The company introduced a control system TimeForge staff at Beacon

The system locates PlaceForge staff in real time using the beacon, built-in charms.

TimeForge, provider of software for the management of the organization of labor, is a system that works via Bluetooth-beacons that help companies track the location of personnel and / or its main assets. Solution PlaceForge, includes Bluetooth-beacons, provided by companies Gimbal and Radius Networks, Bluetooth Readers TimeForge, with an omnidirectional antenna and single board computer Raspberry Pi.

PlaceForge - is the first step for online tracking and management of personnel and equipment. Initially, according to Anthony Presley, who founded the company with Eric Van Gilder in 2004, the firm use a timer and contactless cards to monitor the time when the employee came to work and when he left.
"I liked the possibility of Beacon, when I first saw them at the exhibition NRF [National Retail Federation]» says Presley, "but mostly they were used for marketing - mailing discounts, coupons, etc.»
Soon he and his colleagues began to explore the idea of ​​the use of Bluetooth technology in order to keep track of all kinds of equipment used in warehouses, loading platforms. "Later there was an idea to give Beacon staff and with the help of the reader, who works in a radius of 50 meters, to track their movements. Thus was born PlaceForge, »- said Presley.
Readers (hubs) PlaceForge distributed over the entire area of ​​the premises and usually attached to the ceiling. On average grocery store may take up to 50 hubs. "We can fully equip a large grocery store less than $ 10,000." - Said Presley.
"To be more precise, '- explains Anthony -" to store it in 30,000 square feet have from 5 to 20 reader, depending on the desired tracking area. Just every employee is issued a beacon transmitter. " Equipment cost is $ 150 per hub, and $ 50 for a keychain; as well as a monthly or annual subscription fee, which includes the analysis of the data.

Each charm has its own unique identification number, the system calculates its location PlaceForge the strength of the signal received by various hubs located throughout the premises within 100 feet. Data are collected, classified, analyzed and synthesized into a single report that managers can use to determine the exact location of the staff, to the point where they were last time. Location data can be linked to data from the POS terminal. All software companies TimeForge, including PlaceForge, has API, and can be used for a variety of applications, including ISS45 from Retalix, ACE from IBM, Aloha from NCR, Micros, Dinerware, Restaurant Manager, POSitouch and many others. Data and reports are on the company's servers TimeForge and are available through the web application.
PlaceForge can create, for example, a visual map showing the location of all personnel at a certain time, which can be linked to the data POS terminal on the goods that people buy. This information will help in the proper scheduling and proper allocation of the required number of staff.
In the future, the company plans to produce labels with beacons that can be attached as a normal trolley / basket, and any other object that you want to track. As stated in the company TimeForge, trolley / cart, equipped with Beacon, allow managers to know which parts of their stores are visited more often than others, as well as due to this, you can find out which customers need this or other assistance. Because of this, retailers will be able to think on optimizing service customer service throughout the store. Moreover, by attaching tags beacons to the basket, cart or other equipment, you can track not only their location but also how often they are used, as well as where and when they need them.
The decision of the company PlaceForge TimeForge currently available in Texas. Soon the company plans to expand its client base and start selling this software across the country through distributors. The company also plans to demonstrate PlaceForge work in one of the shops of Texas, but in what Presley decided not to tell.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/244700/