One of the most common ongoing issues faced by large organisations is the management of hundreds or thousands of physical assets on a manual basis. Facility managers go around with clipboards. Teams do audit reconciliation on Excel. Engineers look for equipment that has been shifted to another floor 3 months ago and is not logged. The process takes weeks, generates errors and provides stale information.
Paper registers have been supplanted by QR codes and bar codes which have enhanced the face-to-face method of scanning one asset at a time, but still require employees to scan the asset themselves. These methods become costly and time consuming when an organisation has tens of thousands of assets in several buildings or locations.
RFID asset tracking is another model. Can read more than one asset at a time at a reading distance that traditional barcodes cannot achieve without having to be in direct sight of the asset. This guide provides an explanation of how asset tracking with RFID works, when it's applicable, how to assess it, the software to buy, and the implementation process — empowering you to make an informed decision whether RFID is right for your organisation.
What is RFID Asset Tracking?
RFID asset tracking involves the automatic identification, location, and monitoring of physical assets throughout their lifecycle using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. All assets have an RFID tag, which is a tiny microchip with an individual asset ID. The radio wave sent out by the RFID reader is received by the tags in the area, which then respond with their ID. The reader transmits this information to the asset tracking software that adds the asset location, asset status and asset history to a central database.
RFID does not have to be line-of-sight between tag and reader as with barcodes and QR codes. It is possible to scan multiple tagged assets with a single reader, allowing for efficient tracking in high volume applications and time-critical audit processes.
How Does an RFID Asset Tracking System Work?
There are 5 interrelated components to an RFID asset tracking system – tags, readers, antennas, software and asset database. Together they operate a workflow from physical to live digital records.
RFID Asset Tags
The RFID tag is a device that is composed of a microchip and an antenna, encased in a protective housing. The antenna transmits the identifier back and forth with radio waves and the identifier is stored in the chip.
These tags are categorised by how the power is supplied.
Passive RFID tags are battery-less. They only receive energy from the electromagnetic field which is created by the reader when he/she is in range. They are less costly and smaller and have an effectively infinite lifetime. Passive UHF RFID tags are the most common asset tracking tags for enterprise deployments.
Active RFID tags have batteries. They transmit their message on a continuous or periodic basis, which allows them to transmit a message from further away and without the reader having to be close by for location awareness. These are more expensive, and need battery maintenance.
Choosing a tag is an important factor. Metal is materials with which assets are attached, and they need metal tags. Cold Storage, High Temperature, or Outdoor locations require tags that are rated for them. Zip-tie tags are frequently used on cylindrical objects and cables. Poor read accuracy in RFID deployments is often due to incorrect tag types being used with a surface or environment
RFID Readers
Passive tags are triggered by the radio frequency signal that is broadcasted by the reader. They are available in two sets.
Handheld readers are portable devices which are specifically used during physical audits and spot checks. An operator is in a space and the reader is able to detect a plurality of tagged assets at the same time.
Fixed readers are installed at doorways, entry/exit points or a specific area. They constantly scan tagged assets as they pass through a "read zone" and provide location tracking without the need for manual scans.
A RFID portal is a multi-antenna installation that is permanently installed at a point of access to the building or storage area for assets. All the assets that pass through the portal are automatically recorded.
RFID Antennas
The signal from the reader to the tag is carried by an antenna and the tag's response is received by an antenna. For handheld devices, the antenna is part of the device. For fixed readers, they are joined to external antennas mounted to provide coverage of particular areas. The coverage of the readers, their accuracy within a zone, and their tag detection rate depend on the number and placement of the readers. Gap in antenna coverage = gap in asset visibility.
RFID Asset Tracking Software
The information obtained from RFID tags by the reader is raw data and it is unusable without software to interpret it. RFID asset tracking software correlates all the detected tag ID with an asset record, updates the location, records the movement history and displays the information in dashboards and reports.
In the software you also set up audit workflows, maintenance connections are established and missing-asset alerts are set.
