Categories
Software Uncategorized

Increase Operational Efficiencies with ItemAware

The increased cost of doing business has many companies searching for viable ways to keep their budgets in the black. From layoffs to project cuts, businesses are seeking creative ways to protect their bottoms lines. But what if there was an affordable way to invest in a technology that would automate processes without requiring cuts? And what if said technology could be adopted to not only save you time but also money? Continue reading to learn how our robust asset tracking software, ItemAware, will do just that and more.

To speak frankly, rising inflation coupled with maintaining competitive salaries is expensive. The COVID-19 pandemic further deepened financial woes by putting new levels of stress on the global supply chain, leaving many businesses still feeling the pressure of product shortages.  Reuters reported, “The U.S. supply chain is healing from early pandemic shocks that sent shipping costs skyrocketing and squeezed supplies of everything from toilet paper to pasta, but more than three years later, material shortages and hiring woes linger”.

ItemAware Reduces Operating Costs

If you, like many other businesses, are experiencing the realities of these concepts, than you are likely searching for ways to cut costs while simultaneously increasing your operational efficiencies. ItemAware brings together innovation, technology, and automation to reduce your operating costs while giving you a significant return on your investment.

ItemAware may sound too good to be true, but trust us, it’s not. One client, who requested anonymity, stated, “In the time that we’ve had ItemAware running, we’ve never had to buy another tool… if we reduce our tool loss by 20%, we could save millions.” Could you imagine what this type of cost savings could do for your business? With ItemAware, worthy projects that seemed “out of budget” can now be put back on the table, allowing you to move forward with your most profitable goals.

ItemAware’s Implementation Is Easier Than You Think

The thought of implementing a new technology can be daunting, especially when faced with the time constraints caused by an already overfilled calendar. That’s exactly why our team of professionals at Aware Innovations work around the clock to ensure that you have the software in place when you need it most.

Adopting a new software doesn’t have to be scary – we’re here to help you every step of the way. Click here to watch a short video that highlights one of our customer’s seamless experience both implementing and actively using our innovative asset tracking software.

ItemAware is at the Forefront of Innovation

ItemAware is technology agnostic meaning it can work with whatever tech is best for your requirements. Our team can help you determine which technology is right for your specific use case including Internet of Things (IoT), RFID, GPS, Barcodes, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (BLE), or Wi-Fi.

“We may very well see the use of RFID expand once folks see how successful we’ve become in achieving our goals.” – Tom King PMP, Office of Administrative Services, US Patent & Trademark Office

ItemAware’s use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags is a particular area of innovation, ultimately offering a host of significant benefits for our customers. These benefits include, but are not limited to, an increase in supply chain efficiency, reduction in human error found in inventory counts, elimination of asset replacement costs, and an elevated level of security.

At Aware Innovations, we are a team of experts who designs, implements and sustains asset management and tracking solutions for enterprises of all sizes.  We stay at the forefront of innovation because we believe that you deserve an asset tracking solution that is proven to work every time.

ItemAware is Not Only Intuitive, But Also User-Friendly

An asset tracking solution is only beneficial if you and your team not only want to use it, but ultimately rely on it to get your jobs done faster. Antiquated software that’s bogged down with hidden, unnecessary, and generally outdated features aren’t worth spending your time or money on. ItemAware quickly changes this narrative because it’s a platform that you will easily master and quickly depend on.

ItemAware’s intuitive dashboard is just one of many user-friendly features housed within the asset tracking software. At the touch of a button, said dashboard instantly gives users a bird’s eye view of all inventories in progress, assets, as well as alerts. This convenient screen will keep you up to date on your most important responsibilities. Ultimately, when time is not on your side, ItemAware always will be.

You’ve got an important job to do – one that doesn’t always have you stationed at your computer all day. That is exactly why we designed ItemAware to be mobile-friendly, allowing you to access this modern software on your mobile device. ItemAware will always be working for you, wherever you happen to be.

Click here to learn more about ItemAware’s user-friendly features.

ItemAware Eliminates Antiquated Manual Processes

We’ve said it before and we will continue saying it – manual inventory counts lack accuracy. Essentially, when employees are responsible for manually scanning items, human error is inevitable. This reality doesn’t have to be one your company faces. Invest in ItemAware to gain the confidence you need to know that your inventory counts are nothing but accurate.

ItemAware’s asset tracking software has GPS functionality, eliminating the need for manual inventory processes. Our modern technology is always scanning automatically, giving you exact GPS coordinates of the last-seen locations of all of your tagged assets. With ItemAware on your side, you will never again be left worrying about the correctness of your inventory counts.

Operational Efficiencies are Worth Investing In

We get it – your budget for implementing new technologies may be tight, meaning you need to be picky on what upgrades you ultimately spend time and money on. But, after reading this blog, we hope that you now understand exactly why ItemAware is not a luxury – it is an investment in your company’s future.

Are you ready to partner together to increase your company’s operational efficiencies? Get started today by requesting a free 30-minute demo with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

About the Author

Jessica Frye is an expert content writer with 7+ years of professional writing experience. She earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from Wright State University and has worked alongside companies in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Jessica is passionate about community and enjoys using the power of words to not only cause people to react but to take initiative.

