{"id":23089,"date":"2024-11-01T07:51:12","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T13:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/?p=23089"},"modified":"2025-05-30T13:00:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T19:00:15","slug":"tracking-manufacturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/blog\/tracking-manufacturing\/","title":{"rendered":"Asset tracking in manufacturing: a guide to optimizing operations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Assets can include <\/span>facility infrastructure<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>equipment both large and small<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>fleet<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>inventory<\/span><\/a>, while their lifecycle encompasses procurement, setup, operation and maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and eventually, decommissioning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Keeping track of assets can be difficult. But <\/span>asset tracking<\/span><\/a> is a vital part of manufacturing operations. Effective tracking of assets can streamline and improve operational efficiency, reduce costs to the business, and enhance a business\u2019 security.<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding asset tracking in manufacturing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Asset tracking is the process of monitoring the use, location, and condition of a business\u2019s physical assets throughout their entire lifecycle. Manufacturing assets come in all shapes and sizes, and the industrial equipment used in the production of products is fundamental to any manufacturing company\u2019s operations. Large equipment used in the day-to-day manufacturing of a company’s products must be carefully tracked, managed, and maintained, as do all the <\/span>spare parts and consumables<\/span><\/a> required to maintain it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vehicles<\/span> owned by the company also classify as assets that must be tracked. They can transport products or be used by maintenance staff for any number of tasks. The facility itself and all the safety equipment within it also count as they ensure smooth business operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

In order for any manufacturing business to function, its assets must function as well. If equipment is in good working order, employees can operate in a safe environment and operations can reliably continue without interruption.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits of asset tracking for manufacturers<\/span><\/h2>\n

Assets are the most costly investments a manufacturing company has. To protect that investment, the company must have a systematic method for ensuring that those <\/span>assets are being used<\/span><\/a> as intended to earn a return.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Asset tracking can benefit manufacturers in two important ways: operationally and financially.<\/span><\/p>\n

Operational improvements<\/span><\/h3>\n

When assets are tracked properly by documenting and updating important asset details the company is able to maintain and use them properly as well. Asset information such as <\/span>maintenance and repair histories<\/span><\/a>, manuals, manufacturer information, <\/span>critical spares<\/span><\/a>, and more \u2013 especially if those details are stored in a centrally accessible location like a cloud-based <\/span>asset management system<\/span><\/a> \u2013 are critical for maintenance professionals and machine operators in their day-to-day work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If done well, equipment remains in proper working order for longer, reducing downtime and other performance issues. When incidents do occur that interrupt productivity, proper asset tracking ensures that repairs are performed quickly by making the necessary parts and staff to fix them easy to find and coordinate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Financial advantages<\/span><\/h3>\n

Systematic and organized asset tracking can also result in <\/span>cost savings<\/span><\/a>. When a piece of equipment breaks, production disruptions occur. If the part needed to repair that piece of equipment is not available, extended periods of downtime can lead to accumulating financial losses. Proper asset tracking can ensure equipment is maintained proactively and that the proper<\/span> parts are on hand in inventory<\/span><\/a> to repair it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, when equipment is properly maintained, it lasts longer. This is true of manufacturing equipment as well as things like fire suppression systems that protect a facility. The longer a piece of equipment lasts, the less frequently you need to incur the expense of replacing it. .<\/span><\/p>\n

Asset utilization<\/span><\/a> is a ratio that compares how hard a company’s equipment and systems are working compared to what they could be producing optimally. It\u2019s a metric that measures how well a company utilizes its assets to generate revenue. When every asset is properly tracked and maintained, they have more time to generate revenue for the company.<\/span><\/p>\n

Asset tracking technologies in manufacturing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Gone are the days when assets had to be tracked and inventoried by manual sign-outs and paper inventory counts. Technology has made the process asset tracking profoundly easier and can automate many tracking tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Common asset tracking methods<\/span><\/h3>\n

Core to the process of asset tracking is asset identification. There are many ways to simplify the process of identifying an asset and accessing all its relevant details that are as easy as scanning a code or taking a picture. These are some of the common technologies that make assets easier to track and inventory.<\/span><\/p>\n