RFID asset tracking that shows where critical assets are, who has them and what happened last
FactorySense designs and deploys RFID asset tracking systems for tools, equipment, containers, work in process, and other high-value assets across factories, warehouses and multi-building campuses. Tags, readers, software, integration and field engineering are delivered as one production system.
Keep the asset record current as equipment and materials move.
Each tool, fixture or piece of equipment gets a tag linked to its record. Readers at doorways and work cells pick up the tag as the asset moves. FactorySense records where it went and when, then updates the asset's record in your ERP, EAM or MES.
Tags + Fixed & Handheld Readers + Enterprise RFID Platform
Tags identify the asset. Fixed and handheld readers capture movement and help teams find it. FactorySense.io turns those observations into current location and status information and links it to your ERP.
RFID observations become operational events and enterprise records.
Tags
We test the tag and its mounting on your actual assets. Metal surfaces, cleaning and day-to-day handling all affect which tag will work.
RFID observations become operational events and enterprise records.
Fixed + handheld readers
Fixed readers capture movement automatically at selected doors and work areas. iOS and Android handheld readers help teams find assets and run audits in areas without permanent coverage. FactorySense filters repeated reads so a single trip through a doorway is recorded as one move.
RFID observations become operational events and enterprise records.
FactorySense.io platform
FactorySense.io turns the reads into a plain event: this fixture reached Cell 4 at 9:12. Teams can see its last known location, and the move can update its record in the systems they already use.
What do you need to know about each asset?
Knowing a tool crossed a doorway is a different job from tracking its position across an open floor. We establish how much location detail your team needs, and how often it needs updating, before choosing hardware.
Presence or absence within a facility, storage area, crib or controlled zone.
A reliable transition event when an asset crosses a doorway, portal, process boundary or other controlled read point.
The person or work center assigned to the asset in your checkout or job records. A reader detects the asset; those records tell you who has it.
Operational state such as issued, staged, in calibration, in inspection, in rework or ready for the next job.
Last-seen location and handheld search reduce walking, phone calls and floor-wide searches.
An asset move or status change updates its record in ERP, EAM, CMMS, MES or WMS.
Match the coverage to the location information you need.
Most plants use more than one approach: fixed readers at doors and cribs, handhelds for searching, and active RTLS where equipment moves around an open floor.
RFID observations become operational events and enterprise records.
Controlled transitions
Passive RFID at doors, portals, cribs and process boundaries is well suited when the important question is whether an asset moved from one known location or state to another.
RFID observations become operational events and enterprise records.
Zone-level location
Fixed RFID or BLE can identify the area containing an asset, narrowing a search to one bay. We test the coverage in your facility to check that the reported zone matches where the asset actually is.
RFID observations become operational events and enterprise records.
Handheld search
A handheld reader helps someone home in on a specific tagged asset. It also speeds up crib checks and cycle counts, alongside the fixed readers.
RFID observations become operational events and enterprise records.
Continuous RTLS
Active RTLS can provide frequent position updates as equipment moves around an open floor. We test the accuracy and update rate on site. Powered tags also need battery maintenance, which becomes part of the operating plan.
Test the assets and read points in your facility.
Metal changes RF behavior. Liquids absorb UHF energy. Tag orientation, mounting material, antenna geometry, and reader power settings all affect whether the right asset is observed at the right place without creating unwanted reads nearby. FactorySense engineers test the assets, materials and RF environment on site before the architecture is finalized.
How a project runs
We start with a small set of assets and read points, then check that their movements reach your systems correctly before expanding coverage. The same FactorySense team handles the field engineering, software and integration, and stays involved after deployment.
Define
Agree which assets to track, what your team needs to know about them, and which system should be updated when they move.
Observe
Walk the floor and find the doors, cribs and handoff points where moves can be read reliably.
Prove
Test tags, materials, read zones and environmental conditions against the real assets before scaling.
Engineer
Decide which moves update which records in your ERP or MES. Work through duplicate reads and failed updates with your IT team.
Deploy
Install and commission the system, then walk real assets through their normal routes. Check the resulting records in your systems before sign-off.
Operate
Monitor, tune and support the production system as assets, workflows, facilities and business rules change.
Related RFID applications
The same readers may support several jobs. Inventory tracking records stock movements, while WIP tracking follows a job through production. Tool tracking adds checkout and calibration status.
RFID asset tracking FAQs
What kinds of assets are a good fit for RFID tracking?+
RFID is a strong fit for assets that move often, are costly to search for or replace, or need a dependable movement history. Common examples include tools, fixtures, containers, returnable assets, equipment, test gear and work-in-process carriers. The economics improve when the same assets are handled repeatedly and manual transactions are easy to miss.
Do we need fixed readers everywhere?+
Usually not. Most sites put fixed readers at a few doors and handoff points and use handhelds for searches and audits elsewhere.
Can RFID tell us an asset's exact location?+
Not with passive RFID alone. Passive tags tell you an asset is present, where it was last seen, or when it passed a reader. If you need frequent position updates across an open floor, we assess active RTLS such as BLE or UWB.
How does RFID connect to our ERP, EAM or CMMS?+
FactorySense sends an asset's movement or status change to its record in your ERP, EAM, CMMS, MES or WMS. People can use that information in FactorySense.io and in their existing systems. We set up the interface with your IT team, including what happens if an update fails.
What makes an RFID asset tracking system reliable?+
The tag has to work on the real asset, and the read zone has to pick up the intended movement without recording unrelated assets nearby. FactorySense also checks how repeated reads are handled and whether the resulting update reaches your systems.
Will RFID work on metal tools and equipment?+
Yes, but the tag and mounting approach matter. Metal changes the RF environment, so industrial deployments often use on-metal tags, spacers or different placement rules.
What should be proven before a full deployment?+
Before scaling, we want to prove the tag on the real object, the intended read point, nearby unintended reads, the movement or custody event, and the system-of-record update. That gives the project acceptance criteria measured in your facility.
When is active RFID a better choice than passive RFID?+
Active technology is useful when assets need to be heard over larger areas, when location needs to update frequently, or when onboard sensing justifies a powered tag. Passive RFID is usually more economical for high-volume identification, controlled transitions and handheld search. Hybrid systems are common when different asset classes have different requirements.
How does RFID change asset audits?+
Handheld RFID speeds up physical counts and helps locate items that are missing from their expected areas. Fixed readers preserve a history of moves between monitored locations. Teams can compare what is physically there with the records used for operations or calibration.
Tell us what you need to track.
Which assets are hard to find, and where do they go? We'll help work out where readers belong and how the location information should reach your team.