Audio-visual-focused businesses, whether production companies or rental providers, face unique challenges in asset management. A van-load of equipment heading off to film a game or work a concert could have cameras, speakers, audio mixers, amplifiers, microphones, and hundreds of cables in the back. How do you know what you’ve loaded up, or what you’ve got in your stockroom—and how do you know if something’s been left behind, or even made off with?
It’s way too much kit to track through paper checklists; and barcodes present their own challenges: the labels need to be durable and easily-accessible—less of a problem for a camera, but definitely a challenge for a bundle of cables. So how on earth do you keep track of it all?
Easy: RFID.
Why RFID?
First of all: what is RFID? In short, radio-frequency identification tags contain tiny radio antennas, attached to a microchip. RFID readers, either fixed-in-place or handheld, use their own antennas to broadcast a signal, activating the tag so that it replies with the data on the chip. The reader then processes this information and communicates back to the associated software what tags it’s ‘seen’.
But why is this better than a barcode? Because it’s faster.
And incredibly convenient. An RFID reader can process hundreds or thousands of tag reads per second, and doesn’t require a clear line of sight the way a barcode scanner does.
- That jumble of audio cables you tossed into a box? No need to sort through it to count them: a quick poke around with a handheld reader, and you have your list.
- Lugging camera kit through the warehouse bay door out to the van? The fixed antennas around the exit have already logged it as gone (and will notice if you carry it back in!).
- Need to make sure you packed up all the microphones before you drive away from an event? Scan the back of the van with your handheld, and the app will remind you to take back the lapel mic still attached to the interviewee.
- Can’t remember which model that speaker actually is? Scan the tag on the side and you’re set.
TEC-RFID Asset Management Software
TEC-RFID’s Android app and web portal are built from the ground up to work with RFID, and to make your asset management as easy as possible—so you can stop worrying about keeping track of your kit and focus on getting that perfect shot.
- Stocktake a location and find out what’s missing in seconds
- Quickly assign groups of assets to a location or staff member
- Locate specific assets with our Geiger-counter interface
- Learn more about an item quickly with tap-to-view
- Store whatever information you need with our highly-configurable custom fields
- Export your data or integrate into your software with our APIs
How Do I Get Started?
RFID can be intimidating to newcomers: it requires a careful approach, as there are many potential technical dilemmas. No two deployments are ever the same! But our team at TEC-RFID is ready to help: we’d be happy to offer you a free consultation with advice on software, hardware choice, or tag selection—and, once we’ve figured out the best solution for your business, we can take you all the way to the finish line with our installation and configuration services. Just click below to drop us a line and begin streamlining your asset management today!