Favendo is a solution provider for real-time positioning solutions. But what exactly does that mean? What exactly are Real Time Location Services? And what do I get out of RTLS in the end? Do I perhaps need third-party providers to achieve goals such as process optimization or increased profitability? Because one thing is for sure: In environments as complex as modern manufacturing, for example, rarely does only one technology and one solution lead to the goal. Rather, it is the combination and addition of solutions that provides the desired added value and, above all, makes the digital system permanently scalable.

That’s why Favendo, as a solution provider for RTLS, has specialized in the generation of location data. This means that we provide the software and hardware needed to locate objects and people and output this data in such a way that it can be processed further without any problems. In addition, we take care of the planning of the infrastructure and handle the installation and rollout. In practice, this would look like this, for example:

In a production hall, reusable containers that are filled with the finished parts at the end of a production line are to be tracked. This means Favendo equips the movable assets, i.e. the containers, with an asset tag, for example a beacon. This can be bolted to the box or simply attached with cable ties or double-sided tape. Additional trackers are placed in the room (preferably on the ceiling or at higher positions). These should always be planned and mounted with regard to the local conditions and possible signal interference. The trackers receive the signals from the beacons and forward them to the positioning engine, in Favendo’s case the Favendo Commander Engine. This is where the real magic happens, because this is where the position of the tagged containers is calculated based on the signals. And the more accurate the planning of the position of the trackers was in advance, the more accurate the calculation of the position data will be. Once this is done, the location data of the containers is output via our open API. From this point on, there are two ways:

When choosing an RTLS system, in addition to the technology (e.g., Bluetooth, GPS or LoRaWAN) and the positioning algorithms behind it, you also have to deal with the topic of hardware. Broadly speaking, a distinction is made between gateways, locators or beacon trackers on the one hand and tags on the other. While the first group consists of devices that are stationary and receive radio signals, tags are mobile or attached to moving objects. And it is these movable tags that this article will focus on.  

It is worth taking a closer look at tags simply because there are so many of them. However, they differ in parameters such as price, shape, size and much more. With so many different tags to choose from, it’s not so easy to find the best possible tag for your use case. In fact, in our experience, choosing the right hardware is one of the biggest challenges customers face when implementing an RTLS system. 

What is a tag? 

A tag is a small transmitter that can be attached to an object or person and generates a signal. If we consider a beacon as an example tag, the signal is its ID. Besides the ID, however, the signal can also contain other data such as battery level or firmware. But no location data. Because the position calculation takes place server-based in the location engine in the cloud or on-prem.

Mostly tags are used for 2 different purposes: For asset tracking, such as inventory control, or for people tracking, such as tracking employees at solo workstations. For the latter application, there are also special tags that are equipped with additional functions, such as alarm or panic buttons, to quickly call for help in an emergency. Special tags can also be used to measure environmental conditions such as temperature or humidity.  

What impact does technology have on tag selection? 

Every project is different, and every tracking environment places different demands on the hardware and thus also on the tags. To make an RTLS future-proof and flexible, it […]

Decrease staff burden and operational costs for hospitals through tracking and tracing of mobile medical equipment.

Favendo GmbH, the German tracking solution provider, has entered a partnership with Philips Healthcare for the distribution of real-time location solutions, in particular asset tracking in hospitals, in order to improve workflows and reduce operational and procurement costs in a sustainable fashion. Philips Healthcare was looking for a Bluetooth Low Energy supplier to support Philips’ real-time operational decision support platform, called ‘PerformanceFlow’.

Everyday hospital and healthcare operation has to support high quality and cost-effective care delivery while balancing competing priorities amid a variety of constraints, in terms of resources, workflow, and capacity. Add to this the complex, variable, and dynamic nature of a hospital’s environment and it is easy to see why this balancing act can be extremely challenging. Philips and Favendo believe that real-time location data enriched with information from other software systems, connected devices and wearables in combination with BLE sensors play an important role to streamline operational excellence in hospitals. Getting real-time insights in operations facilitates analytics and identifies bottlenecks and thus, key areas for improvement to reduce wasting the time and resources inherent in healthcare processes.

