Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) market is now a fundamental segment of Bluetooth V4.0. Because it consumes little power from integrated devices, it has fast become one of the most promising asset-tracking components for all the leading industries.
Unsurprisingly, the global BLE market is expected to surpass $16.7 billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 19.68%.
Proximity marketing and asset tracking are the two exclusive BLE applications. Asset tracking or location-based tracking of industrial and personal equipment is now possible by attaching BLE smart tags. These smart tags follow the BLE protocol that enables location tracking of misplaced items as well. Let’s take a more profound look at the industrial applications of BLE tags.
Industrial Applications of BLE Technology
Bluetooth is a user-friendly and robust technology for various industrial applications. It offers dynamic features that fulfil major industrial requirements like security, reliability, flexibility, and coexistence in a space with various other technologies such as LAN, WAN, etc. Bluetooth allows faster connection and low power consumption with easy configuration for efficient performance.
Although wireless technologies have existed for years, wireless communication has suffered infrastructural lags. Considering that industrial applications require greater mobility and flexibility to connect to devices and move them freely, a robust infrastructure has long been a requirement. To that end, BLE technology has emerged with industrial capabilities like personnel localisation, identification, asset and equipment tracking, access control, production process management, and warehouse logistics management.
Noted below are the multiple applications of BLE tags across various industries.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry heavily depends on BLE technology for process and discrete manufacturing. While low cost and productivity are the two key points, innovative technology along with management tools are applied for remarkable process improvement. Some of the common applications of BLE tags in the manufacturing industry include:
- Equipment & Asset Management: Daily manufacturing involves a massive volume of assets, which includes production assets, office assets, supporting assets, and more. As these assets are placed in different locations and some parts are movable, knowing exactly which, where, how, and what assets are vital for operations is crucial. Using BLE tags, manufacturers get visibility into asset conditions and subsequently optimise operations to meet financial compliance
- Supply Chain Management: Stocking, delivering, and utilising finished goods and materials should be streamlined to ensure smooth operations, reduced errors, cost savings, and improved efficiency. These are the key areas that supply chain management addresses, and BLE tags can assist with significantly. BLE tags can be mounted on carriers or materials, whereas readers can be deployed on forklifts or even in a warehouse.
- Process Management: Manufacturers can deploy BLE tags in the line of production to collect data pertaining to machine parameters, personnel, etc. The data gathered during this process can be used for improving quality and optimising process designs. It also enables tracking and traceability.
- MRO Management: Since production equipment operates continuously in the manufacturing industry, it is critical to maintain and inspect equipment timely to lower downtime. BLE tags digitise this process with greater efficiency and reduced cost. Robust BLE tags can be embedded or mounted on the equipment, while staff can use handheld readers or tablets for inspection. The history of MRO is used as a reference for work. In case of an emergency, an alert is sent to take necessary action.
- RTI Management: The manufacturing industry uses Returnable Transport Items (RTI) for carrying components and goods. The RTIs mainly include trays, pallets, trolleys, tanks, and trailers moved frequently. However, managing them is challenging. BLE tags can prove exceptionally viable here, as they can visually manage RTI with records of its transit.
- Tools Management: The manufacturing industry uses various tools and production equipment. It is imperative to manage these tools properly so that nothing goes missing. With BLE tags, manufacturers can track the tools and ensure they’re effectively managed.
Retail
- Asset Tracking: An established ecosystem of real-time asset tracking can be expensive. From setting it up to its maintenance, the technology involved is unique. Contrarily, BLE technology is an affordable and approachable medium that can track vast volumes of retail assets. Besides, BLE tags and readers are inexpensive devices that can run smoothly for years.
- Proximity Marketing: BLE technology sends promotional messages within a range. This enables marketing endeavours to target people based on location. Proximity marketing is essential in the retail space because it boosts revenue potential. It allows retailers to understand when customers are close to the store and offer targeted, personalised and hyper-contextual content
- Need-based Alerts & Notifications: The retail industry manages a massive volume of products, which makes it very difficult to manage everything. With BLE-enabled need-based notifications and alerts, businesses can keep track of any gaps or mishaps associated with products.
Hospitality
- Asset Management: Hotels house various valuable assets that add to the property’s grandeur. These assets should be managed well to ensure nothing is misplaced or stolen. Through BLE tags, managers can get access to asset inventory and deploy anti-theft management for better control.
- Linen Management: Linen is one of the indispensable assets of the hospitality industry. Luxury hotels use the best quality linen, which is expensive. To ensure linen is managed and maintained properly, BLE tags can be deployed to improve management efficiency, minimise errors, and ensure cost savings.
- Guest Interaction Management: Automatic guest interaction management is an intelligent tool for the hospitality industry. Using this, hotels can interact with guests wherever they are – room, lobby, or restaurant. This works to reduce the check-in time and offers a superior customer experience.
Logistics
- Supply Chain Management: Logistics is one of the most crucial areas of the manufacturing industry. With so many vehicles moving around, businesses can now track each vehicle’s movement using BLE tags. This makes logistics more transparent. Indeed, this traceability solution is a newfound resort for the supply chain.
- Real-time Asset Tracking: While it might seem to be an expensive affair, it is not. BLE is the best tracking technology that facilitates real-time asset tracking. With widespread BLE readers, BLE radios, and a suitable app, businesses can track every moment quickly and easily.
- Inventory Audit: BLE tags also make inventory audit easier. With tags, businesses can locate even the smallest inventory. BLE readers can detect items carefully to deliver precise inventory data.
- Better Utilisation of Warehouse Equipment: With BLE beacon inventory tracking, businesses can monitor goods pallets through the inventory management systems of the warehouse. This helps ensure that products are stored in the desired places for optimum usage.
- Prevent Inventory from Expiry: Surplus obsolete items disrupt the inventory management initiatives of a warehouse. Despite the best efforts, businesses may need manual intervention. However, with BLE tags, inventory or batch information is logged, which can be accessed and tracked using an inventory or warehouse management system.
Indeed, BLE tags have revolutionised many industries, and this will continue as the tagging ecosystem grows.
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