Categories
Item Management ItemAware News Software

ItemAware’s Proven Worth is Evidenced by Partnerships

ItemAware is no longer just a “nice to have”. It’s making a real, measurable financial difference for companies just like yours. This blog illuminates this fact by highlighting our partnership with Ring Power Utility Equipment. Continue reading to learn how the adoption of our robust software has revolutionized our client’s tool tracking processes, saving them both time and money.

As product costs skyrocket, companies are searching for new innovative ways to protect their bottom lines. Rising inflation coupled with supply chain issues have made it more important than ever before to keep projects on time and in budget – and for many companies, these goals can only be met if their team has the tools they need on hand at the right time and in the right place.

At the touch of a button, Aware Innovations’ modern tool tracking software, ItemAware, guarantees that you will always have access to the last known location of your most important assets. This vital piece of information eliminates time wasted on searching for tools that aren’t actually lost, getting your team back to work without unnecessary delays. Additionally, it’s easy-to-use app design further encourages employee accountability by instantaneously providing you with precious data that depicts exactly who used each piece of equipment last.

Before we dig deeper into the benefits of ItemAware, we first want to introduce one of our trusted partners, whose use case will be the focus of this blog, Ring Power Utility Equipment.

Ring Power Utility Group: A Satisfied Customer

If you are in search of utility equipment and tools to get a tough, demanding job done right, Ring Power Utility Equipment is the first place you should look. This experienced company is a proud suppler of utility equipment made by Terex along with other premier manufacturers such as Vac-Con, Spiradrill, Elliott, Brooks Brothers, Manitex, National Crane, Prinoth and Palfinger. In addition to offering a wide range of utility machinery, Ring Power also sells utility line power tools and accessories.

There is much more we could share on this highly reputable company, but the primary focus of this article will be centered on Ring Power Utility Equipment’s pilot program with South Florida utility contractor, Concurrent Group.

A Success Story with Measurable Results

Did you know that tool loss in the utility industry is estimated at 30% annually, a value of approximately $900,000,000? A 30% loss is not a statistic to take lightly, nor is it one that your company has to fall victim to. In fact, Ring Power Utility Equipment has successfully distanced themselves from this startling figure by finding $175,000 of duplicate tools after investing in ItemAware. This major cost savings has allowed them to re-focus their attention on more profitable goals instead of wasting time and money replacing tools that didn’t actually need replacing.

It has been further shown that early adopters of our robust tool tracking software have seen cost savings of 20-30% fleetwide – a savings Ring Power is happy to have capitalized on. This company has taken full advantage of ItemAware’s wide range of asset tracking features, allowing them to not only benefit from significant cost savings but also a multitude of operational efficiencies. Our innovative software has gone to work tracking tools for Ring Power, ensuring that their crews have the right tools required to do their jobs efficiently.

To put it simply, Steve Sarno, VP Power Delivery and Principle at Concurrent Group, stated, “[t]his was the first system that worked”. Furthermore, Mike Beauregard, Senior Vice President and Director of Utilities, Crane and Truck at Ring Power Corporation, describes ItemAware as “technology [that] far surpasses anything major that has come to the industry in a while”.

Due to the high rate of success at Concurrent, Aware Innovations and Ring Power Utility Equipment have proudly begun pilot program discussions with two other major utility contractors in the state of Florida.

ItemAware – An Unmatched Asset Tracking Software

ItemAware far surpasses the capabilities of other tool and asset tracking systems currently available on the market. Its unique, intuitive features include the use of RFID and other technologies. These technologies are all utilized to tag equipment and pair them with a beacon location (truck, shed, jobsite, etc.). The ItemAware app is then used to see each item’s location and last-seen status in real time. By clicking on individual items, a user is given immediate access to a detailed history of the item including locations, manufacturer, status, and more.

ItemAware is automatic, meaning that it is continually scanning without the use of manual labor. Our asset tracking software has revolutionized the way companies keep track of their inventory due in part to its GPS functionality. ItemAware is always scanning to make certain that you know exactly where your tools are – whenever, wherever you need them. With ItemAware on your side, you can rest easier knowing that your inventory will never again be riddled with human error.

Due to its wide range of benefits that are applicable to a variety of markets and industries, the demand for Aware Innovations’ software has been increasing steadily. Chuck Evanhoe, President and CEO of Aware Innovations, stated, “[w]e’re poised for what we hope will be explosive growth because we are solving a unique set of problems. [i]t’s a huge market.” This is an exciting time to invest in ItemAware – and you can do so easily by contacting us today.

Tool Tracking with ItemAware is Just a Phone Call Away

You too can see the cost savings and operational efficiency benefits that Ring Power Equipment has been a part of. Get started today by requesting a free 30-minute demo with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

About the Author

Jessica Frye is an expert content writer with 7+ years of professional writing experience. She earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from Wright State University and has worked alongside companies in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Jessica is passionate about community and enjoys using the power of words to not only cause people to react but to take initiative.

