Start with the decision, not the radio

On a live plant floor the location question is rarely the same twice. One supervisor needs to know which storage block still holds the last pallet of a given SKU so a driver can be sent there. Another needs to confirm that a person has actually stepped inside a narrow safety zone before work can continue. Those two decisions demand different levels of certainty. The four documented RTLS modalities—BLE, UWB, RFID-based positioning and SLAM-based forklift localization—each answer a distinct class of question. Choosing among them begins with the decision itself.

BLE for zone-level search

BLE typically provides 1-3 meter accuracy. That range is enough when the real need is zone-level search. The operational question is usually “which aisle or storage block contains the material or the free truck.” A three-meter window points the driver or the searcher to the correct neighborhood; the final meters are still covered on foot or by eye. Fixed beacons and tags feed continuous zone updates, and the resulting picture shows occupancy by area rather than exact coordinates. For many internal logistics searches this match is practical: infrastructure can stay relatively sparse, and the accuracy aligns with the decision that follows.

UWB when the zone itself is the safety boundary

UWB can offer sub-meter accuracy (<30 cm). When the decision is binary and tight—whether an asset or person is inside a marked safety zone or outside it—that tighter band becomes necessary. A zone only a couple of meters wide cannot be confirmed reliably with a technology whose typical error already spans one to three meters. UWB’s smaller uncertainty supports the confirmation that safety procedures often require. The same live view can display both BLE and UWB positions, yet the modality chosen for the safety zone itself should be the one whose accuracy matches the zone geometry.

RFID-based positioning for discrete presence

RFID-based positioning answers a different set of questions. Readers at gates, docks or fixed checkpoints report that a tagged item has passed or is present at a known point. The decision is often binary presence or transit rather than continuous free-space location. Inventory hand-off points, shipping-door confirmation and controlled-area entry are typical cases where RFID fits the required decision better than continuous ranging. The platform simply ingests the presence events and places them in spatial context.

SLAM-based forklift localization when the truck carries its own map

SLAM-based forklift localization builds position from the vehicle’s onboard sensors against a reference map. Partners such as Slamcore and IVISO supply the underlying capability. This modality suits decisions that need continuous location of the forklift itself in layouts where dense fixed infrastructure would be costly or where the environment changes. The truck carries its own localization; the resulting position stream is ingested and shown in the live 3D view alongside positions from the other modalities.

The four modalities therefore map directly onto four recurring operational questions: zone-level search, tight safety-zone confirmation, discrete presence events, and continuous forklift position. Match the technology to the decision first; the live map then simply reflects whatever stream arrives.