RFID Asset Tracking: All You Need to Know for Enhanced IT Asset Management
Most businesses face the prominent challenge of effectively managing and locating critical assets. The time spent looking for critical equipment and tools can lead to delays, causing unnecessary downtime, wasted labor, and operational inefficiency.
While companies have traditionally approached asset management through spreadsheets, serial numbers, and barcode tracking, each method requires significant manual effort.
That's where the implementation of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology could be of help. It enables you to track those assets automatically while providing real-time visibility and streamlining the IT infrastructure.
So, what is RFID asset tracking? And why is it important?
Let's find out.
Why RFID Asset Tracking Is Important?
Compared to other asset management methods, RFID asset tracking uses RFID tags. These tags are tiny chips that are attached to each asset and store relevant data like model information and ID numbers.
When RFID asset tracking readers scan them, data is transmitted to a central database, where it can be used for a wide variety of purposes.
Given below are some expected benefits of RFID asset tracking:
Accuracy: Using RFID asset tracking eliminates any manual tracking issues since you can easily track asset movements while updating the asset register. This aspect ensures pinpoint accuracy, a problem eminently present when tracking assets manually.
Efficiency: RFID asset tracking eliminates manual tracking issues. You can easily track asset movements while updating the asset register, ensuring pinpoint accuracy, a problem that's eminently present when tracking assets manually.
Streamlined process: RFID asset tracking can simplify asset checkouts and returns for employees, thereby ensuring better accountability.
Simplified maintenance: Based on the data stored inside your RFID tags for asset tracking, you can easily schedule preventive measures associated with maintaining the data.
Types of RFID Asset Tracking Systems
There are two main types of RFID asset tracking systems, namely:
Fixed RFID Asset Tracking: In this tracking method, the readers are placed strategically throughout the facility and automatically detect the tagged assets as they move within the detectable range of the given asset tracker.
Handheld RFID Asset Tracking: This system includes several handheld scanners for manually tracking your assets at particular locations. Handheld RFID asset tracking is ideal for companies where periodic audits and remote asset tracking are prominent.
Examples of RFID Asset Tracking
Here are some common RFID asset tracking examples to help you understand the various use cases of this technology:
IT equipment management: Track your laptops, desktops, servers, etc., using asset-tracking RFID tags.
Mobile device control: Monitoring the location of tablets, smartphones, and other devices with RFID asset tracking.
Library and Medical asset tracking: You can also track valuable assets like library books and other assets using the RFID tags for hospital asset tracking.
Conclusion
Businesses can gain a significant advantage by utilizing RFID asset tracking, allowing better control over their IT assets. By implementing asset tracking with RFID tags and readers, decision-makers and other concerned individuals can get a clear picture of the movement of their IT assets.
Owing to this, they can then focus on improving operational efficiency and maximizing resource utilization.
RFID asset management system software like Asset Infinity can help you do that. It offers a slew of features that make it an indispensable tool for modern IT asset management.
