This tracking solution allows you to know exactly what is on hand, its location, and even a complete profile of who uses it and when, lifecycle information for replacement, and repair projections. You choose the options according to your business needs. No matter what tracking functions work best for your company, you can have confidence in the data provided.

Managing Operations

An RFID solution for tracking equipment means it is easy for managers to know the exact location of equipment at any time. This is especially important when there are multiple locations and certain pieces of equipment or machinery are used at all of them at various times. Tracking can also let you know if the equipment is actually being used or just sitting them.

This means that the tracking system can help the manager increase productivity by analyzing all this information about location and use. For example, it might be more efficient if the manager moves a piece of equipment to another location where it can be used more often by the qualified employees who work there. He can schedule downtime for maintenance according to reports on when the equipment is used most. The RFID information is also useful if there is a crisis situation that means equipment and staff have to be redeployed as quickly as possible.

Financial Management

Profitability depends on sound business decisions that need to be based on complete and accurate financial information. An accountant can only work with the information he can collect. Although fixed assets are only part of the picture, they are still a significant factor in successful financial management.

A state of the art RFID equipment tracking system makes information available on demand and in regular, pre-determined reports. Both are useful for your financial manager, whether he is preparing annual budgets or determining the cost of a new project. This information could include the following.

• Value attached to current equipment.
• Budget needed for regular maintenance and expected repairs.
• Replacement costs over next 3-5 years.
• Integration with auxiliary costs; e.g. impact of increased electricity costs on operation of machinery; operator training on new equipment.

As a smart manager, you know how to use all available information to benefit the company’s bottom line. An RFID equipment tracking solution provides that kind of information for productive operations and business success.

This innovative practice promotes savings to the County and supports efficiency and accuracy for the entire property administration process while adding value to the procurement processes. This technology provides the ability to identify and locate items and allows the County to have a more accurate picture of what it has and where items are located.

All fixed assets were physically identified with a RFID tag and this action accounted for a current and accurate inventory to initiate the new RFID system. These tags are read up to 20 feet away and the tags can be added or overwritten and the data stored within an RFID tag’s microchip waits to be read. To accomplish the reading, staff takes a handheld reader to the location site to account for real-time count. The handheld is ideal for use by mobile workers and rolling stock inventory.

This device facilitates the inventory because staff walks through the room and the handheld picks up the reading from RFID that are not visible to the eye. Tasks that took hours can be done in a matter of minutes.

Read more details on this project: Simplifying Inventory and Fixed Assets Tracking – Seminole Co FL

WanderTrack helps assisted living and extended care managers take extra precautions to ensure their residents with dementia and other mental health issues do not wander away from the facility. The wander prevention system employs a simple, easy to learn and user-friendly wandering management and resident tracking system which is programmable and expandable so it works well in almost any environment.

The key features and components of the technology are:

•    Choice of personal transmitter including Intelligent Clothing
•    Door access control and monitoring
•    Wandering management
•    Outdoor coverage
•    Remote or personal alarm
•    Console center for monitoring
•    Personalized access and egress rights per profile
•    Resident Tracking
•    Low power usage for secure and long term usage
•    Integrates with various wired and wireless networks for cost effective expandability
•    Low cost starter package

WanderTrack requires each patient in the program to wear a tag with an embedded microchip which can be sewn or clipped onto clothing, worn around the neck or as a wristband. The chips can even be embedded into clothing so that they are harder to remove. The chips can be programmed to go off when a resident crosses a certain threshold.

Interrogators, or readers, are installed at the entrances and exits, and in any interior areas that need to be controlled. When the tag is detected leaving its permitted area, staff are alerted to the situation and can take immediate action. The chips can also be programmed for each individual resident simply by adding more software to the system.

By adding a suite of software, tags and interrogators can be programmed to more fully personalize each patient’s permitted areas, include other dynamic data, and more actions can be taken by the system, such as the locking of doors when there is an alert. Managers can also choose to have staff notified by email or text message. The needs of each facility may be different, and this modular, expandable system is easily customizable to match whatever those needs might be.

“Our RFID tracking system allows any user to take inventory without touching or harming any delicate article,” said Ted Kostis, President SPT. “It is ideal product for University of Alabama precious inventory.”