Categories
Item Management ItemAware Software

Tool Tracking Software Compatible with All Work Trucks

Save the Date for The Utility Expo

September 26-28, 2023 | Louisville, KY

Stop by Booth #S-4151 to meet our team and learn how ItemAware can go to work for you!

The Tool Tracking Solution You Need

“Work truck” is a generic term that describes a wide range of vehicles used for daily business operations including fire trucks, utility vehicles, telecommunication trucks, and gas trucks. Although the capabilities and purposes of each vehicle varies, the cruciality of asset tracking remains the same. Without proper equipment on board, each vehicle operator lacks the essential tools they need to get their job done correctly, without untimely delays.

ItemAware, Aware Innovations’ modern asset tracking software, is agile, offering the flexibility you need to seamlessly integrate into your work trucks – no matter how big or small your fleet is. If you have essential equipment that you need to keep track of, we have the solution you need to ensure that your tools never get lost again.

Continue reading to learn how Aware Innovations’ revolutionary technology is compatible with fire trucks, utility vehicles, telecommunication trucks, and gas trucks.

Fires Don’t Wait for Lost Tools to be Found

Firefighters depend on their tools to keep themselves as well as their communities safe during cases of emergency. It is easy to understand how essential, lifesaving equipment such as radios, flashlights, and specialized rescue tools can be mistakenly misplaced while firefighters work to restore order in emergency situations. However, as firemen head back to the fire station, they deserve to have the peace of mind knowing that every tool made it back on their truck and is ready for the next time they need it.

ItemAware goes to work on firetrucks by tracking each asset, providing the last known location of even the smallest, most easily misplaced tools. Our robust technology prioritizes safety by ensuring that firefighters always have the right tools, in the right place, at the right time. Aware Innovations’ intuitive asset tracking software offers the peace of mind firemen need to feel confident that they have the tools required to safely do their job while protecting their communities.

Fighting fires is mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting. Firemen shouldn’t be expected to spend additional time and energy searching for tools that have been misplaced during and after an accident. ItemAware takes this burden off firefighters by automatically housing a log of tool locations readily available within our intuitive app. This perceptive feature eliminates the possibility of human error, allowing firemen to get the rest they need back at the fire station rather than expending even more energy searching for lost tools at the scene of the accident.

Utility and Telecommunications Equipment Aren’t Easily Replaceable

“After implementing the system [ItemAware], I found $175,000 of duplicate tools.” – Steve Sarno | VP of Power Delivery at Concurrent Group, Customer of RingPower

Utility contractors have better, more profitable ways to spend their money rather than replacing misplaced tools, especially if the equipment in question isn’t actually lost. Replacing missing tools is not only costly, but with recent supply chain disruptions, can be nearly impossible to obtain quickly. Companies can avoid this headache all together by implementing a modern asset tracking solution that takes the guesswork out of inventory management.

When the lights go out, citizens depend on linemen to restore the power quickly, without unnecessary delays. Time is essential, especially in cases where severe weather such as extreme cold fronts threaten the safety of community members. But how can these professionals effectively do this, if they tools required to get the job done efficiently, are lost on some long-forgotten jobsite?

In today’s world, people are connected 24/7. Telecommunication technicians make this possible by developing and maintaining communication systems. Out in the field, their work trucks become mobile workshops, housing their most important tools. But what happens when time is wasted, and profits are forfeited because industry experts are spending time searching for lost equipment?

ItemAware can solve this problem by effortlessly integrating into all work vehicles including fleets of bucket trucks and diggers. Our intuitive software allows industry professionals to effortlessly tag their assets, making each item conveniently trackable while listing appropriate status’ such as active, broken, in storage, etc. ItemAware also keeps every employee on the same page while enhancing personal accountability. Our easy-to-use asset log details who used what equipment last, answering questions that commonly slow down searches.

When Fuel Delivery Can’t Wait

Image from Reading Trucks

Gas truck drivers have a critical job to do. Without on time, uncomplicated delivery of fuel, gas stations wouldn’t be able to sell gasoline to patrons while construction worksites would come to a screeching halt. However, arriving on time is only half the battle. Gas truck operators not only need to get fuel transported safely, but they also need to have the required tools to get the gasoline off the truck and into its destination.

Drivers need convenient, dependable access to their essential equipment to get their job done both effectively and efficiently. A quick tool search in our intuitive app will answer any questions a gas truck operator may have surrounding the exact location of their equipment. ItemAware’s ability to pinpoint items on board gives drivers the confidence they need to head to their next delivery location, knowing that they have the equipment required to safely unload the fuel they are responsible for transporting.

ItemAware Seamlessly Integrates into All Work Trucks

Whether you work as a fireman or are employed in the utility, telecommunications, or gas industries, ItemAware is the asset tracking solution you need to keep track of your most important tools and equipment. From durable, easy-to-use tags to intuitive map views, our robust software has exactly what you need to ensure that you never misplace a tool again.

What are you waiting for? Get started today by requesting a free 30-minute demo with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

About the Author

Jessica Frye is an expert content writer with 7+ years of professional writing experience. She earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from Wright State University and has worked alongside companies in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Jessica is passionate about community and enjoys using the power of words to not only cause people to react but to take initiative.