Particularly around asset management in hospitals, you will find hundreds of expensive mobile medical assets such as infusion pumps, ultrasound, wheelchairs, and beds being underutilized and at the same time being searched for continuously. Medical staff spends at least 30 minutes a day on average searching for assets. The partnership between Favendo and Philips Healthcare enables the customer to have better possibilities to track and trace assets.

With Favendo’s Asset Tracking solution, assets can securely be located on room level with a spatial accuracy of one to three meters, reducing average asset search time by more than 67%. Due to the existing expertise in tracking solutions in physically complex environments, Favendo’s technology guarantees up to 45% less jumps (location hopping) than other real-time asset tracking solutions. The quality of Favendo’s overall technical approach, including the on-site supervision and quality assurance of the whole installation with Favendo’s self-developed BIS App (Beacon Infrastructure System), as well as the ease of use and the versatility of its RTLS infrastructure, were compelling arguments for choosing Favendo as the technology partner for the PerformanceFlow solution.

Quality assurance for each installation at Favendo is aligned […]

Bamberg, 14th March 2022 – Favendo, a German expert for reliable Real Time Location Services for indoor and complex environments, today announced that it is recognized as Honorable Mention in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location Services, Global1.  

“We consider to be honorably mentioned in this year’s Gartner Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location Services, a confirmation of our efforts, that makes me and my team proud,” says Stefan Balduf, CEO of Favendo.

“The Corona pandemic did not make the past years easy for us either, but still, we see an increasing demand in the Indoor Location Services sector, and we feel confirmed in this by Gartner’s recognition. With the launch of our Favendo Viewer, a front-end solution for tracking assets in real time, we have significantly expanded the portfolio we can offer our customers at the start of the new year. Thanks to our strong partner network, we can provide solutions that are tailored to our customers’ use cases and their requirements in terms of accuracy, latency and coverage.”  

According to Gartner, “Through 2021, the indoor location market continued to evolve as new markets began to realize the value of knowing the location of people and assets. As it evolves, growth is becoming exponential as Gartner projects the indoor location services market to reach $55 billion revenue by 2030, up from $1.9 billion in 2021.”1 

1) Gartner, “Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location Services, Global”, Tim Zimmerman, Annette Zimmermann, 23rd February 2022.

Gartner Disclaimer:

GARTNER and MAGIC QUADRANT are a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. 

About Favendo:

Since 2014, Favendo has built a solid reputation as a provider of mobile tracking and navigation solutions for indoor and complex environments such as cruise ships, airports, sports stadiums or manufacturing plants. In recent years, Favendo has developed […]

Favendo specializes in the development of software for location-based services in real time, such as asset tracking or indoor navigation, as well as the planning and rollout of associated hardware infrastructures – primarily based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). M2M Germany GmbH supports customers in setting up digital infrastructures with radio technologies such as LTE, LoRa, Bluetooth or NB-IoT and thus connects machines and plants with each other.   

M2M Germany and Favendo have recognized this overlap in expertise for various wireless technologies and thus also the potential that arises from it for existing and new customer projects. On that basis, both companies have decided to enter into a partnership with the aim of offering their customers the greatest possible flexibility – both in the choice of technologies and in the coverage of different use cases.  

Co-selling co-operation with M2M Germany

Marius Nickolai, CEO of M2M Germany GmbH, puts it in a nutshell: “As an expert in industrial wireless technologies, we work across industries and applications. This presents us with many challenges, and whenever it makes sense, we also work together with other specialists.Therefore, a co-selling cooperation with Favendo GmbH is a sensible step for us, because the core areas of Favendo and us correspond excellently with each other. Together we can support potential customers even better and more flexibly with an indoor or outdoor locating solution.