This is good news for the Curator of the Carolyn Thomas Stewart Costume and Textile Collection who is responsible for the security and maintenance of delicate and historic garments that were produced over the last two hundred years. These thousands of wedding gowns, christening gowns, and military uniforms have historical importance for researchers and an artistic appeal for designers and the general public.

There has always been a concern about putting stress on the collection pieces with the handling necessary to maintain a manual inventory. RFID allows real time tracking without handling to minimize the possibility of damaging these fragile items. Once each item has an RFID tag, there will be instant alerts if the article is moved.

This extensive collection includes many special occasion garments and military uniforms. Wedding dresses, ball gowns and 19th century christening gowns have been passed down over generations. Other attractions include hoop skirted dresses that are pre-Civil War, gowns with pouter pigeon bodices from the first decade of the 20th century, and a bridal trousseau from the flapper era of the 1920s.

SPT also provides RFID tracking for the many accessories such as picture hats, kid gloves, purses, and shoes. They can all be tagged, making it easy to pull together an ensemble for an exhibit or research project.

The RFID asset tracking system works well with the antique dolls and doll furnishings that are a cherished part of this collection. SPT provides this perfect solution for keeping a close watch on them during the seasonal exhibits that attract history buffs, doll collectors and curious children.

This University of Alabama collection has been growing since the 1940s when a few items were given to the University’s School of Home Economics Department of Clothing, Textiles and Design. SPT is pleased to be able to support its continuing appeal to academics and the general public.

Liabilities and risk management are forcing nursing homes and assisted living facilities to confine at risk seniors to within its four walls. Surveillance cameras and door access controls run rampant in many senior facilities and gives off the appearance of a low security detention centers. It is no wonder that seniors avoid senior care facilities.

Silent Partner Technologies has added a new feature in their Wander Prevention offering. It is an outdoor wireless and invisible perimeter security fence. By adding an RFID exciter with a 300 feet underground antenna, WanderTrack software can now monitor an outdoor area. Now a facility can offer two levels monitoring wander management for its residents. Low risk residents can now have access to both indoor facilities and outdoor campus. Resident can walk outside the standard door gates and enjoy the benefits of the outdoor campus. If the resident passes through the controlled designated control points, an audible alarm and email is immediately initiated for the caretakers to respond quickly and prevent the potential patient wandering outside the campus limits.

“I feel really good about our new product. The WanderTrack outdoor loop dramatically raises the quality of life for our seniors in assisted living facilities “said Ted Kostis, president of Silent Partner Technologies (SPT). SPT has several implementations of its new product and extremely satisfied customers including the noteworthy The Boston Home

MITRE’s large facilities needed a “best of breed” solution for their complex requirements.

MITRE needed a solution which could locate their mission critical assets (equipment), and also something less expensive for their “non critical” Assets.  Furthermore, they needed technology that would not significantly interfere with their ongoing internal engineering and testing.

Silent Partner Technologies Provides the Solution

For the “mission critical” Assets SPT provided the following features and functions:

Long Range Active Solution

• Long Range Active solution, with a Tag read range of 1,700 feet in open space.
• As a direct result of the “long range technology”, the impacts on the MITRE infrastructure requirements are minimized—essentially far less cabling.
• The technology used is 915Mhz and does not interfere with any of the “Wi-Fi” networks.
• Tags function in a response mode as opposed to just beacon mode.  As such they are “asleep” until they are asked to turn on and speak—such as a “roll call”.  This was a “key benefit” for MITRE as they wanted minimal RF noise in their buildings.
• Real-Time Inventory.  At any time, MITRE with a push of a Button can take a “Real-Time Inventory” of their Assets without any human participation, other than the push of a button on a PC.
• Tags have a battery life of up to 10 years.
• SPT provided a simple solution for locating the Assets, by placing a simple “exciter” (requires nothing more than AC Power), whereby as Assets pass by the “exciter”, the Tags then transmit their exact location.  As such we always know the last seeing location.
• Application is “browser based”, and thus easier to manage and implement across many buildings.

For the non-mission critical Assets, SPT used the less expensive UHF Passive Technology.

Short Range Passive Solution

• Because of the different size of equipment, SPT provided a “variety” of Industrial Passive Tags, ranging from “micro technology” Tags that would read at eight feet, to larger Tags that would read at 30-35 feet.
• SPT provided Portals so that as a Cart filled with equipment past thru a hall way, we would read all of the Tags on the Cart, and update system with “last seeing location” of all Assets.
• Above and beyond the Portals, SPT also provided an RFID PDA application so that MITRE can perform physical counts on an as need basis.

