How accurate is indoor tracking?

Accuracy depends on the technology and infrastructure. A project may only need building, floor or zone-level visibility, while other workflows justify room-level or higher-density positioning. We specify the location level around the operational decision you need to make.

What can we track indoors?

Examples include trolleys, cages, wheelchairs, beds, medical equipment, tools, mobile devices, cleaning equipment, high-value assets and, where appropriate, people for agreed safety or workflow use cases.

Can indoor and outdoor tracking work together?

Yes. Different asset classes can use different locating methods and still be brought into the wider Foretrack Connect environment. This is useful when an operation needs indoor RTLS alongside vehicle, battery-powered or other outdoor tracking.

Do we need to track every asset?

No. The strongest business cases normally start with assets that are valuable, shared, frequently searched for, operationally critical or costly to replace or rent. We help identify the asset classes most likely to create a measurable return.

Can RTLS integrate with our existing systems?

Integration depends on the systems and workflow involved. Foretrack Connect can act as the operational layer for location data and selected deployments can pass relevant information into wider business processes through supported interfaces.

Start with the operational problem rather than the hardware. Tell us what you need to locate, where it moves, how quickly it must be found and what happens when it cannot be found. We can then scope a practical pilot or full deployment.

Guide · RTLS explained

What is RTLS?

Q: What is an RTLS?

RTLS stands for Real-Time Location System. It is a way of locating tagged assets or people within a defined environment such as a hospital, airport terminal, venue, warehouse or campus where GPS is not the right locating method.

RTLS stands for Real-Time Location System. It is a category of technology used to determine the location or zone of tagged assets, equipment or people within a defined environment such as a hospital, warehouse, factory or large building.

Explore indoor RTLS →Asset tracking overview

How it works

Tags, infrastructure and software work together to create indoor location visibility.

01 · Tag

Identify the asset

A tag or beacon is associated with the equipment or item that needs to be located.

02 · Infrastructure

Detect the tag

Gateways, anchors or compatible network infrastructure detect signals according to the RTLS technology and site design.

03 · Platform

Present location context

Software converts detections into usable location, zone or movement information for operational users.

Is RTLS the same as GPS?

No. GPS is primarily used for outdoor positioning using satellite signals. RTLS is commonly used for indoor or site-specific location where GPS is unavailable, unreliable or too coarse for the operational requirement.

See indoor asset tracking →

RTLS explained

RTLS is about the location accuracy the workflow needs.

A real-time location system uses tags, infrastructure and software to locate assets inside environments where GPS is unreliable or too coarse. The architecture changes depending on whether the operation only needs zone-level presence, department visibility or more precise indoor positioning.

Identity travels with the asset

Tags or devices identify the equipment being located and are chosen around size, battery life, movement and the required update rate.

Infrastructure

The building determines the design

Gateways, anchors or mesh infrastructure provide the location layer; coverage must be designed around the physical estate.

Workflow

The map is only the start

Search, availability, movement and exception workflows determine whether RTLS actually saves staff time.

Explore indoor RTLS →Healthcare RTLS Digital wayfinding