Asset Database
The database is the base. Before deployment each RFID tag needs to be associated with an asset record. This record contains identity details (name, model, serial number), location, ownership, purchase information, maintenance history and contract linkage. Whether hardware is well maintained or not, a poorly maintained asset register results in unreliable audit results.
RFID tracking workflow:
The asset is tagged and the reader sends out a signal which is picked up by the tag, which then returns a unique ID to the reader, which is matched to the asset record in the software, which then updates the location and status of the asset to the dashboard and report.
What Types of Assets Can RFID Track?
RFID technology works best for assets that are numerous, high value, often moved, or time consuming to locate during physical audits.
IT Assets
Laptops, Servers, Networking switches, Printers and Display equipment. Most IT departments have hundreds to thousands of devices on floors, in departments and even at multiple locations. Manual audits are unable to keep up. RFID can speed up the physical verification process and aid in monitoring the movement of an item or the assignment of a custodian.
Hospital and Medical Assets
Patient pumps for infusion, patient monitors, wheelchairs, beds, portable diagnostic equipment and surgical tools. These assets are continually being transferred between wards, procedure rooms and service areas. RFID provides the clinical and biomedical team with visibility without the use of manual logs that are not up to date.
Manufacturing Assets
Machinery, tooling, production equipment and maintenance fixtures. RFID is used to monitor and track high-value equipment in large plant areas, aids the maintenance scheduling, and assists engineering teams to determine the availability, in-service and use of tools.
Warehouse and Logistics Assets
Pallets and containers, trolleys, reusable packaging and material handling equipment. By using RFID in conjunction with fixed readers at entry/exit points, asset movement within the warehouse is tracked, eliminating the need for manual scanning at each point.
Corporate and Facility Assets
Furniture, audio-visual equipment, kitchen and food supplies, and maintenance supplies and tools. For large campuses with several buildings, it is difficult to keep track of assets manually. Periodic RFID sweeps check discrepancies in asset presence and surface location.
Benefits of RFID Asset Tracking
- Faster physical audits. In a large environment, auditing hundreds of tagged assets can take hours with a handheld reader, but only a matter of minutes with the reader.In a large environment, the reader will be able to audit hundreds of tagged assets in one pass, as opposed to days.
- Better asset visibility. Managers are aware of the assets, their location and which are missing and where — even before an audit.
- Reduced manual effort. Staff do not need to scan individual assets, or have to update records as they walk through a facility.
- Faster missing-asset detection. System compares expected assets against detected assets as soon as they are swept and brings up discrepancies in real time.
- Better asset utilisation. The knowledge of asset available and deployed or under maintenance enables organisations to leverage existing assets before buying additional assets.
- Improved audit readiness. There are digital audit trails including operator records and timestamps for internal review, accreditation, insurance and regulatory reasons.
- Connected maintenance records. The assets with RFID tags can be configured to connect with maintenance schedules, service history and AMC/CMC contracts in the same platform.
- Reduced asset loss. If assets have been moved to other areas or are lost between audits, they will be detected during regular RFID sweeps.
RFID vs QR Code vs Barcode Asset Tracking
Each technology has appropriate use cases. The table below helps buyers compare options across key operational and cost factors before making a selection.
If your organisation has less than 500 assets to track, not a lot of auditing to do, or is housed in a controlled environment where every asset can be scanned, QR codes provide accurate and cost-effective tracking. Some organizations employ both, with RFID being used for high dollar or high quantity assets and QR being used for lower dollar assets where scanning would be feasible.
RFID Asset Tracking for Asset Audits
One of the most time-consuming processes in large facilities is physical asset audits. Teams make comparisons with records to physical assets and make any changes to the database. A multi-floor audit, if performed manually, can take days and can have errors.
The new paradigm of RFID changes the audit workflow:
- A man wearing a hat and a gloves walks through a building using an RFID reader.