SPT delivered a successful implementation using a wide range of equipment tracking solutions for MITRE’s needs.  The RFID asset tracking system provides 100% visibility to all equipment in facility with reports and inquiries that include; where is item now, item history, usage of equipment, and who used it. Now projects are starting faster and no time wasted searching uselessly.

RFID equipment tracking is critical to a company’s bottom line. The company’s capability to access tool and equipment information as regards location and status instantly contributes greatly to the successful completion of a project. It is possible to implement a cost-effective automated data collection system in day-to-day operations with the help of RFID technology. In order to implement the system, each piece of equipment will have to be tagged and RFID readers, fixed or mobile, have to be made available at suitable locations. Some of the applications of RFID equipment tracking are discussed in this article.

Hospitals have always had problems with tracking equipment and assets. Typically these problems include the labor costs involved in searching for the equipment when it is required, loss of time due to the non-availability of the equipment as required, higher inventory costs due to purchase or hiring of equipment as a result of lack of availability and frustration of the staff that leads to inefficiencies in operation.

It is important for many construction, HVAC contractors and repair service companies having many vans to keep count of their expensive tools.

In large warehouses, there is always the need to locate a special forklift for a specific use. All forklifts are not manned and will not be available just like that. Many a time it is difficult to find a forklift and assign it for a job. The efficiency of operation of a warehouse can be tremendously improved by implementing the RFID equipment tracking system.

All fire stations are required to maintain apparatus inventory to enable delivery of essential services. To abide by regulation, it is necessary to stock equipment and consumables. However, it becomes a difficult to track equipment as they are continuously being inspected and placed in or out of active status. Additionally, equipment is also exchanged with other fire stations. The RFID asset tracking arrangement will be of great help to sort out their problems.

The RFID equipment tracking system will definitely help companies sort out their equipment tracking problems. RFID tags can be put on the equipment or asset. The RFID technologies that are available are:

•              Passive and Active Real Time Location Services or RLTS

•              Hybrid technology that uses sensors and integrated solutions

Passive tags such as bar code systems require the services of a person to manually scan a tag or a label to capture the data. If the tool is dirty, the barcode reader may not sense properly. A lot time and cost will be involved in handling such issues. On the other hand, active tags transmit data or information about location automatically. Since an active tag can detect movement, tampering, or environmental conditions with the help of sensors included in the tags, theft or pilferage can be prevented.

To set up RFID equipment tracking suitable for a particular application, the pros and cons of the available technologies should be assessed before implementing the project.

The patient or resident wears a tag with an embedded microchip that can be worn around the neck, clipped or sewn to clothing, or as a wristband. The tags may be passive, meaning that they store data but cannot be written to, or active, meaning that they can both read and write data. Interrogators, or readers, are installed at the entrances and exits, and in any interior areas that need to be controlled. When the tag is detected leaving its permitted area, staff are alerted to the situation.

The most basic system sounds an audible alarm when it is triggered. By adding a suite of software, tags and interrogators can be programmed to more fully personalize each patient’s permitted areas, include other dynamic data, and more actions can be taken by the system, such as the locking of doors when there is an alert. You can also choose to have staff notified by email or text message. The needs of each facility may be different, and this modular, expandable system is easily customizable to match whatever those needs might be.

RFID not only makes superior wander management solutions for ALF and nursing homes, the very same system can also be utilized to manage and track equipment, pharmaceuticals, and other inventory items. For example, the system can be set to send an alert if an item is missing from a crash cart, so that they are always ready to go in an emergency. Some units have a button that can be pressed by the patient to summon help directly.

Several frequencies are used to provide the most sensitivity. RFID does not require that the reader be in the line of sight of the tag, so coverage is complete. The dementia wander prevention system can be used outdoors, as well, so patients can have access to gardens.

The freedom that the use of a wandering management system provides improves the overall mental and physical health of patients. Families have a higher peace of mind, and none of the guilt that can come with knowing that a family member is living in a locked ward. Tags are often sewn into articles of clothing, so they are unobtrusive.

Staff benefits as well, because they are able to work more efficiently. Facility operators save money because they may not need to keep as much staff on. Furthermore, the monthly cost to the patient’s family is reduced because there is less intensive care required.

