One of our goals at ZulaFly is to provide an RTLS-based platform that makes a difference in the way your organization does business. Implementing a system that utilizes RTLS technology provides the kind of real-time data that creates smarter decisions related to the people and assets in a business.

At ZulaFly, we know how important RTLS can be to the health of any organization. But how does RTLS actually work? What makes it unique in the marketplace? Here’s an ultimate ‘FAQ’ for your RTLS-related questions.

HOW CAN RTLS TECHNOLOGY HELP MY BUSINESS SAVE MONEY?

RTLS technology, such as what’s used in ZulaFly’s Fuzion platform, helps you know the location of any RTLS tagged person or asset. Time spent searching for items that are tagged is greatly reduced, resulting in time and money saved. Additionally, the capability of RTLS to perform functions such as monitoring temperature and trigger alerts when something is out of range, puts it in a class of its own when it comes to boosting the bottom line for your business.

IF I ALREADY HAVE A SECURITY SYSTEM, IS THERE ANY REASON WHY AN RTLS-BASED SYSTEM WOULD STILL BE USEFUL?

The purpose of an RTLS system is NOT to replace a security system. Instead, RTLS serves as a fantastic addition to a standard security system. For instance, utilizing RTLS data helps you ascertain WHO or WHAT may be causing a security issue, and precisely WHERE it is happening, in real-time. Standard security systems aren’t equipped to do much more than tell you a security issue is in progress, without giving the critical data you need to either locate the problem in real-time and potentially locate the missing asset (if it’s tagged). Additionally, RTLS-based systems such as Fuzion allow security notifications to be received in in a way that is convenient and relevant for the end users.

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF TRACKING ASSETS IN MY WORKPLACE?

In terms of ROI, tracking assets in your workplace with RTLS provides one of the most immediate boosts to your bottom line of any technology that can implemented.

By tracking assets within your facility, you can better hedge against overspending. This happens by knowing where assets are located. This also reduces theft, as you can be notified when assets are leaving a building or area, and sparing staff members the time of searching for important assets that may have been moved or misplaced. Once an RTLS system is in place, ZulaFly works with you to create benchmarks, helping you understand cost savings of equipment spend pre- and post-RTLS implementation.

HOW CAN RTLS INFORMATION BE EFFICIENTLY DELIVERED TO ME?

Systems such as Fuzion have a mobile app that allow you to use a device such as an iPhone, iPad, or standard laptop computer to not only see what’s happening with the location of RTLS-tagged assets in real-time, but also receive critical notifications related to these assets. Thanks to RTLS data, you can also learn historical data, such as where a person or asset has been in the past, and how long they have been there. This can all occur within a framework of a map view that pinpoints where in your facility tagged assets are located.

Not only is RTLS data efficiently delivered, but Fuzion is also a Cloud-hosted system. Whether you are in the office or away from the facility enjoying your weekend, information can be easily accessed from anywhere.

WHAT HAPPENS IF AN ALERT OR EMERGENCY RELATED TO RTLS DATA OCCURS DURING HOURS WHEN MYSELF OR MANAGEMENT ARE NOT AT THE FACILITY?

Another game-changing asset that RTLS technology (such as Fuzion) provides is the ability to keep you in the loop with your tagged assets at anytime from anywhere. Whether it’s a night, weekend or holiday, your bases are covered. Critical alerts such as temperature notifications or moved assets can be sent to a mobile phone via text, e-mail, mobile app, or practically any other communication device.

Relevancy and flexibility are advantages gained through RTLS. The immediate nature of the alerts allow you to stay ahead of potentially hazardous situations, while the customizable nature of the notifications recipient list make it easy to notify the correct people on the appropriate devices WHENEVER an alert needs to be received.

WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE WORKING OR VISITING MY FACILITY, ISN’T IT A LITTLE INVASIVE TO ASK THEM TO WEAR A BADGE?

Knowing exactly where your employees and/or visitors are located while they are in your facility, as well as possessing the power to view historical data is very beneficial. In many industries, the advantages of utilizing a badge significantly outweigh any inconveniences.

In both large and small facilities, visitors can wander into areas of your facility that are restricted to non-employees. The instant a visitor badge is detected in one of those predefined areas, a notification can be sent to staff members. Furthermore, the ability for staff, patients, residents or visitors to call for help from any location with the button press on the badge makes the system extremely convenient in the event of an emergency.

In settings such as education or healthcare, knowing this type of information can keep you ahead of emerging safety and security concerns that can be potentially disastrous. Because of this, RTLS-based data ultimately provides more confidence in a safe work environment on a day-to-day basis.