Categories
ItemAware Software

ItemAware: Primed for Growth as Use Cases Continue to Rise

The Dayton Business Journal recently released an article highlighting the key benefits of Aware Innovations’ groundbreaking automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) software, ItemAware. This article also spoke to the rapid growth Aware Innovations has been experiencing as more clients discovered uses as well as the cost-savings benefits of our innovative technology.

Continue reading to learn more about the history and future of Aware Innovation’s robust software, ItemAware.

A Brief History

Aware Innovations, founded in 2021, employs a team of 15 people with 50 years of combined experience in the IT industry. Our company originally began as an IT contracting company, Evanhoe and Associates, that primarily served the government sector. Eventually, Evanhoe and Associates discovered a unique opportunity for innovation in the field of AIDC and began specializing in this field. A new inventive software known as ItemAware was developed by our team to meet the growing asset tracking and inventory management needs across several industries.

Aware Innovations was born out of Evanhoe and Associates and began doing business earlier this year. The parent company, focused on providing IT services to the government sector, was ultimately sold as was the building that held the company’s previous headquarters.

A Future Worth Working For

Our history is a solid foundation that has prepared our team for the next steps in Aware Innovations future.

Chuck Evanhoe, President and CEO of Aware Innovations, stated, “[w]e’re poised for what we hope will be explosive growth because we are solving a unique set of problems. [i]t’s a huge market.”

In preparation for this growth, Aware Innovations has recently moved our headquarters to a 4,000 square foot facility in West Carrollton. Our new expansive office space even allows our team to test the capabilities of our asset tracking software within our building.

Aware Innovations recently moved to a 4,000 square foot facility in West Carrollton, Ohio.

There are seemingly endless profitable opportunities in the AIDC industry but what makes ItemAware unique in its offerings? Our modern software continually outperforms our competition because our team has been meticulous in evaluating the use cases for AIDC software and has designed our technology to solve the distinctive challenges faced by several industries.

Continue reading to learn more about who is using ItemAware as well has how our tool tracking and inventory management software has revolutionized the AIDC industry.

The Who and Why Behind ItemAware

In case you missed it, last month’s blog post was dedicated solely to highlighting a customer’s experience using ItemAware. We believe our customer’s experiences are important to share because they speak to the real-world benefits gained from implementing our software.

Listed below is a brief synopsis of the client testimonial shared last month.

Ring Power Utility Equipment began a pilot program last year with South Florida utility contractor, Concurrent Group. Concurrent Group then partnered with our team of experts to meet their tool tracking and inventory management needs. Since adopting ItemAware, Concurrent has reduced their asset bleed by significantly decreasing the number of tools and equipment lost.

Additional benefits Concurrent discovered by using ItemAware include:

  • Their fleet managers have become empowered by their level of control and visibility to track equipment in real time.
  • Employees are now held accountable for lost or misplaced tools since ItemAware tracks the last known location of assets.
  • After implementing ItemAware, Concurrent found $175,000 of duplicate tools. This cost savings helped the company re-focus their budget on much more profitable goals.
  • The ease of software implementation allowed Concurrent to get back to focusing on the job at hand.

Click here to watch a short video that further highlights Concurrent’s seamless experience both implementing and actively using ItemAware.

ItemAware: The Exact AIDC Solution You Have Been Looking For

You’ve heard about the substantial benefits of ItemAware from a client perspective but now it’s time for our team to share what makes us proud to boast in our modern technology.

Scalable

Firstly, ItemAware is fully customizable to meet your exact needs. Our robust software isn’t just meant for large corporations.  With ItemAware, size really doesn’t matter. Big or small, our software is capable of growing with you and your needs.

Mobile

We know that you don’t have time to be stuck inside of your office all day, so we made our technology mobile friendly. Because life is always on-the-go, ItemAware is fully functional on your phone and works on both iOS and Android operating systems.

Reliable

Who has time for virtual “hiccups”? We know you don’t – you have much more important tasks that don’t involve waiting on your technology to cooperate. At ItemAware, we perform rigorous testing and continual maintenance to ensure our software is always reliable when you need it most.

Easy to Use

There are few things worse than implementing a new technology only to be met with a giant learning curve. Trust us – our intuitive design and clear prompts will have you and your team back to work faster than you can imagine.

Safety Prioritized

We believe that your personal information is only yours to keep. Because of this, ItemAware includes security measures that allow you to rest easier at night.

Technology Agnostic Software

Our software is technology agnostic – it can work with whatever tech is best for your requirements. This means we can help you determine which technology is right for your use case: Internet of Things (IoT), RFID, GPS, Barcodes, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (BLE) or Wi-Fi.

What Are You Waiting For?

You now know how our company has evolved as well as the plans we are laying to ensure a bright and innovative future. Let us help you solve your complex tool tracking and inventory management challenges. Get started today by requesting a free 30-minute demo with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

We cannot wait to partner with you and your team to make your tool tracking and inventory management challenges a thing of the past.

About the Author

Jessica Frye is an expert content writer with 7+ years of professional writing experience. She earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from Wright State University and has worked alongside companies in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Jessica is passionate about community and enjoys using the power of words to not only cause people to react but to take initiative.

