When a Maintenance Manager decides to digitize their asset tracking, the first question is usually about software. The second question is: "How do we tag the machines?"
It seems like a small detail, but choosing the wrong tag can derail your entire implementation.
If you choose RFID, you might blow your budget on hardware.
If you choose Barcodes, your technicians might struggle to scan them with their phones.
You need a tagging strategy that balances Cost, Readability, and Durability.
Here is the definitive showdown between the three major technologies for the manufacturing floor.
1. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
The Promise: You walk into a room, and your tablet instantly detects every asset within 20 feet. No scanning required.
The Reality:
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Passive RFID: Requires a specialized reader gun. Most rugged tablets and smartphones do not have built-in RFID scanners. This means buying $2,000 scanners for every technician.
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Active RFID: Uses batteries to beacon a signal. Expensive ($20+ per tag) and requires battery maintenance.
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Signal Noise: In a factory full of metal (steel beams, motors, fencing), RFID signals bounce and distort. You might scan a motor in the next room by accident.
Verdict: Great for high-speed logistics (tracking pallets through a dock door), but usually overkill and too expensive for fixed Maintenance Assets.
2. Barcodes (1D / UPC)
The Promise: Cheap, standard, and familiar. Just like the grocery store.
The Reality:
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Line of Sight: You must hold the scanner perpendicular to the lines. If the tag is dirty, scratched, or on a curved surface (like a pipe), standard phone cameras struggle to focus on 1D barcodes.
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Data Limit: A barcode holds a string of numbers (e.g., "12345"). It cannot hold a URL or launch an app directly without a database lookup.
Verdict: Good for the spare parts store room (inventory), but frustrating for asset identification on the plant floor.
3. QR Codes (2D Matrix)
The Promise: Fast scanning from any angle using the device your technician already has in their pocket.
The Reality:
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Resilience: QR codes have built-in "Error Correction." You can cover 30% of the code with grease or scratches, and it will still scan.
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Deep Linking: A QR code can store a URL (e.g., fabrico.io/asset/42). When scanned, it bypasses the search menu and opens the Work Order screen for that specific asset instantly.
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Cost: You can print them on standard label printers or buy etched metal plates for pennies.
Verdict: The industry standard for modern CMMS. It offers the lowest barrier to entry and the highest reliability for technicians.
The Fabrico Approach: The "Smart" QR
Fabrico bets on QR codes because they enable the "Two-Tap" rule.
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Technician walks to machine.
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Scans QR Code with the Fabrico App (Tap 1).
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Asset History opens.
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Taps "Create Request" (Tap 2).
We support standard QR codes that you can print yourself, or durable metal tags for harsh environments (Acid/Heat).
Summary: Don't Overcomplicate It
Technology is cool, but Utility pays the bills.
Unless you have a very specific use case (like tracking moving tools automatically through a doorway), RFID is a budget trap.
Barcodes belong in the supermarket.
QR Codes belong in the factory. They are robust, cheap, and they work with the smartphones your team already knows how to use.
Ready to tag your fleet?
See how fast Fabrico's QR scanning workflow connects technicians to assets.
Book a Demo with Fabrico Today
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