Check-In/Check-Out (CICO)

Asset tracking

Asset transfers

Tool tracking

QR code tracking

Asset Tracking

Asset tracking is the process of monitoring the location, status, custody, and condition of physical assets throughout their lifecycle. It combines identification technologies (QR codes, barcodes, RFID, GPS) with software to maintain a real-time or near-real-time record of where assets are and who is responsible for them. Asset tracking applies to tools, equipment, plant, fleet, IT hardware, and any other tangible items of value.

Asset Transfer

Asset transfer is the formal process of moving custody, responsibility, or ownership of a physical asset from one person, team, site, or organisational unit to another. A properly documented transfer includes the date, the transferring and receiving parties, the asset’s condition at transfer, and any associated sign-off or acknowledgement. It maintains the chain of custody and accountability throughout an asset’s operational life.

Asset Register

An asset register is a comprehensive database or record of all physical assets owned, leased, or managed by an organisation. Each entry typically includes the asset’s unique identifier, description, category, serial number, purchase date, cost, location, assigned custodian, warranty details, and current condition. The asset register serves as the single source of truth for what the organisation owns and where it is.

Last Known Location

Last known location (LKL) is the most recent recorded geographic position or zone of an asset, determined by the latest GPS fix, beacon detection, QR code scan, NFC tap, or manual update in the asset management system. Unlike real-time tracking, which provides continuous position updates, LKL represents a point-in-time snapshot that is updated each time the asset communicates its position or is interacted with. For GPS-tracked assets, the LKL is typically refreshed at intervals ranging from minutes to hours depending on the tracking device configuration and power mode. For assets tracked by QR code or NFC, the LKL is updated each time someone scans the tag. LKL is a foundational concept in asset tracking because it provides a starting point for locating any asset in the fleet, even if real-time tracking is not active, and serves as a key data point for utilisation analysis, loss investigation, and custody accountability. The age of the LKL, meaning how long ago the position was recorded, is an important indicator of confidence: a GPS fix from five minutes ago is highly reliable, while a QR scan from two weeks ago indicates the asset may have moved since.

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Tracking

Ultra-wideband tracking is a real-time location system (RTLS) technology that uses short-duration, low-power radio pulses across a wide frequency spectrum to determine the precise position of tagged assets within an indoor or bounded environment. UWB achieves location accuracy of 10 to 30 centimetres, significantly better than Bluetooth (1 to 3 metres) or Wi-Fi (3 to 5 metres) based systems. UWB tags transmit pulses that are received by fixed anchors installed around the tracked area, and the system calculates position using time-of-flight or time-difference-of-arrival measurements. UWB has gained adoption in manufacturing, automotive assembly, logistics, healthcare, and mining where high-precision location data is required for safety zones, process automation, and collision avoidance. Recent integration of UWB into smartphones and wearable devices is also expanding its accessibility beyond dedicated industrial RTLS installations. Unlike Bluetooth and Wi-Fi positioning, which rely on signal strength measurements that are easily distorted by environmental factors, UWB timing-based measurements are inherently more resistant to multipath interference from metal structures, machinery, and other reflective surfaces common in industrial environments.