- All the tagged assets are detected by the reader at once.
- The tracking software compares tags detected with the asset register being expected for that zone.
- The system will display immediately any assets found, assets that are not found where they are supposed to be found, and assets that are detected where they are not supposed to be.
- The location correction is done instantaneously.
This eliminates the need to find each asset and then scan it one by one. Discrepancies emerge in real time – no need for a multi-day reconciliation process. An audit trail is just as important for compliance and financial reporting, and is provided by RFID audit records, which include timestamps and operator logs.
An asset audit checklist guide is available for a structured approach to physical verification.
RFID Hospital Asset Tracking
Hospitals and health care providers have a unique asset situation. Medical equipment is continuously transported between wards, operating theatres, storage areas and service centres such as infusion pumps, patient monitors, anaesthesia machines, wheelchairs and portable diagnostic equipment.
If equipment needs to be used and is not available, clinical staff waste time looking for equipment. Without a record, equipment moves from department to department and schedules for calibration and maintenance are not reliable. Biomedical teams manually check hundreds of assets to spreadsheets when the audit is due.
To eliminate these challenges, RFID hospital asset tracking can offer:
- Real-time zone visibility of equipment. Determine the location of each asset tagged and last detected in zone without any manual log updating.
- Faster physical audits. Regular or pre-accreditation audits are much quicker, with the RFID technology typically covering a ward or storage area in less than a day as opposed to several days of manual checking.
- Maintenance linkage. Tagged assets are linked to the preventive maintenance programme, calibration record, AMC/CMC contract in the same platform.
- Movement records. The equipment transfer between the Zones is recorded with a time-stamp and with the operator's record.
- Missing-asset detection. It shows them assets that are not found in their assigned location during a sweep, without needing a person to recall the asset's final location.
RFID IT Asset Tracking
IT departments maintain a large number of devices ranging from laptops and desktops, monitors, servers, network switches and printers spread across various floors, departments, and even locations. Assets are transferred from one user to another, manual auditing is not able to keep up, and custodians are rotated.
RFID IT asset tracking is useable for:
- Custodian tracking. The assigned user & department is stored in each asset record.
- Location tracking. Be aware of where a device is on the floor, room or zone based on the latest RFID scan.
- Movement history. A record of all changes of location detected, including a time stamp.
- IT audits. Quick physical verification of the whole office floor instead of checking each desk individually.
- Asset lifecycle management. Monitor the acquisition date, refresh date, and operational status of a device.
RFID significantly cuts audit preparation time for companies conducting annual IT asset audits for compliance and/or financial reporting purposes. Refer to the guide on how to structure the IT asset records in the fixed asset tracking.
RFID Asset Tracking Software: Key Features
Simply having hardware is not enough for asset visibility. How RFID data is used to make operational decisions depends on the software platform. Here are some of the essentials a potential buyer should consider.
Centralised Asset Register
Assign, deactivate and reassign RFID tags to specific asset records including full tag history and audit trail.
RFID Tag Management
Support for standard handheld and reader hardware, and data capture that is reliable and manageable.
RFID Reader Integration
The current location is mapped to physical location based on building, floor and room and is updated automatically with every RFID scan.
Asset Location Tracking
A detailed record of all location changes detected including timestamps and operator records.
Asset Movement History
Mobile application for field teams to scan assets, raise tickets, and update records from iOS & Android, even in offline areas.
Mobile Asset Tracking
Reading multiple tags in a single pass from a reader with automated comparison to the expected asset register for the zone.
Bulk Asset Scanning
Automated comparison of detected tags to expected asset locations, clear found/not found/wrong location output and one-tap location corrections.
Asset Audit and Reconciliation
Service histories, calibration dates and scheduled maintenance jobs are always tied to the physical asset record, as these are all scheduled maintenance tasks that are RFID-tagged.
Preventive Maintenance
Specific asset related maintenance and breakdown jobs, assignment workflows, tracking workflows and resolution workflows.
