▣ Euphoria Godam: Inventory Management System on Cloud

Inventory Tagging and Tracking

Inventory tags are specialized physical markers or labels to identify and track inventory. These physical inventory tags track your assets through various stages so you know when, where, and how they are used.
Inventory tags offer a precise way of tracking inventory, bridging the physical world and the associated digital systems. As a result, they ensure that all of your physical inventory data is stored in your digital management system.
Today, inventory tags come in various types, so every business can choose one according to its use case and environment.

1. Barcode Inventory Tags

Barcodes are the most widely used inventory tags today. You'll witness them on almost every product, consisting of vertical lines of varying thickness representing different numbers. The data is modified by changing the lines' length, width, and spacing. When you scan the barcode with a scanner, it translates those lines into readable data that is displayed on a screen.
Barcodes come in two types: 1D and 2D. The most popular one-dimensional barcode is UPC, further divided into EAN and its types. On the other hand, the most popular 2D barcodes are QR Code, Data Matrix Code with its variants, Aztec Code, PDF 417, and more. One of the major reasons behind their immense popularity is cost-effectiveness. Similarly, they are highly accurate and reduce errors usually associated with manual asset tracking.

2. Quick Response (QR) Code Inventory Tags

QR codes are advanced two-dimensional versions of traditional barcodes, storing more data than the latter. They can be scanned using several devices, including smartphones, making them highly accessible for every business. Companies that want to save money don't have to buy dedicated scanners to scan QR codes. Today, there are five QR Code standards: AIM International, JEIDA, JIS, ISO, and GS1.
Since QR codes can store more information in images, URLs, and longer texts, they are ideal for businesses that require image identification of their assets. QR codes also have error-correction capabilities, meaning they can store information even when they suffer up to 30% damage.

3. RFID Inventory Tags

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags detect and track assets using electromagnetic fields. They have high storage capabilities and can be scanned at large distances, even when they’re not in the line of sight. Since companies wanted contactless tracking solutions after the COVID-19 crisis, RFID tags became highly popular.
There are three types of RFID tags available today:

• Passive
• Active
• Semi-passive

1. Passive RFID Tags
They do not have a power source. Instead, they draw power from the RFID scanner through radio waves and transfer the data. They come in low-frequency (LF) tags with a 10cm range, high-frequency (HF) tags with a 1-meter range, and ultra-high-frequency (UHF) tags with a range of up to 12 meters.
2. Active RFID Tags
Active RFID tags usually contain a battery, which means they have their own power source and don't need to draw any power from the scanner. Since they have a larger memory and extended range, they are helpful when businesses want to track their inventory over long distances, such as expensive assets like computers, vehicles, and more.
3. Semi-Passive RFID Tags
Semi-Passive RFID tags lie in the middle of active and passive RFID tags. Although they have their own battery, it doesn't help them broadcast a signal. Instead, it energizes the internal circuitry to increase the tag's sensitivity and range. Their range also lies between active and passive tags - larger than the former but smaller than the latter. They can usually transfer data up to 30 meters.
Since they are the perfect middle ground between active and passive variants, they can be used when companies want to track assets at a longer distance without paying for active tags.

4. NFC Inventory Tags

Near-field communication (NFC) uses RFID technology but offers something different. They are useful for tracking inventory when there are a few centimeters between the scanner and the tag. The major difference between RFID and NFC is that the latter offers two-way communication between electronic devices and tags.
These inventory control tags rely on cloud systems, meaning you can track your inventory wherever you are, and the data will be stored in your digital registry. Another advantage of NFC tracking is that it uses a Single-Page Application (SPA) that fits perfectly on a single smartphone or tablet screen. So, it doesn't require staff retraining.

5. BLE Beacons

A Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon is a smart Bluetooth device/tag that is capable of bidirectional communication with a smartphone receiver while keeping the energy consumption to minimum.
BLE as a technology was developed by Nokia in 2006 with the name Wibree. The story behind BLE is that Nokia wanted to develop a wireless standard that was just as capable as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but with low energy consumption. Later in 2010 when Bluetooth 4.0 standard was released, Wibree became Bluetooth Low Energy. The Bluetooth low energy 5.4 specifications were launched recently in February 2023.
Like Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy also works between the Ultra High Frequency 2.4 GHz and 2.483 GHz and uses the Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum technique that includes dividing the frequency band between 39 channels with 1MHz width each.
Unlike Bluetooth, the BLE standard only uses three radio frequency (RF) channels RF37, RF38 and RF39 for beacon purposes. This leads to quick scan for devices in the vicinity and quick connection set-up, leading to low energy consumption. Apart from that, the PAwR (Periodic Advertisement with Response) feature requires only low data transmission periodically minimizing the energy consumption even furthers.
In Inventory management BLE beacons find many applications with respect to item localization and stock count and accurate inventory management. The key advantages of this technology are power saving and light weight BLE beacons and low cost deployment costs. The BLE beacons are attached to the target objects/assets and act as the signal emitters. The user smartphones using mobile apps act as receivers.