Asset Tracking with RFID

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology used for the identification and tracking of an object, using radio waves. These objects are tagged and can be read from several meters away, even beyond the line of sight of the reader. Such tagging provides an easier way to track the objects by interpreting the upcoming radio signals from each tag.

Following are the two basic types of RFID tags:

• Active Tags: Active tags contain an internal battery, and are equipped for the transmission of signals autonomously.
• Passive Tags: Passive tags have no inbuilt battery, hence they require an external power source, in order to provoke signal transmission.

The integrated circuit part of the RFID tag is used for the storage and processing of information, along with, modulation and demodulation of radio-frequency signals. The other part is an antenna, which is used for receiving and transmitting the signal.

RFID is combined with mobile computing and web technologies, in order to provide an efficient way for the identification and management of assets. It provides a complete set of tools, which can eliminate paperwork and manual data entry.

Management of the whole system through the Internet, enables an organization or individual, to monitor and manage assets from anywhere in the world. It also ensures the online transfer of documents, which keeps the user updated about the real-time data.

Status and the miscellaneous work records, are synchronized with a web-based database and forwarded to the administration.

These days, many companies are showing interest in simple asset tracking solutions, which can help them to keep track of critical or valuable assets, within a certain area. It enables them to know exactly which ones come under their ownership and their life cycle from acquisition to disposal.

It also helps organizations to bring down the maintenance costs and optimize utilization. Tracking products determine the general location of tagged objects, anywhere within a defined space.

They also allow the organization or user to monitor the location, status, and availability from any location and integrate the various business processes, in order to keep the decision-making authorities informed.

The first step is to design an excel sheet which contains custom fields, like, cost of the asset, its owner, and serial number. This systematic sheet helps in easy updation of records, and retrieval of information, when required.

After the excel sheet has been made, the next step is to properly tag the owned assets. It is important to figure out the required types of RFID tags.

There are many brands in the market, so one should be sure about his requirements and budget before deciding upon a particular brand. The speed of these systems is measured in tags per second.

A greater speed ensures higher efficiency,which in turn, is bound to be more expensive than others. The excel sheet is updated after every scan and it stores the last scan date and time. Missing data can be easily found out by sorting the excel sheet.