Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS)

Real-time location systems (RTLS) comprise tags and anchors, using UWB, BLE, Wi-Fi, or similar wireless technologies, that are worn by workers or attached to vehicles, tools, and work-in-progress, with GPS used in outdoor yards. Paired with fixed infrastructure and a location engine, they calculate and stream live position, movement, and status data across plants, warehouses, and yards, often to sub-metre accuracy. Positional data is displayed on digital maps, triggers geofencing alerts, and feeds dashboards, heatmaps, and process-flow analytics, and integrates with MES, ERP, WMS, and safety systems through APIs. Tag health and battery monitoring keep systems reliable at scale. Unlike passive RFID and barcoding, which record location only at fixed read points, RTLS tracks assets and personnel continuously.

RTLS removes the manual search and tracking of tools, materials, vehicles, and personnel, cutting idle time spent searching for parts and equipment, the cost of lost tools, and delayed material delivery to the line. By capturing continuous location history rather than intermittent snapshots, it exposes bottlenecks, inefficient material flow, and process delays, and gives the data needed to improve layouts and processes and make better use of vehicles and forklifts. It improves worker safety through geofencing, collision avoidance, restricted-zone alerts, and emergency location and muster visibility, and provides records of who was where during quality or safety audits. It also enables automation such as e-Kanban replenishment and digital twin synchronisation, helping reduce downtime, lead times, and operating costs.