Whether you’re tracking electric scooters, pharmaceutical shipments, or construction equipment, knowing where your assets are at any given time is critical. However, companies today have a dizzying choice of asset tracking software options. While this is welcome news for some companies, narrowing the field to the right solution can be challenging.
As you compare solutions, it may be tempting to go with the most affordable option simply. This approach might save you money upfront, but you will likely notice differences in quality and reliability compared to more well-established solutions. That’s why in this blog post, we will go over the five things you should consider when evaluating asset tracking software options for your business.
1. Asset Tracking+ capabilities
At a minimum, asset tracking software should come with built-in, real-time GPS tracking capabilities. However, the most competitive systems go well beyond GPS functionality. You want to look for a solution that allows you to track everything about your assets, such as:
- Asset temperatures
- Sound levels
- Motion and vibration
- Weather road conditions
- Traffic and road conditions
- Voltage monitoring
- Air quality
Most businesses need to know more than their assets’ location to increase business intelligence and bring a profitable return on investment from asset tracking software. For example, cold chain operators need to know shipment location while knowing the freezers’ temperature in transit. Construction companies need to track their generators while monitoring the system’s voltage to ensure it is running correctly.
That is why you should look for an asset tracking software solution that provides asset tracking+ capabilities. Asset Tracking+ provides a complete picture of an organization’s assets at any given time. They know where their assets are, how they are being transported, and the potential impact of ambient conditions.
With the knowledge gained from these metrics, you can make better-informed decisions about future investment, supply chain options, and changes to systems and processes throughout your organization.
2. Customization and extensibility
Out-of-the-box solutions might work for basic tracking needs, but dynamic companies need to customize their tracking products even when they are out in the field. That’s why you need an asset tracking system that allows you to:
- Send remote firmware updates — OTA firmware updates allow companies to send new features to tracking products or fix bugs in the field.
- Define fleet-wide behaviors easily — Companies should easily customize data publishing rates or set up alerts without writing code.
- Open-reference — Companies should choose asset tracking hardware solutions that are field-ready but can still be customized to suit unique needs.
You’ll also want to ensure that the asset tracking software is scalable. When it’s time to grow, you don’t want to start over with a new system. Choose a tracking system with a cloud platform that can allow you to grow your device fleets without running into any issues.
You may want to check that the software works with your future plans for IoT integration as well. It can be helpful to have API access so you can easily tap into new data sources as your vendor lists and business partnerships expand.
3. Remote diagnostics and asset vital monitoring
When asset tracking devices are deployed in the field, they can experience many issues (i.e., they can lose cellular connectivity, have a low battery life, etc.) That’s why you need to look for an asset tracking software solution that enables you to monitor device vitals. Some essential features include:
- Remote diagnostics empowers your team with rich diagnostic information to quickly diagnose and rapidly resolve connectivity issues.
- Fleet health dashboards bring together all the mission-critical metrics that matter most to your devices’ normal functioning.
You should look for a software solution that comes with some form of remote diagnostics and asset vital monitoring. Being able to fix a device from afar will save your business time and headache.
Many problems occur with devices when they are out in the field (they can lose connectivity, have a low battery, and their connection to the cloud may disrupt). You need to choose software that allows you to identify these issues quickly. That’s why it is imperative to select a tracking software solution that can diagnose remote device issues.
You should look for a software solution that comes with some form of remote diagnostics and asset vital monitoring. Being able to fix a device from afar will save your business time and headache.
4. Essential features
The overarching goals of any asset tracking system are to increase visibility, improve operations, and improve business intelligence. Your investment in an asset tracking software solution should provide you with all of these benefits. To obtain these benefits, you need the right essential features:
- Geolocation mapping services — You should be able to monitor asset location in real-time with geolocation mapping services.
- Historical location — You should be able to track asset history to suggest optimal routes or increase the accuracy of information needed for business intelligence.
- Variable monitoring — As mentioned above, you need a tracking software solution that allows you to track every variable of your asset fleet.
- OTA firmware updates — You should be able to send new features and updates to your solutions with ease.
- Cellular connectivity & SIM cards — LTE Cellular connectivity and SIM management should come out of the box when dealing with an asset tracking solution.
5. Comprehensive support
Finding an asset tracking system featuring all the bells and whistles is just one part of the puzzle. It’s also essential to partner with a company that supports you before and after the sale.
When evaluating support models, search for a company that provides a support model that provides you with easy accessibility to the support team. For example, a ticketing system may mean it will take longer to get help than it would with live phone support or a live online text chat. If support isn’t included in the price, be sure you understand all the details before signing on the dotted line.
If you are building a custom asset tracking solution, you will also need to look for a provider who can help you develop your solution from concept to production. Search a companies support solutions to see if they can help you build an asset tracking solution that works for your company.
Particle makes asset tracking simple
There are many asset tracking software solutions out there that organizations can use, but if you’re looking for a simple solution that is field-ready and customizable, Particle offers a unique solution to help simplify your cold chain operations.
The Particle Tracking System is the most flexible and customizable tracking system on the market. It comes with everything you need to track and monitor your device fleets:
- Realtime geolocation services — Monitor asset location in real-time with geolocation mapping services.
- Historical location tracking — Track asset history to suggest optimal routes or increase the accuracy of information needed for business intelligence.
- Asset Tracking+ — The Particle Tracking System is designed to integrate with any external sensor, enabling your business to track asset location, along with any additional variable such as temperature, sound, motion, air quality, and more.
- Configuration Services — Customize data publishing rates or set up motion detection alerts with ease. You can push immediate updates to your device fleets without having to write any code.
- Field-ready & customizable — Particle provides field-ready and customizable tracking hardware solutions that are compatible with the Particle Tracking system.
- OTA firmware updates — Send new features and updates to your cold chain solution with ease.
- Global cellular connectivity options — Including LTE CAT M1 in North America and LTE CAT 1 with 3G and 2G fallback in EMEA.
Particle partners with professionals across various industries, including supply chain and logistics, industrial manufacturing, agriculture, micromobility, and local government entities. Visit the Particle Store to learn how our pick-up-and-go asset tracking solution can empower you to scale faster and work smarter.