Categories
ItemAware Software

Our Customers Say It Best: How ItemAware Has Transformed Concurrent’s Asset Tracking Processes

To provide more customers with new and innovative solutions, Aware Innovations has partnered with Ring Power Utility Equipment to offer a groundbreaking product known as ItemAware to increase compliance and productivity while reducing losses. Read more below to learn more about this partnership.

Testimonials speak volumes. At Aware Innovations, we are always excited to share how our innovative software has revolutionized the asset tracking and inventory management fields. Although you have heard about how our modern technology can transform your tool tracking processes from us, we want you to hear it from a client’s perspective. For this reason, we are dedicating this month’s blog post to highlighting a customer’s experience using ItemAware.

To begin, we will briefly define what ItemAware is as well as outline the benefits of implementing this cutting-edge technology. Once a clear understanding of product features has been established, we will share an insider’s experience using our intuitive software.

Continue reading to learn about ItemAware’s uses as well as how our asset tracking software has greatly impacted Concurrent’s bottom line.

What is ItemAware?

ItemAware is a unique tool and asset tracking system that uses RFID and other technologies to tag tools or other items and pair them with a beacon location (truck, shed, jobsite, etc.). The ItemAware app is then used to see each item’s location and last-seen status in real time. Clicking on individual items gives the user a detailed history of the item including locations, manufacturer and more.

See the graphic below to view exactly how assets are tracked within ItemAware’s app.

ItemAware prioritizes precision. Tools located just outside a truck or on a job site will not be listed as being on the truck. The ability to know the exact location of equipment cuts down on time spent looking for tools as well as the cost of replacing tools that aren’t actually lost.

Compliance isn’t an area you want to overlook. Failure to remain OSHA compliant can result in significant financial penalties as well as unwanted legal issues for your company. Prevent these fines by allowing ItemAware to aid in keeping safety-related gear current with inspections – an important aspect of compliance in the utility industry.

Accounting for items regularly helps prevent loss while simultaneously allowing for smoother transitions between shifts. With ItemAware, we give you the power and visibility to make intelligent decisions by providing improved process, supply chain and asset visibility through innovative and modern solutions. This enables automated data collection, analysis, and notification – subsequently giving you the flexibility and knowledge required to make informed business decisions.

Ring Power Utility Equipment and Their Relationship with Concurrent Group

Ring Power Utility Equipment is a proud dealer for Terex Utilities along with other premier manufacturers of utility equipment such as Patriot Equipment, Spiradrill, Vac-Con, Brooks Brothers, Palfinger, Skylift, Prinoth, Manitex and National Crane. Ring Power also offers full parts and service on all makes and models of utility equipment, as well as a full range of utility industry tools. Ring Power Utility Equipment’s mission statement is, “[t]o provide innovative solutions at the highest standard through honest and professional relationships.”

Ring Power Utility Equipment began a pilot program last year with South Florida utility contractor, Concurrent Group.

Concurrent’s Experience with ItemAware

Did you know that tool loss in the utility industry is estimated at 30% annually, a value of approximately $900,000,000? Since adopting the ItemAware technology, Concurrent has seen a marked decrease in lost tool assets. Our intuitive software has helped Concurrent reduce asset bleed by giving their fleet managers more control and visibility of tools and equipment in real time.

See the graphic below to view the manager’s screen in the ItemAware app.

A representative from Concurrent Group described just how ItemAware has revolutionized the company’s ability to track essential tools and equipment.

“As they move around from truck to truck, we’re able to hold those accountable that had borrowed a tool, but also reduce the amount of tools that we’re replacing,” said Steve Sarno, VP Power Delivery and Principle at Concurrent Group, “This was the first system that worked.”

Steve Sarno also went on to say, “After implementing the system [ItemAware], I found $175,000 of duplicate tools.” This huge cost savings has not only allowed Concurrent Group to protect their bottom line but has also given them the ability to focus on their most profitable goals.

With the success of the pilot program at Concurrent, Aware Innovations and Ring Power Utility Equipment have begun pilot program discussions with two other major utility contractors in the state of Florida.

Mike Beauregard, Senior Vice President and Director of Utilities, Crane and Truck at Ring Power Corporation, describes ItemAware as “technology [that] far surpasses anything major that has come to the industry in a while.”

Concurrent further noted the ease of software installation. Because we know that you don’t have time to waste waiting, our team of qualified professionals work around the clock to ensure that you have the software in place when you need it most.

Click here to watch a short video that further highlights Concurrent’s seamless experience both implementing and actively using ItemAware.

ItemAware – Never Lose Track of Your Assets Again

This success story is just one of many that prove the value of our asset tracking and inventory management system, ItemAware.

At Aware Innovations, we believe in delivering a product that not only works well but also far exceeds the capabilities of other software products on the market. Our modern, intuitive software allows you to predict issues, reduce theft and flag items that need repair before they interrupt your work cycle. Think of the time you would save if you could eliminate the need for manual asset tracking.

