Other considerations

For wayfinding or workflow solutions, and often for asset tracking solutions, tailored maps need to be part of the system. As wayfinding is a staff or patient facing system, the maps in the mobile app will need to be clear, engaging and have any unnecessary information excluded from the floor plan, particularly doors, furniture and room dimension measurements. Including this additional unnecessary information can confuse the routing and positioning of the user.

Some Wi-Fi vendors can provide services to make maps suitable for use in the solution. There are also mapping companies that specialise in production of appropriate maps for RTLS solutions. These are generally compatible with any vendor and for wayfinding are very important in helping application adoption by non-IT staff, particularly patients.

When using active tags, be they RFID, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Wi-Fi or BLE beacons, battery management will play a part in managing the solution. Wi-Fi tags can require almost daily charging, which is one of the major drawbacks along with accuracy of using that technology. In comparison, active RFID and BLE batteries only need to be changed every 3 to 5 years. This can involve replacing the tag or beacon altogether or just replacing the battery itself.

The batteries can also perform quite differently in different environmental conditions. Cold temperatures, particularly, have a large impact on battery life. Consideration should therefore be given to the storage of tags when not in use to preserve battery life. Once the unit has reached end of battery life and will be replaced, safe disposal of the beacons or tags will need to be arranged to reduce environmental damage. Suppliers of the beacons or tags may offer a disposal or replacement service.

The most important factor is having a method to know when batteries need replacing when the item is not connected to the solution, other than to respond with its ID as part of RTLS operation. Some beacon or tag solutions can report battery status, some solutions may require a reader connection (RFID) and some Wi-Fi vendors can receive reports from access points in the vicinity of the items. It is advised to work out what battery management protocols will need to be made, if any, before the RTLS solution is deployed.