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What is Asset Tracking?

Sometimes we use complicated terms to define what our platform does. We pair those heavy terms with phrases such as improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability.

These are all sound business objectives, but how do you reach them?

  • To reach those goals, you need a plan. Effective planning is all about breaking down the steps you need to take to meet that goal. IntelliShift platforms can help you surpass those goals.
  • This complex connected field operations platform has a series of modules that help you manage all aspects of your fleet. To talk about those features, we tend to use product names or dense words.
  • In an effort to simplify things, we are breaking down the topics that we talk about the most to tell you exactly what they mean and how our solutions can really help your business thrive.
  • We are kicking off this series with asset tracking.

What is Asset Tracking?

  • You know that your vehicles need GPS tracking, but what about your assets? Are your assets at risk of being stolen or lost? Are you monitoring asset use?
  • You have expensive, powerful assets that need to be monitored to ensure their safety and proper utilization.
  • You need to invest in a robust asset management solution that will protect your business, assets, and bottom line.

Top 3 Reasons For Asset Tracking

  1. Location: Keep track of your assets with GPS location tracking, wherever they go, 24/7.
  2. Theft: How do you know if your equipment has been stolen? With geofences, you can create a specific area that you want your equipment to stay within. If that equipment leaves without authorization, you will automatically be alerted. Prevent any unauthorized use and recover your vehicles and assets easily.
  3. Hours of Service (HOS): Equipment is expensive. If your business is under-utilizing its assets, why are you paying for maintenance, storage, and other costs? By monitoring hours of service, you can easily identify which assets are being underutilized. If necessary, you can downsize and reduce operating costs and decrease the number of assets that would need storing and tracking. This can help your business in ways such as billing, tracking HOS, maintenance management, storage, increase savings, etc.

Powered vs. Non-Powered Asset Tracking

There are two asset tracking system solutions: powered and non-powered asset tracking. These are not interchangeable.

How do you know which solution you need?

  1. Powered asset trackers connect to the engine to enable engine monitoring and location tracking. This allows you not only keep track of where your assets are but also how often they are used. A few examples of powered assets are generators and heavy construction equipment.
  2. Non-powered assets do not have an engine, so they are only used for location tracking. Examples of these are shipping containers and trailers. These trackers run off of a battery with a 6-7 year life.

Relevant Asset Tracking Terms

  • Geofence: a virtual geographic boundary that enables a software to trigger a response when a mobile device enters or leaves a particular area

 

Get the Guide: From GPS Tracking to Connected Operations