Work Order Management
Maintenance and breakdown jobs raised against specific assets, with assignment, tracking, and resolution workflows.
Asset Lifecycle Management
Tracking from acquisition through active use, maintenance, and disposal, including depreciation tracking and end-of-life indicators. See the asset lifecycle management guide.
Reports and Dashboards
Manual data export-free asset status, audit results, missing assets and compliance with maintenance.
User Roles and Permissions
Role-based access to work within data boundaries for field technicians, audit staff, managers and administrators.
Integrations and APIs
Connect to HRMS, ERP systems, finance systems or procurement systems to eliminate data duplication between systems.
Scalability and Security
Secure data security certifications, cloud-based architecture that can be scaled from a single site to multiple sites.
How to Implement an RFID Asset Tracking System
There is a logical sequence to the implementation. The most prevalent issue in RFID implementations is that certain steps are not undertaken, particularly the creation of an asset register.
1. Define Tracking Requirements
Define what are your objectives, why, and what are your results. How to audit speed, location accuracy, maintenance linkage? Defining this in advance will then dictate the configuration of the RFID hardware and abilities of the software you will require.
2. Identify Assets
Identify all assets to be monitored. Based on volume, value and audit frequency, determine which categories are suitable for RFID technology and which are suitable for QR codes/barcodes.
3. Build or Clean the Asset Register
When tagging an asset, be sure to make sure the database is correct and complete. RFID will not solve a dirty data foundation. The format guide for the fixed asset register Format is included for you to follow.
4. Select RFID Tags
Select tags for the asset material, environment and size. Gender tags for metal surfaces. Thermocouples for high-temperature applications. Cylindrical/cable type asset zip-tie tags. The type of tags select for use in the field directly influences the accuracy of their reading.
5. Select RFID Readers
Use handheld readers for audit based workflows. Install fixed readers or portals at critical areas where continuous passive location monitoring is necessary.
6. Map Locations and Zones
Establish physical zones (building, floor, room, and sub-zone labels) to ensure that all assets have a purposeful location, and that comparisons during audit will always produce results.
7. Link RFID Tags to Asset Records
Be sure to connect each tag to the asset and enter the link in the software prior to deployment. This will be the most time consuming part of large-scale implementations and should not be rushed. Any mistake at this point will ruin all audits that come after.
8. Configure RFID Tracking Software
Create zone definitions, user roles, audit workflows, maintenance linkages and alert rules in the platform prior to going live.
9. Run a Pilot
Start with RFID in one building, one floor or one asset type. Prior to scaling, test tag readability, reader coverage and software accuracy.
10. Train Users
It is important that the role of field teams, audit staff and maintenance teams are clear. The most frequently occurring failure following the installation of hardware is user adoption.
11. Launch Full Deployment
Implement at all other sites and asset types; apply pilot lessons learned to optimize tag selection and placement, and workflow configuration.
12. Monitor and Improve
Regularly check audit report, coverage rates and data accuracy. Fine-tune reader locations, tag types and/or zone definitions from actual field performance.
RFID Asset Tracking Cost
The cost of an RFID Asset Tracker is dependent on a number of factors. There is no single price; the 500 asset, single site deployment is much cheaper than a multi-site deployment with fixed reader infrastructure, which requires 50,000 assets.
Hardware costs include:
- RFID tags (passive UHF tags are more expensive than QR code labels, and are more expensive than active tags).
- Handheld RFID readers
- Installed readers and antennas for zone monitoring system
- Electronic identification portals or gates at entry and exit points.
- Installation / Cabling of fixed infrastructure.
Software costs include:
- A SaaS subscription-based model that is usually charged per user, per asset, or per site.
- Implementation and configuration
- If integration with existing ERP/HRMS systems,If integration with the appropriate ERP/HRMS system,
- Training
Ongoing operational costs include:
- The maintenance and calibration of hardware systems.
- Continued software subscription
- Over time, the tags will be replaced.