We are here to help you. Get started today by requesting a free 30-minute demo with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

About the Author

Jessica Frye is an expert content writer with 7+ years of professional writing experience. She earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from Wright State University and has worked alongside companies in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Jessica is passionate about community and enjoys using the power of words to not only cause people to react but to take initiative.

Categories
Cellular GPS RTLS Software

Cellular GPS – DLA Gains 87% in Labor Savings

Summary

The Defense Logistics Agency’s Red River Army Depot reduced wasted personnel hours by 87%, using cellular GPS to track 23,000 military vehicles. During this pilot, the DLA was able to reduce the time it took to find a vehicle from upwards of 8 hours per vehicle to 30 minutes or less using Cellular GPS.

Evanhoe & Associates, Aware Innovations’ parent company at the time, was contracted to implement a real-time locating system for DLA as a pilot for 3 years. Bart Ivy, our Director of Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) Solutions, conducted a site survey, market research and a concept of operations (CONOPS) for DLA, recommending Cellular GPS as the best technology solution for their use case. DLA accepted the proposal, allowed Evanhoe (Aware) to execute the solution and saw the following results:

  • A real-time locating system (RTLS), operational 24/7/365 in all weather conditions
  • Time savings of over 87%: time to locate a vehicle was reduced from upwards of 8 hours to less than an hour
    • Man-hours were repurposed to profit-driving tasks
  • 98% accuracy rate of database data, with data current to within 14 hours
  • 98.69% GPS accuracy rate over 27 months
  • Instant location data with a map feature in ItemAware that gives users a visual route to the vehicle
  • An interface of location-specific vehicle data (serial numbers, item unique identification (IUID), etc.) with DLA’s Distribution Standard System (DSS)
    • This consolidates data from a wide variety of uncommon assets (from multiple locations) into a central, accessible database
  • System verification to authorize users by comparing their PKI certificates against an authorized user list
    • User roles and permissions were used to control the level of access to the system date once authenticated

Overview: RTLS Pilot Using Cellular GPS

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) sought to establish a materiel asset identification and location tracking system for 23,000 vehicles on its 15,375-acre lot in Red River Texas. With vehicles stored on 24 different sites on over 9 million square feet of storage, locating them was a tremendous task, and one that involved manual data uploads. This project resulted in site surveys and multiple reports on solutions, as well as an execution of the system for 3 years.

DLA wanted a system that:

  • Leveraged Item Unique Identification (IUID) or Serial Numbers (SN) written to various Automatic Identification Technology (AIT) tools and devices
  • Enabled continuous asset visibility, accountability, chain of custody and on-time/on-command reporting
  • Consolidated the data from a wide variety of uncommon assets in multiple locations into a common database accurate to above 98% with data current to within 14 hours
  • Had security for loss prevention or unauthorized removal from/relocation within storage facilities (for sensitive, classified or pilferable assets)

CSRA International had an existing pRFID III contract with DLA and was awarded a task order under that contract to implement what ended up being a pilot. CSRA used Evanhoe & Associates, Aware Innovations’ parent company at the time, as their technical Engineering partner. Bart Ivy led a team to execute this solution once Cellular GPS was chosen.

If you want to learn more about Red River’s mission with these vehicles, watch here.

Background: What Is the Defense Logistics Agency?

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) was started in 1961 to manage supplies for the US military. Today, it continues to support the US warfighter with locations in nearly every state and in over 28 countries worldwide.

The DLA provides more than $41.8 billion in goods and services every year, supporting more than 2,400 weapons systems and employing 26,000 civilians and military. It manages nine supply chains and nearly 5 million items. The focus of this use case is on their Red River Army Depot (RRAD).

Opportunity: A Manual Tracking Process That Proved Inefficient – And Dangerous

The Army Depot’s System of Record

The Distribution Standard System (DSS) is the Army Depot’s system of record. Not included in the DSS’ core functionality, however, is specific data necessary for uniquely identifying and tracking vehicles. The Vehicle Tracking System (VTRC) was developed to remedy this, providing fields for serial number, NSN, condition code, ownership code and location. However, there is no interface between the VTRC and DSS, so personnel must manually enter all data long after the work is accomplished. This makes it prone to error in keystrokes, the same data being entered differently, and induced data latency and inaccuracy if manual paperwork had discrepancies.

Manpower-Intensive Effort

The massive quantity of vehicles stored over such a large distance posed a challenge to RRAD. Finding and identifying each vehicle took hours. Historical records show that if any errors were made in the manual record keeping process, the identification process was prolonged – even up to 8 hours. Additionally, these vehicles are involved in nearly 15,000 official moves (issues and receipts when the Depot receives and deploys vehicles FY to date; or 1,994 per month), which adds more complexity.

“Imagine going to a mall in a white Prius,” Bart Ivy, Evanhoe’s (Aware Innovation’s) director of the AIDC project at RRAD states, “you come outside after shopping and there are 500 white Priuses parked next to you. This makes your Prius nearly impossible to find. The vehicles at RRAD are this scenario times ten. All of them the same, across miles of land. And the RRAD team is tasked with finding an exact one.”

