As agencies deal with fiscal restrictions and increased supervision of public spending, efficient asset tracking is becoming increasingly crucial. Tools, trucks, and phones, as well as vital documents and preserved information, are all commonly tracked assets in the government sector. Tracking these assets saves money for all federal departments by improving overall management and avoiding assets from being lost or misplaced.
There are three (3) main technologies that are being used in asset tracking:
Barcodes
Nowadays, it’s difficult to go somewhere without seeing a barcode. Over 90% of workers working in asset-intensive industries prefer barcodes to alternative technologies for asset tracking. Barcodes, unlike other tracking methods, may be scanned with a variety of scanners, allowing employees to rely on a single technology. They can be read by scanners built into rugged tablets, or connected plug-in scanners They are the most “future-proof” of the technologies in some ways. Barcodes are simple and quick to scan. It can digitally capture data, making it more accurate than manual recordkeeping.
RFID
Asset tracking utilizing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) uses specific frequencies to send and receive signals from asset tracking tags. RFID uses radio frequency chips or tags to send information about an item to a receiver. RFID allows information collection while remaining at a safe distance from the object.
GPS
GPS-based asset tracking has mostly been used to track items that have left a certain location and have been transported to government sites on trucks, including those sent to far-off countries. A GPS tag can be easily tracked to and from a far-off place with only a stable internet connection. Some advantages of GPS include:
- Real-Time Location– The location of your item can be traced in real-time using active GPS tags. You can know where the specific asset is at all times. It is also possible to detect where a user scanned an asset. Additionally, GPS can also track whether an item was delivered or picked up.
- Cost-Effective and Simple – GPS can be used with any mobile device with GPS tracking capabilities. A GPS tag or tracker does not require any additional effort from the user to maintain it.
- Motion Alerts and Passive Technology– GPS can be set up with a notification if the position of an asset has changed. Active GPS tracking does not require manual scanning. The tracker sends all of the information to the user directly.
Traditional asset inventory methods are slow, tedious, and fraught with errors. Valuable labor is wasted on old, antiquated methods. That’s why DT Research has partnered with Liona TechTracker, an innovative technology solutions provider to provide a complete mobile inventory solution that is designed to quickly, easily, and accurately, automate asset tracking tasks and audit activities for the federal government purposes.
Our rugged tablets provide the portability and mobility for their clients to utilize built-in technology that assists with asset trackings such as our integrated barcode readers, RFID scanners, and GPS.
DT Research rugged tablets are purpose-built with reliability, flexibility, and durability that withstands harsh environments, climates, and perform well on the warehouse floor, in the vehicle, or in the field.