Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS)

Tools and Equipment: Factories often have a wide array of tools, equipment, and instruments that are essential for production. RTLS can help track the location of these assets, ensuring they are readily available when needed, minimizing downtime, and reducing the time spent searching for misplaced tools.

Mobile Devices: In modern factories, employees may use mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones, or handheld scanners for various tasks, including inventory management, quality control, and communication. RTLS can track the location of these devices, ensuring their availability and facilitating efficient communication and coordination.

Personnel: While not typically considered assets, tracking personnel within a factory can be crucial for safety, security, and productivity purposes. RTLS can monitor the location of employees, ensuring their safety in hazardous areas, optimizing workflows, and improving response times during emergencies.

It’s important to note that the assets tracked with RTLS can vary depending on the specific needs and priorities of each factory. The implementation of RTLS can be tailored to suit the unique requirements of the manufacturing processes and the desired outcomes of the factory management.

Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) are often employed in factories to track and monitor the location of various assets, providing real-time visibility and enabling efficient management. Some common assets that factories typically track with RTLS include:

Forklifts and Material Handling Equipment: RTLS can track the location of forklifts, pallet jacks, and other material handling equipment. This helps optimize their usage, monitor their movement, and ensure their availability when needed.

Raw Materials and Components: Tracking the location of raw materials and components within the factory is essential for inventory management and supply chain optimization. RTLS can help monitor the movement of these materials, ensuring they are readily available at the required workstations.

Work-in-Progress (WIP) Inventory: RTLS can track the movement of WIP inventory as it progresses through different stages of the manufacturing process. This helps in identifying bottlenecks, optimizing workflow, and predicting production timelines.

Finished Goods: Tracking the location of finished goods within the factory is crucial for inventory management, order fulfillment, and shipping logistics. RTLS can provide real-time visibility into the whereabouts of finished products, ensuring accurate inventory counts and timely deliveries.

  • Asset Tracking: IMM RTLS can be used to track and monitor the location of valuable assets, equipment, or inventory items within a facility or across multiple sites. It enables real-time visibility, reduces asset loss or theft, and improves asset utilization.
  • Inventory Management: IMM RTLS System can help optimize inventory management by providing accurate and real-time information about the location and movement of goods. It aids in inventory tracking, minimizing stockouts, reducing excess inventory, and improving overall supply chain efficiency.
  • Personnel Tracking and Safety: IMM RTLS can be used to track and monitor the location of employees, visitors, or patients within a facility. It enhances safety by ensuring individuals are in designated areas, improving response times during emergencies, and facilitating evacuation procedures.
  • Workforce Optimization: IMM RTLS can assist in optimizing workforce management by providing data on employee movements, interactions, and workflow patterns. It helps identify bottlenecks, improve resource allocation, and enhance overall productivity.
  • Indoor Navigation: IMM RTLS can enable indoor navigation solutions, guiding people within large and complex buildings or campuses. It helps visitors or employees find their way, locate specific rooms or facilities, and improves overall wayfinding.
  • Supply Chain and Logistics: IMM RTLS can enhance supply chain visibility and logistics operations by tracking the movement of goods, optimizing routing and delivery processes, and improving overall operational efficiency.
  • Healthcare and Patient Tracking: In healthcare settings, IMM RTLS can be used to track patients, medical equipment, and staff. It aids in improving patient flow, reducing wait times, enhancing asset utilization, and streamlining workflow in hospitals, clinics, or nursing homes.
  • Manufacturing and Industrial Automation: IMM RTLS can be integrated into manufacturing processes to track work-in-progress (WIP) items, monitor production flow, and optimize resource allocation. It helps identify bottlenecks, reduce downtime, and improve overall operational efficiency.
  • Security and Access Control: IMM RTLS can enhance security measures by tracking the movement of people in restricted areas, triggering alerts for unauthorized access, and ensuring compliance with safety protocols.
  • Sports and Entertainment: IMM RTLS is increasingly used in sports stadiums and entertainment venues to track player or performer movements, analyze performance data, enhance spectator experiences, and improve crowd management.
  • Yard Management: IMM RTLS technology can be highly beneficial in yard management. It can be utilized in Vehicle Tracking, Trailer or Container Tracking, Yard Asset Management, Gate Management, Yard Inventory Tracking, Yard Security, Yard Space Optimization, and Performance Analytics.