integrate a variety of hardware to improve your asset management operations. Where asset tracking software can house your asset profiles and data, hardware can improve your interactions with these assets, in some cases automating them.

So, hardware will either have a technological element that allows for fuller automation, or it will be analogue, meaning the automation is with scanning capabilities.

QR Codes Vs. Barcodes: Which is best for asset tracking and inventory?


QR Code Asset Tags And Barcodes

The most conventional hardware you will couple up with your asset tracking software is QR code asset tags and barcodes. You can read more about whether QR codes or barcodes are better by following the link.

Effectively, QR codes and barcodes work by linking unique asset profiles on your software to physical, unique assets. In other words, when you have a tag on a laptop for IT asset management, your asset tracking software will be able to scan the tag and see specifically which laptop it is.

This hardware speeds up multiple operations. First of all, every scan automates an increase in accountability as:

  • The last seen location updates
  • The user who scanned the tag is logged
  • The time the tag was scanned is logged

This way, every time a feature is used you will be able to see who interacted with an asset and where. As ever scan also opens up an asset’s profile, allowing the use of features, this is very helpful when assets are checked in or out or when an issue is logged.


Handheld And Fixed RFID Asset Management

Handheld and fixed RFID asset management allow for the next level of automation. As QR code asset management requires the tag to be visible to your phone’s camera, it can have some limitations.

RFID tags, however, use radio frequencies and antennas to allow for tag detection. This means that tags can be hidden, which is critical for high-value asset tracking.

This functionality also means that a variety of QR code asset management features can also be automated further. RFID uses external hardware to communicate with your assets’ tags, so, if you want to verify that all of your assets are in the room they should be, you just have to activate an audit feature and pull the trigger on your handheld RFID reader.

Fixed RFID asset tracking goes one step further, automatically logging whenever an asset moves from one location to another. This is very helpful in busy, high-pressure environments, such as for healthcare asset tracking.


GPS Asset Tracking

GPS asset tracking then fills in any gaps. Where RFID tracking and barcode asset tracking help you keep track of assets while they’re available, GPS trackers allow you to view assets when they would otherwise be unaccounted for.

If your site is large, such as an airfield, for example, or if assets are constantly in transit between sites, your GPS trackers will be able to log your assets’ locations wherever they are in the world. 

itemit is unique, as it allows you to combine all of these hardware capabilities in one, easy-to-use asset tracking software. Therefore, you can use GPS asset tracking to view where assets are when you don’t have access to them, fixed RFID asset tracking when you don’t have time for manual updates, and the rest when you have access to your assets and need to make use of specific features.

To find out more about how itemit’s asset tracking hardware options can help your business take its asset tracking to the next level, you can contact the team at team@itemit.com. You can also fill in the form below to start your 14-day free trial.

Asset Tracking Hardware

Choose a better way to track your assets

Start your free 14-day trial now

Instant access. No credit card details required.

or, download the itemit app to get started

Related articles

Top Benefits of Using Inventory Management for Bakeries

Top Benefits of Using Inventory Management for Bakeries

Inside these bustling bakeries, redolent with the smell of freshly baked bread and sweet pastries, it takes more than delicious recipes and skilful hands to make a difference. Backing that perfect loaf or the lavishly decorated cake is a meticulous process for monitoring ingredients, supplies, and products. This is where inventory management steps in - the unsung hero of the baking world. While it is the artistry of baking that captures customer hearts, efficient inventory management ensures...

read more
Stock vs Inventory in Asset Management

Stock vs Inventory in Asset Management

Well, if you are in the business of warehouse management, then you would know the difference between one and the other - between stock vs inventory. The meanings of both these words are considerably interchangeable, but they refer to different concepts of a company's assets and perform distinctive functions in managing operations. This article will, therefore, pass through diversified definitions of stock vs inventory because the two concepts are well-defined and distinguished from one...

read more
How Asset Tracking Systems Transform Hospital Management

How Asset Tracking Systems Transform Hospital Management

Where effectiveness and accuracy are required, as unlike ever before in healthcare today, technology underscores its role in smooth functioning. Of the many innovations going on in the healthcare sector, one very outstanding change maker is the hospital asset tracking system. These systems, designed to monitor, manage, and maintain medical equipment and supplies, are fast becoming very vital tools for the management of hospitals. They do not just ensure that critical assets are readily...

read more