Asset Tracking for fleet management will account for the majority of the market until 2024, when it will be surpassed by tracking, locating, and monitoring for other types of assets such as shipping containers, livestock, machinery, equipment, and tools.
Asset trackers provide critical high-level oversight of business operations. Knowing where your assets are at any given time allows you to keep tabs on costly equipment and products. GPS asset trackers can also provide useful information about a company's supply chain, logistics issues, and operational processes.
Examine these five features and fundamental capabilities carefully as you decide whether an asset tracking solution is right for your organization.
1. Integrated Vehicle System Integration
Integrating with existing vehicle systems and external sensors is critical when selecting a GPS asset tracker for ease of installation and configuration.
It is critical to select an asset tracker with a controller area network (CAN) bus controller and transceiver. Multiple field devices can communicate with one another thanks to CAN, which eliminates the need for separate analog and digital inputs for each system device.
This technology is primarily used for vehicle electronic networking, but it is now available for use in a variety of other applications, including railway operations and aerospace. CAN-based systems improve integration among operating room equipment in the medical field. Lab equipment, sports cameras, telescopes, automated doors, and small appliances are examples of non-industrial applications.
2. Sensor Expansion for Asset Tracking
At the very least, an asset tracker should support real-time GPS tracking. The most competitive devices, on the other hand, go far beyond GPS tracking functionality. Buyers should seek a solution that enables them to track additional variables about their assets, such as motion, sound levels, weather, road conditions, voltage, battery life, and more.
This is a critical feature because you need to know more than just the location of your asset to provide a profitable return on investment for your use case. For example, cold chain operators may need to know the location of the shipment as well as the temperature of the freezers in transit. To ensure that their generators are running properly, construction companies must track them while wirelessly monitoring the voltage of the system.
When comparing GPS asset tracking solutions, look for one that allows you to easily add additional sensors to expand the scope and range of your asset tracking solution.
3. Customization and Extensibility of Asset Tracker
Asset trackers require ongoing fine-tuning to keep up with changing conditions and operational changes. When comparing solutions, buyers should look for GPS asset trackers that support over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
The Advantages of OTA Software Updates
The practice of remotely updating the code on a remote embedded device is referred to as over-the-air software updates. Asset tracking devices with OTA software updates enable users to:
After the sale, address and repair bugs and product issues.
By selectively updating networked devices, you can test new features.
Reduce costs by managing software across a fleet of devices through a single, unified interface.
Increase the frequency and reliability of updates while maintaining uptime.
Enhance scalability by adding new features and infrastructure to products after they have been released.
4. Field-tested and open-reference
When shopping for an asset tracker, look for hardware that can be quickly deployed while still being fully customized to your specific needs.
Consider design elements that protect assets in a variety of environments. One aspect to consider is the enclosure design. In harsh environments, a rugged, rigid, weatherproof enclosure is required. For added protection against extreme environmental conditions, look for an industrial embedded SIM.
Ensure that the hardware is also fully certified. You'll save time and money because you won't have to go through the process of certifying hardware to meet regulatory and governmental requirements.
5. GPS Asset Tracker Key Features
A variety of asset tracking features can transform the experience from a limited, out-of-the-box option to a more customized, robust asset tracking solution.
Power management features — Power management features enable you to exert control over the asset tracking process and identify opportunities for energy savings.
Internal measurement units add advanced asset oversight and the ability to collect valuable data about assets in motion. For example, a real-time clock (RTC) "watchdog" timer can detect movement within a device using accelerators and gyroscopes. Valuable information about device behavior can assist organizations in improving theft prevention and overall system oversight.
Cellular connectivity enables you to track your assets regardless of where they are in the world. It is more dependable than Wi-Fi access.
Bluetooth low energy capability — Bluetooth low energy improves IoT connectivity by consuming less energy and making deployment easier. This technology allows for infrequent, short-range wireless data communication between monitors, proximity sensors, and other "smart" devices that are powered by a small battery.
GPS Asset Tracking Software
If the associated software is lacking, even the best asset tracking hardware is limited. While there are numerous asset tracking software solutions available, not all of them provide all of the features you may require. Companies should look for tracking software that includes the following features:
Geolocation mapping services — With real-time geolocation mapping services, every asset tracking software solution should allow you to monitor asset location.
Historical tracking — You should be able to review an asset's history in order to suggest optimal routes or improve the accuracy of data needed for business intelligence.
Variable monitoring — Most businesses require more information than just the current location of an asset. Look for software that allows you to track additional asset variables such as temperature, motion, vibration, and so on.
OTA software updates — As previously stated, OTA software updates allow you to send new features and fix bugs wirelessly.
LTE cellular connectivity and SIM cards When dealing with an asset tracking software solution, cellular connectivity and SIM management should be standard features.
Dashboards for device health — When asset tracking devices are deployed in the field, they can encounter a variety of problems (i.e., they can lose cellular connectivity, have a low battery life, etc.) That is why you should look for asset tracking software that allows you to monitor device vitals from a centralized dashboard.
FLEET-EYE simplifies asset tracking.
There are numerous Asset Tracker available for organizations to use. FLEET-EYE, on the other hand, offers a unique solution to help simplify your business operations if you're looking for a simple solution that is field-ready and customizable.
The FLEET-EYE Tracking System is a comprehensive asset management solution that includes everything you need to track your high-value assets. Our Tracking Services include a software suite that includes geolocation services as well as configuration capabilities for defining fleet-wide behaviors.
Our Tracking Services also power our two hardware products (Tracker SoM and Tracker One), both of which are designed for intelligent asset tracking in any environment.
FLEET-EYE collaborates with customers from a wide range of industries, including supply chain and logistics partners, industrial manufacturing, agriculture, yeas, and local governments pursuing "smart city" solutions. Learn how the FLEET-EYE Tracking solution can help your organization achieve more by improving asset management.