How IoT is Revolutionizing Asset Management Solutions

Asset tracking is one of the most widely deployed Internet of Things (IoT) applications. According to Juniper Research, the use of asset‑tracking solutions will rise by 27% over the next five years, growing from 90 million in 2020 to 114 million by 2025. This surge underscores the need for reliable, efficient monitoring as assets move through production cycles, warehouses, and across sprawling campuses.

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Legacy asset‑management systems are often power‑hungry, require multiple devices, and involve numerous vendors, driving up complexity and cost. In contrast, modern IoT solutions can deliver low‑power, long‑range connectivity that is both secure and cost‑effective—critical for assets that traverse vast, multi‑site environments, sometimes spanning different countries.

Building Smarter Asset Management Systems

ABI Research’s white paper, “LoRaWAN and Multi‑RAN Architecture Connecting the Next Billion IoT Devices,” identifies LoRaWAN as the leading license‑exempt low‑power wide‑area (LPWA) network standard for large‑scale IoT adoption. Asset tracking and logistics represent the biggest use cases for this technology.

Key insights from the white paper include:

• Asset Identification: High‑volume, package‑level tracking with inexpensive reusable or disposable tags.
• Track & Trace: Location monitoring for stationary or slow‑moving assets via battery‑powered sensors.
• Condition Monitoring: Remote health checks for assets in the field.

Modern trackers embed multi‑radio architectures—Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Wi‑Fi for indoor precision, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for outdoor positioning, and LPWA protocols like LoRaWAN for wide‑area coverage. Additional sensors enable data to be transmitted at intervals ranging from every hour to less than a few minutes, optimizing battery life while maintaining real‑time visibility.

LoRa Geolocation Advantage

LoRa Edge™ offers a unified solution that combines GNSS, Wi‑Fi passive scanning, and LoRa® on a single chip. It automatically switches between indoor and outdoor modes, eliminating the need for separate devices and reducing hardware complexity and cost.

Benefits for supply chain and logistics professionals include:

• Efficiency & Productivity: Quickly locate assets, reducing time, fuel, and resource waste.
• Operational Excellence: Streamlined workforce allocation and real‑time fleet communication.
• Real‑Time Visibility: Continuous tracking throughout the journey, preventing theft and loss.

Case Study: Digital Matter’s Yabby Edge

Digital Matter leveraged LoRa Edge to create the Yabby Edge—a battery‑powered, indoor/outdoor asset tracker. It features:

• GNSS and Wi‑Fi scanning with cloud‑based geolocation
• Up to 12 years of battery life on two user‑replaceable AAA batteries
• Power‑saving modes for stationary assets
• Low unit cost for large‑scale deployments

Yabby Edge exemplifies how a compact, rugged design can meet demanding requirements while keeping expenses manageable.

Integration is straightforward; location data can be forwarded to any customer platform, and device settings are configurable for diverse tracking needs.

Conclusion

IoT‑driven asset management, powered by LPWA technologies like LoRaWAN, delivers the coverage, battery life, and cost efficiency required across verticals. As geolocation capabilities mature, companies can harness smart sensors to transform logistics operations, boost productivity, and secure their supply chains.