- User support
What drives total cost:
- There are two types of RFID: active, which is much more expensive per tag; and passive.
- The number of assets to be tagged.
- The number of locations and zones to be covered.
- Whether or not fixed infrastructure should be used or hand-held readers are adequate
- The software capabilities needed — basic scanning vs full maintenance and lifecycle management.
Initial implementation costing is a lump sum investment. The major recurring costs are the subscription for software and maintenance for hardware. Both should be measured against the operational value which includes; reduced audit time, asset utilisation, and reduced missing assets.
Passive RFID vs Active RFID
Passive UHF RFID provides a feasible and proportionate initial solution for most enterprise asset tracking applications: hospitals, IT environments, corporate campuses, manufacturing facilities. Active RFID can be better suited in situations where real-time, continuous location awareness is an operational imperative.
How to Choose the Best RFID Asset Tracking Software
Choosing RFID asset tracking software isn't just about RFID. The platform should be able to accommodate the entire asset management life cycle, and not just the tag scanning.
Buyer checklist:
- Supports integration with your RFID reader hardware
- Maintains a centralised, complete asset register (not just tag IDs)
- Provides bulk scanning and audit reconciliation workflows
- Tracks asset location history, not just current location
- Has a mobile application for iOS and Android
- Connects RFID tags to preventive maintenance schedules
- Includes work order management for breakdown and service jobs
- Supports QR code and barcode alongside RFID for mixed deployments
- Provides management-level reports and dashboards
- Offers role-based access control
- Scales across multiple sites
- Hosted on a secure, certified cloud platform
- Provides implementation support and local helpdesk
- Has documented APIs for connecting to existing systems
The right platform doesn't view RFID technology as a standalone scanning capability, but as a single part of a larger asset management process.
In terms of a broader context of selecting enterprise asset management software, the enterprise asset management guide and the Enterprise Asset Management module overview are helpful.
Common RFID Asset Tracking Challenges
Higher initial investment. The hardware using RFID is more expensive than QR code or barcode infrastructure. Balance it off by determining the cost of existing audit processes – through staff time, errors, lost assets, manual reconciliation, etc. – versus the cost of implementation.
Incorrect tag selection. Incompatible tags yield bad read rates out of the asset material or environment. Before bulk procurement, test the different types of tags with the different surfaces and environments you have.
Interference from a metal or liquid. RF signals are absorbed or reflected by metal surfaces or liquids. Metal tags must be used for metal assets, and the placement of each plan reader must be determined to avoid interference zones.
Reader coverage gaps. If there are too few readers or if the antenna is not placed correctly, there are some areas where assets cannot be detected properly. A site survey prior to installation is an accurate representation of coverage needs.
Tag-to-asset mapping errors. If the wrong tag ID is entered into an asset record, it will ruin any subsequent audit and report. Check each tag to asset link at tagging site and confirm afterwards.
Bad underlying asset information. When the asset register is not accurate, not complete or has duplicate entries, RFID audits yield false positives. Wash up the register prior to deployment.
User adoption. Consistent data will not be generated by staff who are not familiar with the handheld readers or the audit process. Properly train in phases prior to full deployment and establish site champions to assist teams on the ground.
Integration complexity. It may take development to integrate the RFID software with the existing ERP, finance or HRMS system. Please ensure integration scope and platform API documents before purchasing.
RFID Asset Tracking Best Practices
- Have a proper, complete Asset Register prior to rolling-out RFID hardware.
- Don't tag an asset after it's deployed to a floor.
- Choose tags based on the properties of the asset: material, environment and form.
- Test the readability of the tags on samples before ordering in bulk.
- Prior to conducting audits, clearly label physical zones in the software, including building, floor, room and zone.
- Ensure asset custodian assignments are kept up to date and amended when assets move hands.
- Conduct periodic RFID audit sweeps quarterly or more often for high value/high movement items.