Harsh Conditions and Dangerous Wildlife

In addition to the quantity of vehicles and the scale of the property, the terrain and outdoor elements in this location posed their own threats.

Many of the tags became eroded over time due to inclement weather. Employees who were trying to identify these vehicles had to wade into knee-deep mud in some areas, with brush up to their chests. Wildlife is also an issue in Northeastern Texas and interacting with rattlesnakes is not uncommon. The identification process also required employees to climb up onto the vehicle, posing physical challenges to some.

Solution: Cellular GPS Saves the Day, Requiring Zero Infrastructure

Requirements

Given the many challenges that faced DLA’s tracking process, the Defense Logistics Agency published requirements for a real-time locating system that included:

  • Operational 24/7/365 in all weather conditions
  • Reporting accuracy of approximately 10 feet
  • Locations provided in both narrative and visual mode
  • Ability to differentiate between multiple assets located immediately adjacent to and surrounded by like assets
  • A reusable tag that:
    • is easy to attach and remove, but difficult to become disassociated on its own
    • can report its status (last known location, last reported, battery life, etc.)
    • has a long service life and flags system if it becomes unresponsive or fails
  • Ability to interface with DSS, providing and receiving information
  • Event programmable
  • Report on movements, processing, workload, and productivity
  • Long span between any maintenance or update requirements
  • Expandable to other assets upon procurement of additional tags
  • Able to provide diagnostics in self-reporting mode
  • Have a user interface for authorized employees to the system, to allow user query and other work, auditing, and productivity management functions.

The DLA also required that the technology used be based on international standards to allow for competitive bidding of equipment as well as technologies that are readily available on the commercial market.

Cellular GPS

In a comprehensive market research report comparing real-time locating technology options, Bart Ivy recommended using Cellular GPS as the best option to support the DLA’s requirements.

Cellular GPS would be quick to deploy, with no infrastructure – eliminating costly requirements like moving vehicles for installation or long-term maintenance costs for structures that are in harsh conditions. GPS would also provide agility in parking requirements and vehicle movement that infrastructure would otherwise restrict.

Cellular GPS is over-the-air programmable, and motion sensor data and telematics can be transmitted to the software application that would interface with DSS. Each tag has an estimated 5–7-year battery life, making it the best long-term solution. It would improve location accuracy and provide instant updates when equipment is moved without user intervention.

The tags can also be associated with various items, allowing the DLA to reuse them, and provide a visual overlay on the ItemAware software app so that personnel can drive right to the vehicle with the provided route from their current location.

Execution: The Road to Automation

Decision-Making and Installation of GPS

Bart Ivy and 20 team members then deployed to tag all vehicles, associate the tags to the vehicles, and connect them to the database over the course of four months.

They connected the GPS to an RTLS module that allows multiple technologies from multiple locations to transmit data to the DSS and its subsystems. This technology included four main components: Edge Collection, Event Processor, API/Web and datastore. These four components integrated to create a complete system for managing, tracking, and inventorying containers and components therein. The ItemAware Asset Tracking and Inventory Management Software was selected to interface with DSS and display data to users. ItemAware has intuitive map features; item data, location, and status tracking; and much more.

“The genius of this system is integrating all data from all sites with multiple technologies into the DSS, allowing users to pull multiple data sets from one system.” Bart Ivy stated, discussing the efficiency it created by connecting not only the information at Red River, but multiple sites across the U.S., allowing verified users to access the information they need, instantly.

Evanhoe (Aware) developed custom interfaces with the DLA and Army Enterprise system and developed customer applications to support DLA’s work processes, enabling them to utilize this new technology and leverage its capabilities.

Challenges

Tags

Tags that the DLA had already purchased were opted for over the recommended tags, in order to save money. To make these work for the use case, the team had to address a couple issues:

First, the team discovered that the GPS location being reported by the tags was not their actual location.  After back-and-forth with the manufacturer, the manufacturer discovered they had made an error in their hardware configuration management resulting in several hundred tags’ SIM chip being associated to the wrong tag serial number.  Once resolved, the location of the GPS tags was accurate.

Secondly, the solar battery did not work well with the location of the equipment. As expected, solar power tags require sufficient sunlight to power the system; however, not all equipment was parked in locations where they received enough power to recharge the battery. When the tags were removed from equipment and stored until required again, they would not charge sufficiently to power the tag’s hardware. To resolve this issue, the removed tags were attached to the outside of the building to allow the tags to retain their solar charge. When the tag worked, the location accuracy was excellent.

Data Inaccuracies

Numerous data error problems that stemmed from manual entries had to be cleaned up and resolved during the data interface process. The team spent hours writing a script to clean the data prior to importing the data into the RTLS system, increasing the accuracy rate to 98%.

Results

The Evanhoe (Aware) team was able to meet the DLA’s requirements for an efficient system that tracked 23,000 vehicles in real-time, giving users instant location updates and directions to every vehicle tracked. It met data accuracy requirements and allowed verified users across the DLA to access information. The DLA continued to run this pilot over the course of 3 years. The management changed at that time and took the program a different direction, but we saw the following results in the meantime:

Time Savings

Our solution cut wasted time by over 87% – reducing the time it took to find a vehicle from 8 hours to 30 minutes or less. The vehicle’s location was able to be pulled up immediately, a pin shown on a map, and a route mapped out to get the user to the vehicle in the most efficient way possible. The amount of time it takes to reach a vehicle depends on the user’s current location but with our solution, it could be done in under an hour. This allowed DLA to repurpose 7-man hours per vehicle to focus on other work.