In particular, hybrid approaches that require a technology mix or an indoor-outdoor solution will benefit from this partnership. We are primarily involved in selecting and setting up the infrastructure. This usually consists of gateways, a suitable LoRaNetwerk server and appropriate hardware. We can draw on a broad product portfolio or adapt the hardware accordingly. New development is also possible. While Favendo contributes the application and, if necessary, beacons and locators. In particular, we see potential when it comes to RTLS solutions that are to be integrated into a LoRaWAN infrastructure.” 

In order to implement seamless indoor/outdoor tracking, Favendo has been supporting LoRaWAN technologies such as those from Abeeway/Actility since 2020. M2M Germany also relies on LoRa wireless technology for a wide variety […]

RTLS, a frequently used term, a vast field and everyone imagines something different under it.

By definition, Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) automatically locate objects and people in real time, usually within a building or otherwise contained area. The best way to think of it is like GPS only indoors and much more accurate. With Quuppa technology even accurate to within 10 cm. So you could easily tell two coffee cups apart if they were at different corners of your desk

The term RTLS is often used synonymously with asset or people tracking. However, this is only partially correct. Because the real benefit of RTLS only arises when object tracking becomes part of a broader system. That is, when the tracking of people or objects really pursues a higher-level goal. In the context of Industry 4.0, this includes, for example, process optimization, inventory management or increasing occupational safety. The functions of an RTLS can be used for these purposes, provided that the tracking data generated is embedded in higher-level structures and regularly evaluated. So an RTLS itself is not the solution if you want to benefit from more efficient processes, increased profitability and more safety at work, but its use. 

Why Quuppa and Favendo for Industry 4.0? 

You might now say, “Okay, then I’ll implement the Quuppa RTLS on my shop floor and have everything I need to track assets and analyze data.” That’s basically true, but it’s only one side of the coin.

For the start, Quuppa RTLS is only about the technology itself. This includes Quuppa-compatible hardware such as asset tags and locators, the Quuppa Positioning Engine (QPE), which calculates the position of the assets, and the open API, which makes the system integrable.

For the implementation of an RTLS system to really drive your business forward, the real-time locating system must be precisely planned and tailored to your use case. There are so many details to consider that should not be underestimated: Budget, application area, hardware selection and number, the tracking environment, accuracy, latency, and, and, and …

This is where Favendo is coming into play. As […]

Many companies already rely on a WLAN infrastructure with Aruba access points. So why not use existing systems if you want to implement an additional asset tracking solution? 

To leverage existing systems even more efficiently, Favendo has integrated Aruba access points into Favendo’s RTLS. This makes it easier for companies to implement a customized asset tracking solution and create added value. Upgrading the existing infrastructure, enables companies to improve efficiency and productivity while keeping the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) as low as possible.

What are Aruba WLAN Access Points?

Aruba WLAN access points provide simple, secure and fast connectivity to enhance enterprise IT, user and IoT experiences. Aruba indoor access points offer the latest WLAN standards (WLAN 5 & WLAN 6) for the best performance and highest possible security, and some even have integrated BLE radio units for asset tracking purposes. 

A high-performance WiFi infrastructure is the key to successful IoT structures in companies, healthcare or educational institutions. At the same time, Aruba offers security mechanisms to sufficiently protect a large and multi-layered network of IoT devices and to avoid losing track of them. An ideal basis for high-performance and secure asset tracking.

The Integration

The Aruba WLAN access points are integrated into Favendo RTLS by acting as beacon trackers. This means that they receive the BLE signal from the BLE beacons in the vicinity and pass it on to the tracking system thanks to an adapter programmed by Favendo. This in turn feeds the raw data from the access points into the Favendo Commander Location Engine where the positions of the beacons are calculated using the RSSI method.  This data can then either be fed into an existing CRM/ERP system via an open API or displayed on a map using the Favendo Viewer.

Key benefits of integrating Aruba access points into asset tracking solutions

Integrating Aruba WLAN access points into Favendo’s asset tracking solutions benefits in several ways: it continues to […]