Real-time Location Services (RTLS) is an essential part of the Industry 4.0 revolution. But its transformative power isn’t just in locating and tracking your assets, inventory, and people. Taking that one step further, the data collected through RTLS enables better decision-making and more fine-tuned production processes.
Not all RTLS solutions are the same, and many have learned this the hard way. I-Virtualize wants to help you make the best decision when it comes to choosing an RTLS solution and partner. We’ve developed an 11-point checklist to help you make the wisest decision and take your location and tracking capabilities to the next level.
- Pinpoint Accuracy – The tighter the location area, the quicker it is to locate what you’re looking for. “In the ballpark” isn’t good enough when it could mean wasting valuable time and money. Sub-metre accuracy is a must-have, otherwise it’s just a guess.
- Transformative Business Analytics – You can put the valuable data collected within your facility, over a period of time, to work for you in making faster and more precise decisions, taking entirely new approaches to production, and enhancing overall performance. Historical tracing analytics give you a clear view into theft (money, assets and time) and, in the event of catastrophic illness, a way to help you maintain the safety of your business and employees.
- Digital Twin – Utilizing a “digital twin” of your facility, makes it not only easy to clearly identify—in real time—the locations of people, assets, tools, and inventory, but also uncover valuable business insights into how changes in equipment specifications, scheduling, downtime, and maintenance affect production workflows.
- Cloud-Based Storage – From security to ease of use, cloud storage enables you to collect and store incredible amounts of data. A trusted cloud services provider, like i-Virtualize, can work with you to set up a cloud storage solution that meets your business’s unique needs.
- Single Easy-to-Use Dashboard – With your data secure in the cloud, you can access information from any site using any device. Centralized management of all your data from all your locations means you’re always in charge and in the know.
- Customizable Reporting – What good is another system if it can’t speak with your current business-critical systems? Your location services solution should easily integrate with your ERP and CRM systems, as well as smart lights, doors and cameras. Holistic reporting provides you with deep data intelligence, rich visual analytics, and a powerful rules engine.
- Non-Invasive Employee Tagging – Tracking people’s movements made headlines during the pandemic as contact tracing apps sprang up to help curb the swell of the virus. This also pertains to the tags your employees wear as part of your RTLS solution. To help employees maintain their privacy while also keeping them safe in your plant, you need a wearable tag that is only gathering their location data when on your property, unlike phone apps. This not only lets you know who’s working where but can also notify employees and heavy equipment operators when they get dangerously close. Employee tags can also be used to alert employees if there is an emergency in your facility and help you do a quick headcount to ensure your entire workforce is safe and accounted for if they have to evacuate the building.
- Made for Your Environment – The last thing you need is RTLS equipment that can’t withstand your rugged environment. Factories run hot and cold, depending on what is being manufactured and temperatures can fluctuate dramatically. Plus, the manufacturing process can create a lot of dust. Make sure your locators and tags can withstand anything your factory can throw at them.
- Scalability in Size and ROI – Meeting your current needs is a waste of money if your technology can’t scale with your business. And the more your RTLS can deliver, months and even years down the road, the more you reap in ROI. Evolving uses for RTLS positions your business to benefit from your initial investment several times over as use cases expand.
- Backed by Innovative and Proven Technology – Industry 4.0 is a combination of the most innovative technologies paired with proven industry-leading solutions. RTLS should embody the best of both the worlds to deliver on the promise of smart factory transformation.
- Delivered by a Partner You can Trust – i-Virtualize is committed to customer satisfaction. It’s not just something we say, we live it every day. That’s why our TRACE Sensors Real-Time Location Services solution is a step above anything else on the market. The first of its kind anywhere in the world, TRACE Sensors empowers smart factory transformation with a combination of the latest innovative technologies from ThinkIN and Quuppa, all supported by a strong Cisco digital-ready network See for yourself how TRACE Sensors can turn up your real-time location and tracking levels.
Download the RTLS 11-point Checklist Infographic here
Schedule a demo today to see how your organization could utilize precise, location-based data to enhance your production efficiency and workforce safety, all with one solution.
