Bluetooth beacon technology has opened new possibilities for tracking the location and status of assets in various environments. Here are some of the latest application areas that are adopting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon trackers for more efficient asset management.
Warehouses and Logistics
Warehouses often handle thousands of items and packages daily that need to be transported between different locations. Attaching small BLE beacon tags on packages, pallets and trailers allows warehouse managers to view real-time location and status while in storage or transit. This provides full visibility of inventory flow and helps optimize warehouse operations.
Hospitals
Tracking medical equipment like wheelchairs, ventilators and monitors is a huge challenge in hospitals. BLE tracker tags attached to these movable assets can now provide hospital staff information on which room the asset is kept in. This enables quickly locating life-saving equipment in emergencies and also prevents loss.
Schools
Schools often have valuable assets like computers, lab equipment, sports gear that need monitoring. Converting these assets into trackable endpoints with beacon tags allows administrators to safeguard them. Automated check-in/check-out of shared assets is also possible based on location alerts.
Events
Beacon tracking helps event organizers account for assets that are constantly moving between locations during an event. Tags on presentation clickers, speakers, lighting fixtures etc. provide updates on current location to optimize placement and transport. Post-event return of rented assets is also simplified.
Overall, the long battery life, small size and ease of deployment of BLE beacon trackers open up many new possibilities for granular location-based monitoring of assets. The usage is expected to grow significantly as beacon costs keep declining and asset tracking systems become more intelligent.