- Conduct scheduled inspections and maintenance for RFID readers and antennas.
- For lower-value assets, consider using QR codes in addition to RFID to maintain trackability at levels proportional to asset value.
- Link assets with preventative maintenance plans and AMC/CMC contracts in single platform.
- Regularly/routinely review asset utilisation and movement reports to anticipate when assets are under-use or "mis-place" before annual audit.
How OpsSuite Supports RFID Asset Tracking
OpsSuite is an integrated facility and asset management platform generated by Mobilise App Lab Limited. It integrates RFID and QR asset tracking, maintenance management, helpdesk and operational workflows on a single connected platform.
Centralised asset register: All assets held in a structured digital record – up to 25-30 data fields including identity, location, ownership, purchase details, maintenance history and operational status.
RFID and QR tagging: OpsSuite can be used for both QR code sticker labels for general indoor applications and RF/RFID chip tags for industrial, outdoor, or high traffic environments. The heat-resistant, cold-resistant, water-resistant, metal-resistant and zip-tie tags address the need to ensure the material and environmental compatibility of most facility and industrial applications.
RFID asset reconciliation: A team member creates a reconciliation work order for a specific zone (building, floor or room), walks through with a handheld RF reader, and the system displays the assets that are present, missing, and in the wrong zone. All location updates are done in one tap. This results in a digital workflow in place instead of multi-day manual audits in Excel.
Preventative maintenance and AMC/CMC linkage: Every asset is attached to its required maintenance and calibration tasks, as well as its contract information, so that the physical asset record and the history of maintenance are kept in sync.
Work order management: Breakdown and service order jobs raised directly to specific assets and workflows for assigning, tracking and resolving.
Asset lifecycle management: management of assets throughout their lifecycle, ranging from acquisition to active usage, maintenance and disposal. The asset lifecycle management module provides details of how lifecycle tracking relates to RFID records.
Mobile application: iOS and Android for field audit, maintenance and managers. It is an offline app so the data can be synced back when connected again.
Reports and dashboards: Without manual data exports, management has a view of asset status, audit results, missing assets and maintenance compliance.
OpsSuite is designed for the Microsoft Azure cloud and is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and CMMI Level 3. It has been trusted by 500+ institutions in India, such as hospitals, airports, government organisations, and has assets management of ₹10,000 crore.
Before choosing an RFID asset tracking software platform, organisations need to consider the number of assets they have, where they are located, how often they need audited, and what they plan to do with them afterwards. OpsSuite is not just for the scan; it's for the entire asset management lifecycle.
Browse through OpsSuite's Enterprise Asset Management module or schedule a demo to discuss your particular tracking needs.
Is RFID Asset Tracking Right for Your Organisation?
Organisations that satisfy the following criteria are good candidates for RFID:
- Own hundreds or thousands of assets.
- The assets are distributed across a number of floors, buildings or sites.
- Assets change departments, zones or are shared between users regularly.
- The problem is that physical audits take days and currently cause reconciliation issues.
- High-value assets are lost, or cannot be found.
- Audit Trails are needed for compliance, accreditation or insurance.
- Before maintenance or calibration jobs, your team dedicates a lot of time searching for equipment manually.
QR codes could be enough to track assets within a controlled environment with less frequent audits if your organisation has less than 500 assets.
If you're still considering what type of tracking system might work for you in your current operations, the how to track assets guide walks you through all of the options from spreadsheets to RFID and when to use each level of tracking.
Conclusion
There's more to tracking assets at scale than hardware. It needs clean data, seamless workflow, and a platform that puts data into action for field teams and management. In settings where the number of assets, the frequency of asset movement, or the need for transactions is too high, RFID asset tracking provides tangible benefits that are not possible with QR codes or manual tracking. The technology, however, is only as good as the data foundation that it relies on.
Organisations looking to implement a centralized workflow for asset management with RFID technology can explore OpsSuite, or schedule a demo to talk about their unique asset management needs.
