AssetTagging

Asset tagging refers to the practice of attaching or associating unique identifiers with physical assets to improve visibility, control, and lifecycle management. It encompasses hardware tags affixed to assets and digital records in an asset management system.

Tag types include RFID tags (active or passive), barcodes, QR codes, and NFC tags. RFID enables automated reading at distance; barcodes/QR codes are inexpensive and human-readable. NFC supports near-field interaction. Tags can store limited data or act as pointers to a system record.

Use cases span IT asset management (computers, servers), facilities management, manufacturing parts, tools, retail and logistics, libraries, and healthcare devices. The tagging process usually involves tagging at acquisition, recording tag identifiers in an asset registry, and linking to asset data such as serial numbers, location, owner, warranty, and maintenance history.

Systems integration and standards: Asset tagging data is integrated with CMDB, ERP, or EAM systems. Standards include ISO/IEC 18000 for RFID, ISO 14443/15693 for contactless cards, ISO 18004 for QR codes, and GS1 barcoding standards (GTIN, GS1-128). Organizations may implement unique internal identifiers linked to master records.

Benefits and challenges: Benefits include improved inventory accuracy, faster audits, loss prevention, lifecycle tracking, and streamlined deployment. Challenges include tag durability, readability in harsh environments, data quality, interoperability, cost, and privacy considerations.

Trends: increasing use of 2D barcodes, combined tagging strategies, and digital twin integration; cloud-based asset registries and real-time analytics.