Five Amazing Benefits of Using the IoT and Real-Time Location Systems in Construction
Real-time location systems (RTLS) are rapidly becoming an integrated part of everyday life. From the GPS on your smartphone to the RFID tag in an employee badge, the world uses RTLS in significant ways. It only makes sense that companies start using this Internet of things in construction (IoT) to streamline their everyday operations.
Through the use of an IoT construction network of radio frequency broadcasting tags and stationary anchors (receivers), it’s possible to track the movement of thousands of assets and people on a building site. Imagine the ways a construction company can benefit from this bird’s eye view of the overall workflow. Know when workers are in their assigned areas, see when assets are carried off of the job site, keep an accurate accounting of labor hours, and much more.
Manage the Construction Site in Real-Time
What site manager hasn’t wanted the power of omniscience at some point to see everything happening on a construction project? By using real-time location systems in the construction industry, you can now have that ability.
Our RTLS continuously collects and logs data from RFID readers placed around the building site. All data from work ID tags and equipment tags are gathered and sent to your mobile device or computer via our software.
You can see and monitor so much through the invisible mesh network created by our UWB readers. No more running from one part of the site to another to keep up with your crew. Just check your tablet to make sure workers are being productive and working in the correct areas.
1- Improve Resource Availability on the Job
With this ability to see the entire worksite and all assets on a digital map at once, site managers can also improve resource management. See at a glance which equipment is already in use on a large project. If a digger is needed in another area, check to see if any are sitting unused and send the driver directly to it.
Managers can also send some of the crew to another area of the site when it looks like those projects are short of assistance. No need for three-, four-, or five-way calls on the walkie-talkies. Just view the real-time map of the construction site and highlighted projects for the day.
Our construction RTLS software also allows managers to:
● Assign equipment to specific drivers/workers
● Reserve equipment from another job site for future use
● Schedule a series of tasks for drivers
● Compare planned usage with actual usage reports
2- Monitor & Log Actual Labor Hours
Labor is one of the most significant expenses for any business. Keep those hourly wage costs under control with help from Litum IoT. We provide UWB-enabled ID tags for all construction workers to wear when they arrive until the minute they leave. Made in the form of a convenient belt clip, the tags are unobtrusive and lightweight. These tags will ping on the RFID readers placed around the site, logging the exact moment when workers arrive and when they leave in the program.
Site managers can utilize this real-time location system construction software to:
● Track workers who are consistently tardy or absent
● Track workers who work overtime, with permission or without
● Identify who has worked on certain parts of the project
● Create and export actual labor hours for accounting purposes
3- Real-Time Tracking Keeps Your Crew Safe
The construction industry is a high-risk occupation. Crew members and their managers must remain aware of their environment and best safety practices at all times to prevent injury.
Using the IoT in the construction industry provides a way for site managers to keep crew members safe. The belt clip tags worn by your workers come with multiple safety features, such as:
● Automated alerts that sound when workers enter an unauthorized or unsafe area of the site
● Fall detection systems that send alerts when a worker trips and falls or falls from a height
● Motion sensors that trigger alerts when workers haven’t moved for a prolonged period of time
● An easy to use SOS button workers can push when they need emergency assistance
4- Collision Avoidance is Essential for the Busy Site
Collision avoidance is an excellent tool for preventing accidents on the job site. With our IoT construction tags installed on vehicles and moving equipment, drivers can be alerted to potential collisions with a visible and audible alarm. The system can detect when vehicles or workers are getting close to one another and trigger the alert within a predefined distance.
The system also logs those near misses for site managers to review later for reporting and assessment purposes. Managers can also flag and monitor drivers who have had a near miss to keep a close eye on them in the future.
Use our construction RTLS tags on a wide range of vehicles and equipment at your site, including backhoes, bulldozers, compactors, cranes, excavators, forklifts, jackhammers, loaders, rollers, and so on.
5- Prevent Equipment Loss & Theft
Your equipment and vehicles are valuable assets. When expensive tools are left out on a construction site, they become prime targets for theft. Additionally, they can become lost through misplacement or damage from environmental exposure.
Attaching RFID tags to the assets on-site and in transit can help prevent such losses. Litum can show you how to set up geofenced perimeters with our RTLS for construction software. Use it to establish a geofence around the entire construction site, in specific worksites, or even around the tool storage area. When a tagged tool is carried past the geofence, it triggers an alert that is sent to managers or other workers.
It’s also easy to ensure workers put tools and equipment away with an end-of-the-day round-up using the construction real-time location software. Our system will show any tagged assets on the site, including those left out of their assigned storage areas. Workers can quickly find these tools and put them away correctly using our digital maps of the site.
Streamline the Organization of Your Construction Projects with Litum
As more companies benefit from UWB RTLS — Real-Time Location Systems, the builder’s market will become more competitive.
Litum has a tailored RTLS for construction that is designed specifically to work within this industry. We use long-lasting batteries in our tags, sturdy hardware designed for the outdoors, and a comprehensive, yet user-friendly software. Our hardware and software are perfectly suited for use in indoor/outdoor environments, and ever-changing and dynamic construction sites.
To learn more about our construction RTLS solutions, reach out to Litum for a free consultation. We have partners in over 45 countries who are ready to meet with you in person to discuss our products.
