The RTLS Future Is Bright
THE RTLS PROMISE
Imagine if you could deploy some sort of a system that would allow you to know where everything and everybody in your facility was, instantly. Imagine what you could do with that type of information. You could revolutionize operations, optimize staffing, reduce costs, and increase employee and contractor safety performance to levels not previously thought possible. It would be amazing! Those few sentences are reminiscent of the “pitch” delivered to executives as Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) started to appear on the market. Early adopters moved forward with RTLS, understanding that they might hit a few bumps in the road, like with any new technology. However these early adopters probably never expected that delivering against the RTLS promise might not be so simple. Unfortunately many of the implementations over the past decade have under-performed against expectations and ended up as abandoned technology. no longer utilized.
THE RTLS PROBLEM
Early generation RTLS deployments relied exclusively on WiFi triangulation and signal strength. These single RTLS technology schemes required large capital expenditures and long project timelines to provide adequate WiFi coverage in the plant. In the end, the WiFi only RTLS technology did not perform well in plant environments and consistently delivered sub-par results.
THE RTLS SOLUTION
Successful RTLS deployments now utilize a hybrid technology platform, solving a diverse range of use cases while reducing the overall cost of ownership. RTLS tags with a combination of Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Low Frequency RFID (LF) and Wi-Fi capability offer a true hybrid solution that can solve the diverse range of use cases seen in industries such as, oil & gas, refining, chemical, pharmaceutical, medical and manufacturing.
Hybrid location technology is a game changer. It is the only practical solution to many of the complex use cases in the process industries. It involves using two or more location technologies as part of the same solution:
· Delivers wider coverage with reduced infrastructure
· Greater accuracy in areas of diverse structure density
· Provides additional functionality
· Reduced total cost of ownership
Hybrid RTLS System
THE HYBRID RTLS SYSTEM
In the hybrid approach, wireless access point infrastructure density is greatly reduced. Hybrid RTLS takes a fraction of the wireless investment of the first generation deployments while delivering superior performance. This significantly decreases the TCO while increasing the ROI on CAPEX by providing superior performance and shorter implementation times. The progression of these geolocation technologies and improvements in implementation techniques makes hybrid location a readily attainable goal.
Most recently successful hybrid RTLS deployments have delivered millions of dollars in ROI and contributed significantly to operation excellence and safety performance. These successful projects span the range of different RTLS technologies, and universally, these organizations have achieved their long-term vision for how real-time technologies can be leveraged for their core strategic objectives.
Surprisingly, some of the most successful hybrid RTLS implementations were accomplished at industrial sites where early generation location technology ultimately under-performed. Leadership leveraged the learnings accumulated from early, less successful implementations resulting in the successful use of new hybrid technology in achieving their vision.
At I2oT Solutions, we work with companies to implement RTLS technologies in best use case solutions in order to meet their objectives. We help organizations “fill in the blanks” around their long-term wireless vision, and often find they are relieved to discover that they don’t have to figure this out all by themselves.
If you would like to better understand how real-time technologies can bring value (ROI) to your organization,give I2oT Solutions a call today - We can help.
