Smart Warehouse with RTLS: Real-Time Tracking in the Warehouse
RTLS for warehousing makes your intralogistics visible in real time: goods, load carriers, forklifts and equipment, located at any moment. As the foundation of the smart warehouse, real-time location provides the data basis for automated processes, lean inventory management and, increasingly, for AI-driven systems that need to know where stock and equipment are right now.
Today's challenges
Paper-based documentation
Paper-based documentation slows digital transformation, relying on outdated methods prone to errors and inefficiencies due to delayed information availability.
Search time
Search time impacts productivity. By quickly locating tools, materials, or equipment, employees stay focused on core tasks, reducing delays and errors. Efficient information access minimizes bottlenecks and keeps your operations on track, ensuring teams consistently meet goals.
Inefficient process quality & monitoring
Traditional process monitoring lacks real-time visibility into work-in-progress (WIP) and completed operations, delaying decisions and hindering a continuous improvement of processes.
Theft and loss
Every year companies loose equipment worth millions of Euros. Preventing theft and loss of such equipment can quickly improve your bottom line.
Siloed business systems
Optimized warehouses demand seamless communication across ERP and further systems. Without integration, data silos, inventory issues, and workflow inefficiencies arise, preventing effective asset and order management.
RTLS in the Warehouse:
Real-Time Location for Intralogistics
An RTLS (Real-Time Locating System) continuously locates every relevant object in the warehouse, not just at single read points. This creates transparency across the entire material flow: from goods receipt through put-away and picking, replenishment (eKanban) to forklift and tugger routing. Unlike event-based barcode scanning or RFID gates, RTLS shows the exact position at any time and thus creates the basis for automated inventory management and fewer manual scans.
Real-time inventory tracking & automatic process management
Experience true transparency and traceability with real-time inventory tracking. Attach Cavea Mesh- or UWB-powered ESL tags (ePaper) to each unit load, and watch as your warehouse comes to life with instant transparency.
Say goodbye to paper and manual scanning – process information automatically appears on each tag, guiding employees through each step with pick-by-light functionality, for example. Intuitive buttons on the ESL tag (ePaper) allow employees to interact directly and report issues or updates in real time.
Cavea’s platform provides a live view of every movement of stored goods in your warehouse, giving management the necessary insights to make quick and informed decisions. With seamless integration into your existing software landscape, your entire operation stays connected and optimized.
Key features:
- Trackable ESL tags that display relevant process information and enable direct interaction via physical buttons.
- Real-time order visibility for full transparency
- Seamless Integration into Your Existing Software Landscape
Material Replenishment (eKanban)
Keep production moving seamlessly with automated, trackable ESL tags (ePaper) on every load carrier. The eKanban system automatically triggers reorders and ensures that important materials are always available when they are needed. With real-time data synchronized directly with your ERP and business systems, you have everything in place for uninterrupted production.
Key features:
- Automatic Replenishment Notifications to keep materials flowing
- Smart eKanban System for Precise Inventory Management
- Effortless Integration with your ERP and inventory applications
Asset Tracking
Find all important equipment instantly with Cavea’s intuitive software. You can see the current location of all equipment in one place, so your employees can focus on their core tasks – and not on searching for tools.
The wireless, battery-operated system is designed for years of use and can be set up quickly and easily – without extensive wiring or new sockets.
Key features:
- Live Location Overview for critical equipment and assets
- User-friendly interface for easy access by your employees
- Seamless integration with your business systems
Protection against loss and theft
Secure your valuable work equipment effortlessly. With our RTLS solution, you receive immediate alerts if a device leaves the designated area. This protects your investments and prevents losses.
Key features:
- Live alerts for immediate response when equipment leaves the assigned area
- Simple and quick to install RTLS solution
- Live map overview with all your devices
Advanced analysis functions
Key features:
- Use location data to gain new insights
- Advanced geodata-based analysis tools such as heat maps and path analysis
Digital Value Stream Analysis - Analyze and Optimize Your Processes
We track your processes for four weeks. Using this objective data, we identify hidden opportunities for efficiency and lay the groundwork for leaner, automated workflows. No guesswork. Just measurable facts.
Your Advantages
Our solutions deliver benefits that ensure a fast ROI.
How it works
Which RTLS technology is right for your warehouse?
The choice depends on precision, latency and battery life, and these three are also the main TCO levers. Examples are:
- UWB: highest precision for tight processes, such as at bin or rack level; the fixed receivers are called satellites.
- Cavea Mesh: battery-powered with up to 10 years of battery life and low infrastructure effort, ideal for large warehouse areas and fast scaling.
In the signal flow, tags send to the anchors as direct receivers; gateways forward the position data. Cavea is omlox-compliant, and precise UWB positioning corresponds to the omlox core zone.
See the technology page for the full comparison:
What other companies say
“Cavea displays precise movement and position data of objects on our employee-focused application. This enables our customers to realize significant productivity gains and process improvements.”
Jan Lachenmayer
“By combining UWB and Cavea Mesh technology, we are working together to create a versatile solution that combines the highest precision with scalable connectivity. This enables us to provide a real-time overview of assets and maximize ROI for our customers.”
Erik Mademann
“The seamless interaction within our IoT platform of ESLs and Cavea’s tracking solution enables paperless production and sustainable process automation. Together, we create complete transparency and more efficient processes for our customers.”
Artur Brommer
Frequently asked questions about RTLS in the warehouse
What does RTLS bring to the warehouse?
RTLS continuously tracks goods, load carriers, forklifts and equipment in real time. This cuts search times, reduces manual scans and creates a transparent, always-current inventory view. Above all, it provides the data basis for automated warehouse processes and for systems that need to know where stock and equipment are right now.
What accuracy can RTLS achieve in the warehouse?
It depends on the technology. UWB can reach accuracies below 10 centimeters, enough for bin or rack-level assignment. For large-area zone location, such as area assignment at goods receipt, a coarser resolution with much lower infrastructure effort is often sufficient.
How is RTLS different from QR-/ barcode or RFID?
QR-/ Barcode and RFID only capture at fixed read points, when scanning or passing a gate. RTLS locates continuously across the whole warehouse and shows the current position at any time. For seamless inventory transparency and fewer manual scans, continuous location is decisive.
Which RTLS technology is right for warehousing?
The choice depends on precision, latency and battery life, the three main TCO levers. UWB offers the highest precision for tight processes; here the fixed receivers are called satellites. Cavea Mesh is fully battery-powered with up to 10 years of battery life and low infrastructure effort, ideal for large warehouse areas and fast scaling.
Does RTLS pay off in the warehouse?
The biggest operational cost is rarely the initial purchase but the ongoing effort for licenses, infrastructure and batteries. Battery life of up to 10 years and a low-cabling installation keep the total cost of ownership down. The value is twofold: directly through less search time and fewer manual scans, and indirectly through the data basis for automation.
Is Cavea's RTLS solution omlox-compliant?
Yes. Cavea hardware is omlox-compliant. The precise UWB positioning corresponds to the omlox core zone, and further technologies can be connected as complementary zones. This keeps the solution interoperable across vendors and easy to integrate into existing warehouse management (WMS/ERP).
