There can be a lot of considerations to make when choosing an asset tracker. This article provides you with all the information you need to choose the right asset tracking solution for your business.

“Industrial IoT Asset Tracking” predicts there will be 267 million active GPS asset trackers by 2027 across industries such as industrial automation, logistics, supply chain, agriculture, construction, mining, and others.

Until 2024, fleet asset tracking will make up the majority of tracking, locating, and monitoring activities for vehicles, livestock, machinery, equipment, and tools, before other types of assets beat it out.

A business asset tracking system provides a high level of transparency into business operations. It’s crucial to know where your assets are at all times to ensure they’re being taken care of. In addition to providing insight into a company’s supply chain, logistics, and operations processes, GPS asset tracking also provides valuable information about its supply chain.

These five features and fundamental capabilities should guide your evaluation of an asset tracking solution.

1. Expansion of the Asset Tracking and Sensor features

At the very least, an asset tracker should be able to track assets in real time using GPS. GPS tracking is only one aspect of the most competitive devices, however. In addition to tracking motion, sound levels, weather and road conditions, voltage, battery life, and other variables, buyers should look for a solution that can track additional variables related to their assets.

For a profitable return on investment, you need more than just your asset’s location. A cold chain operator, for example, may be interested in a shipment’s location in addition to the temperature of the freezers as they travel. Generator tracking and wireless voltage monitoring are essential for construction companies in order to ensure their generators are working properly.

Hence, when comparing GPS asset tracking solutions, make sure they allow you to easily add additional sensors that expand the scope and range of your tracking solution.

2. A customizable and extensible asset tracking system

It is necessary to continually fine-tune asset trackers to ensure that they remain current with changing conditions and operational changes. OTA (over-the-air) software updates should be considered when comparing GPS asset trackers.
Updates via OTA offer a number of benefits

Remotely updating code on an embedded device over the air is called over-the-air software updating. When OTA software updates are available for asset tracking devices, users can:

• Bugs and product issues should be addressed and repaired after the sale.
• Selectively update networked devices to test new features.
• One seamless interface lets you manage software across multiple devices.
• Updates can be made more frequent and reliable without affecting uptime.
• By adding new features and infrastructure after the product has been released, you can increase its scalability.

3. An open-reference product that is ready for the field

Choosing a tracking device for your assets should be based on hardware that can be deployed quickly while still being fully customizable for your specific needs.

Protect assets in various environments with design features that are suitable for the environment. It is important to examine the enclosure design. In harsh environments, an enclosure that is rugged, rigid, and weatherproof is essential. For added protection against extreme environmental conditions, consider an industrial embedded SIM.

Hardware should also be fully-certified. By avoiding the need to certify hardware to meet governmental regulations and standards, you will save time and money.

4. The essential features of a GPS asset tracker

There are several features in asset tracking software that can make the experience more customizable, robust, and comprehensive than a limited, out-of-the-box option.

Energy management – Asset tracking can be controlled and energy savings may be realized through power management features.

The ability to collect valuable data about assets in motion can be gained with an internal measurement unit. With the aid of accelerometers and gyroscopes, real-time clocks (RTC) can detect movement inside a device. Organizations can increase theft prevention and system oversight by collecting valuable information about device behavior.

No matter where your assets are, you can track them with cellular connectivity. The connection is more reliable than that of Wi-Fi.

A lower energy consumption and ease of deployment are two advantages of Bluetooth low energy for IoT connectivity. Wireless data transmission between monitors, proximity sensors, and other small, battery-powered devices is facilitated by this technology on a short-range basis.

5. GPS Asset Tracker Software

Even the greatest asset monitoring gear is only as good as the accompanying software. Despite the fact that there are several asset monitoring software options available, not all of them have all the functionality you might want. Companies ought to search for tracking software that comes with:

Real-time geolocation mapping services should be available with every asset tracking software solution to help you keep track of the whereabouts of your assets.

Historical tracking – You should be able to look back at an asset’s past to recommend the best routes or improve the accuracy of data required for business intelligence.

Variable monitoring – The majority of organizations want more information than just an asset’s present location. You should look for a software program that enables you to monitor other asset factors, such as temperature, motion, vibration, etc.

OTA software updates – As previously noted, OTA software updates let you transmit new features and fix issues remotely.

SIM cards for smartphones and LTE connection-When using a software solution for asset tracking, cellular connectivity and SIM management should be included right out of the box.

Dashboards for monitoring the health of a device-There may be several problems with asset tracking devices when they are used in the field (i.e., they can lose cellular connectivity, have a low battery life, etc.) For this reason, you need to seek for an asset monitoring software solution that enables you to track device health from a centralized dashboard.

JimiIoT simplifies asset tracking.

As a one-stop solution provider combining software and hardware in the IoT field, the Tracksolid Pro platform supports diversified device models, flexible access, and all-around tool services such as development, integration, hosting, and operation.

Pair it with Jimi/Concox tracking terminals, the platform gives business owners, fleet managers, and managing operators access to instant insights from loads of collected telematics data, helping to realize calculated telematics data visualization and minimize maintenance costs and maximize operations for years to come.

Come and find out how to expand your business opportunities, and let us help you achieve more with less effort. Click here to learn more, or contact us at info@jimilab.com