Asset management devices and methods
Systems, devices and methods for monitoring and managing parts, enterprise resources and other assets, and alleviating risks, in a complex collaboration environment are provided. A device with a hardware- and software-based control system scans and/or writes unique asset-related information within a plurality of chemical, electromagnetic, or written data-bearing tags within, on or throughout an asset for use in a manufacturing, maintenance and/or tracking process. A system records that asset-specific information (e.g., using secure network(s) and/or a blockchain), providing it for later access and modification by a number of trusted users, to track and control manufacturing-, maintenance-relevant or other factors. An enterprise resource planning system both outputs information to, and receives information from, the control system, reconciling changes in the data.
1. A system for managing a plurality of assets, comprising:
a control system configured to:
create a first asset-specific identifier of an asset, wherein the first asset-specific identifier is unique, and
receive asset information from an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, wherein the asset information is different from the first asset-specific identifier and includes a second asset-specific identifier of the asset, wherein the first asset-specific identifier and the second asset-specific identifier each include asset-specific identifying data that are different;
at least one handheld device-in communication with the control system, including:
a trigger configured to initiate:
reading and writing of data in one or more physical particles having one or more data-bearing tags with electromagnetic signaling capabilities and being embedded in and/or throughout at least a part of said asset,
creating the first asset-specific identifier, and
recording the first asset-specific identifier into a memory of the control system; and
wherein the control system is in communication with a network and is configured to:
provide an authentication and/or authorization protocol as a precondition to recording said first asset-specific identifier or said asset information,
record, when the precondition is satisfied, said first asset-specific identifier or said asset information on one or more specialized blockchains, wherein each specialized blockchain is configured to deconflict different data changes and pre-existing, unreconciled data changes arising during a network outage differently based on whether the data changes and pre-existing, unreconciled data changes differ due to a presentation issue or an authority issue,
determine, when said different data changes and said pre-existing, unreconciled data changes differ due to a presentation issue, whether a similarity exists between said different data changes and pre-existing, unreconciled data changes,
present, when the similarity is determined to exist, contextual information via an interface,
determine, when the different data changes and said pre-existing, unreconciled data changes differ due to an authority issue, a subject matter of the different data changes and said pre-existing, unreconciled data changes,
determine an authority ranking, based on said subject matter, and
deconflict the different data changes and said pre-existing, unreconciled data changes based on the authority ranking.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said authority ranking is determined, at least in part, by a control system of the ERP system.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein any one of (i) the first asset-specific identifier, (ii) a third asset-specific identifier, or (iii) a combination of the first asset-specific identifier and the third asset-specific identifier, identifies a particular asset using an identification mechanism that is different from the identification mechanism used to identify any other asset by the control system.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data-bearing tags is visible.
5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data-bearing tags is placed on or about an asset.
6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data-bearing tags is invisible.
7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data-bearing tags includes one or more scannable particles comprising coding.
8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the asset is a physical asset and each of the one or more data-bearing tags is sprayed on or integrated with the physical asset.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data-bearing tags is hidden from view and embedded within the asset.
10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data-bearing tags is encoded.
11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the asset comprises a virtual asset.
12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the asset comprises a digital asset.
13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the asset comprises a document.
14. A method for managing a plurality of assets, comprising the following steps:
creating a first asset-specific identifier of an asset, wherein the first asset-specific identifier-is unique;
receiving asset information from an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in communication with a control system, wherein the asset information is different from-the first asset-specific identifier, and wherein the asset information comprises a second asset-specific identifier of the asset that is unique, wherein-the first asset-specific identifier and the second asset-specific identifier each include asset-specific identifying data that are different;
actuating at least one handheld device, in communication with the control system including a trigger and a scanner;
initiating, by the trigger, the reading and writing of data in one or more physical particles having one or more data-bearing tags, each of the one or more data-bearing tags having electromagnetic signaling capabilities and being embedded in and/or throughout at least a part in said asset;
initiating, by the trigger,-creating the first asset-specific identifier;
recording the first asset-specific identifier into a memory of the control system;
providing an authentication and/or authorization protocol as a precondition to recording said first asset-specific identifier or said asset information;
recording, when the precondition is satisfied, said first asset-specific identifier or said asset information on one or more specialized blockchains, wherein each specialized blockchain is configured to deconflict different data changes and pre-existing, unreconciled data changes arising during a network outage differently based on whether the data changes and pre-existing, unreconciled data changes differ due to a presentation issue or an authority issue;
determining, when said different data changes and said pre-existing, unreconciled data changes differ due to a presentation issue, whether a similarity exists between said different data changes and pre-existing, unreconciled data changes;
presenting, when the similarity is determined to exist, contextual information via an interface;
determining, when the different data changes and said pre-existing, unreconciled data changes differ due to an authority issue, a subject matter of the different data changes and said pre-existing, unreconciled data changes;
determining an authority ranking, based on said subject matter; and
deconflicting the different data changes and said pre-existing, unreconciled data changes based on the authority ranking.
15. The method according to claim 14 , comprising the following additional step:
presenting a private key, using asymmetric cryptography, as a precondition to carrying out said reading and writing.
16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said authority ranking is determined, at least in part, by a control system of the ERP system.