RFID wander management solutions for senior care facilities are the best way to protect residentss while retaining their personal dignity. They are efficient and reasonably priced with a fast return on investment. They reduce overall costs and reduce the risk of elopement related litigation.

 Security guards and technological devices are strategically place in museums in order to protect or safeguard artifacts, arts and other valuable items. One technological device that are commonly used in the building premises are the permanent wired motion detectors. While some museums in United States make use of sensor products combined with active RFID tags from Silent Partner Technologies which enables them to protect all the valuable and high-value assets wirelessly. The Art Monitoring Software and hardware can detect any motion which triggers an alarm when any artifacts, arts and any other valuable item where moved. With this, staffs can be alerted electronically and they are able to respond the quickest possible time.

The Silent Partner Technologies offers the best asset management solutions that may be use in museums, galleries, private and business collections, people safety and logistics or any other customized solutions that fits your needs. The RFID art monitoring system is being used at healthcare Art, French Galleries, Hess Corporation, Gramaldi Galleries and various other locations in North America.

The monitoring efforts of museums are not limited on securing their valuable properties but they also consider environmental conditions like heat or water temperatures as it may cause damages on properties. Wired technological devices are able to recognize these hazards however some museums looks for other alternatives for aesthetic reasons that doesn’t require running cables all over the exhibit. Also, some exhibits change and move from time to time and relocating your system may be required to adapt these changes.

That’s the reason why the RFID art tracking system is designed to be more convenient and nimble, says Ted Kostis, Silent Partner Technologies’ CEO of active RFID.

This system is equipped with battery-powered RFID tags that have the ability to transmit using a proprietary air-interface protocol at 2.4 GHz. The SPT Art Monitoring Software can manage and route information to the museum’s back end security or management systems. The various types of the Silent Partner Technologies’ tags usually come with a built-in motion or temperature sensors. When these tags are attached to an item in motion, the system automatically detects it and initiates an alert like a sound of a siren. Any individual holding that property will be aware of that its movement is considered unauthorized. If further movement has been detected, the SPT art monitoring software will activate its secondary alert to call the attention of the staff members or it even sounds an alarm within the entire building.

The RFID tags were directly attached to any property and asset using a wire or an adhesive. Museums make use of a specialist who set up artwork for hanging and this individual attaches this RFID tags to the artwork without doing any damages on it. After deployment, these tags transmit and forward each unique ID number and sensor update using a cabled Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the SPT Art Monitoring Software. It then interprets the read data and interfaces against the museums management software. The tags are also capable of transmitting information about its battery life in order to produce an alert when batteries’ energy is low. As per Ted Kostis, its battery life can last between 5 to 12 years.

If are you looking for the best and most effective RFID art monitoring, check out our Silent Partner RFID website and get the most competitive rates.

RFID technology is being popularly used for more than a decade now. The technology is being used by thousands of companies for different applications. The technology gained popularity because it could be used to track moving objects. Short range and long range are two major application areas where the technology is currently being used. In the Vicinity or the long range applications, it is mainly tracking and tracing. In the Proximity or short range, it is mainly access control. Governmental departments, and private organizations and corporations use this technology to track people, assets, and documents. The location of tagged assets is known instantaneously. They are used in libraries and healthcare facilities for asset management. The time saved on searching for lost unaccounted items is tremendous. The financial and impact is also immense. Many companies are offering turnkey solutions in the areas of waste management and recycling, animal tracking, product authentication, etc. One popular use of RFID application is to pay the toll booths without stopping on the highways. This is being adopted by drive in restaurants where customers can pay for the meals that they collect.  Supply chain management is yet another RFID application that major retail giants have adopted. It helps them to maintain optimal inventory, out-of-stock losses are kept to a minimum, shoplifting can be cut down to a large extent and customers can cruise out through the check-out lines in minimum time. The RFID technology has been used for long to limit physical access to restricted areas in commercial and office buildings. Earlier low-frequency systems were in vogue. But now there are higher frequency systems that offer better range. An RFID tag worn by the entrant can identify and authenticate. There is no contact, no magnetic card swipe, and consequently less maintenance. This technology is being combined with biometrics to enhance the security.

As RFID applications are becoming more popular and reliable, the associated costs are reducing. There is every chance that new areas in which they can be used effectively will soon emerge.