Data Accuracy

Scrubbing and entering correct data into the system made the database meet the requirements of a 98% accuracy rate.

Last reported GPS reporting accuracy was 99.8% at one location and 99.0% at the other, with a 98.69% over 27 months.

Access

The system was designed to verify authorized users by comparing their PKI certificates against an authorized user list.  User roles and permissions were used to control the level of access to the system data once authenticated.

ConclusionCellular GPS is Successful

Our team was able to design and execute a successful real-time locating system that met the requirements of the government and all stated goals of the project provided by the government.

About the Author

Elyse Cheatwood is our Marketing Manager. With ten years in marketing and ever-increasing knowledge of the Automated Identification Data Collection (AIDC) industry, she creates research-driven content based on market trends, industry updates and tech insights from reputable sources (including the professionals she works alongside).

Categories
Quality RTLS Software Traceability

Meet Kindra: Our Software Test Lead

Kindra Davis holds the position of Software Test Lead. By definition, the basic responsibility of any Software Test Lead is to “effectively lead a team of testers to meet the product goals and thereby achieving the organizational goals that are derived.” Kindra does this and more. Her job is to test all of our software to ensure quality and ease of use. When our team reacts to customer requirements, she is at the helm to ensure needs are met – and met with excellence.

We filmed this short video to give viewers an idea of what our Software Test Team does and how they do it. In it, Kindra talks about how she ensures the quality and consistency of our software.

Video Text

“Hi, my name is Kindra Davis and I have been with Aware Innovations since the beginning, so approximately four-and-a-half years now. My job is to ensure the quality and consistency of the software products that we’re producing. I do that by determining how I’m going to test/test plan, running through various test scenarios, and working with the developers to give them feedback on what went right, what went wrong, and what we can do better.

Aware Innovations is a company that assists customers in tracking, locating and sensing assets. So basically, to give the customer a full visibility of what they have and where it is at any given point in time. We have several industry leaders on our team with years of experience in this industry that assist customers with consulting, system design, hardware and software installation, and training and support.

ItemAware helps ensure critical medical equipment is where it should be at all times.

One example, one installation, would be a healthcare installation – such as hospital equipment itself. There’s sensitive equipment in a hospital that needs to be in certain places at all times. This would allow the hospital to inventory their equipment, know where it is, and to ensure that the right tools are in the right place at the right time.

I love the people that I work with. I get along with everybody really well. [Everyone’s] personalities are interesting, and we work together well, which leads into teamwork. It’s a relaxed but productive environment, and the technology is just neat that we’re working with.”

About the Author

Elyse Cheatwood is our Marketing Manager. With ten years in marketing and ever-increasing knowledge of the Automated Identification Data Collection (AIDC) industry, she creates research-driven content based on market trends, industry updates and tech insights from reputable sources (including the professionals she works alongside).

Categories
Inventory Management ItemAware RFID Software

Utility Industry Uses ItemAware for Tool Tracking

The utility industry estimates a 30% annual loss rate of tools, i.e., upwards of $900,000,000 “lost” items annually. 

Aware Innovations is excited to introduce ItemAware software to the utility industry to help eliminate the cost of lost items.

What is ItemAware?

ItemAware tracks tools, equipment and more, giving users full visibility of assets as well as all designated locations (trucks, sheds, jobsites, etc.). This allows users to know when an item is missing or has been put in the wrong location.

Tracking systems allow companies to stay nimble, react quickly and devote time and money toward actual business goals. Our software is a mobile, intuitive software that easily integrates with multiple technologies.

It can be used on your enterprise system, or we can host it for you. Designed to be flexible, ItemAware is customizable to your situation, your environment, your goals.

How it Works

  • Tag Items with right-size, durable RFID tags
  • Designate locations and assign tools to each location (truck, shed, jobsite, etc.)
  • Use the ItemAware app to see each item’s status and last-seen location
  • Click on items to see item-level details (such as history, manufacturer, and more)

Intuitive & Mobile Color-Coded Icons

ItemAware uses color-coded icons so that users can quickly glance at their mobile device and know if they have all items (green thumbs up), if an item is in the wrong location (orange thumbs up) or if any items are missing (red thumbs down).

First-Hand Experience in the Utility Industry

Concurrent Group, a customer of RingPower Utility Equipment, uses our tool tracking software and gives feedback on this cutting-edge solution on our ItemAware website. To learn more about ItemAware’s application in the Utility Industry or to request a free 30-minute demo, click here.

About the Author

Elyse Cheatwood is our Marketing Manager. With ten years in marketing and ever-increasing knowledge of the Automated Identification Data Collection (AIDC) industry, she creates research-driven content based on market trends, industry updates and tech insights from reputable sources (including the professionals she works alongside).

Exit mobile version