Service
NFC tracking for assets, equipment and lost property
Peak Software builds NFC tracking systems: you stick a small tag on an item, and anyone with a phone can tap it to see what it is, who owns it and where it belongs. It works for asset registers, equipment check-out, school lost property and patrol checkpoints. No special scanner is needed.
How NFC tracking works
NFC (near-field communication) is the same short-range technology that lets you tap a bank card. An NFC tag is a small sticker, key ring or disc with a chip inside. It needs no battery.
Each tag carries a unique code. When a phone taps the tag, the app or a web page looks up that code in your system and shows the item: its name, owner, location, history and what to do next. Taps are logged, so you see who handled what, and when.
What it's used for
- Asset registers: laptops, tools, furniture and equipment, each with an owner and a location.
- Equipment check-out and check-in: who took the drill, and when it's due back.
- School lost property: a tagged jersey or lunch box is tapped and returned to the right learner.
- Ownership transfer: when an item is sold or handed on, the new owner is recorded.
- Patrol checkpoints: guards tap tags on their route, which proves the round was done.
- Maintenance records: tap a machine to see its service history and log a fault.
- Stock and stores: tap to count, move or issue items.
Tags and phones
Most Android phones and every recent iPhone can read NFC tags. Staff use the phones they already have, so there are no scanners to buy or lose.
Tags come in many shapes: stickers for equipment, tough tags for outdoor use, sew-on or iron-on labels for clothing, and tags that work on metal. We help you choose the right tag for each item.
Some tags can also be read by a phone without the app, opening a web page instead. That's handy for lost property, where the person who finds an item won't have your app.
NFC, QR codes or GPS?
Many systems mix them: NFC for checkpoints and assets, QR for paperwork, GPS for vehicles.
- NFC: tap to read. Hard to copy, works in the dark and through dirt, lasts for years, and needs no battery. Best for proof that someone was physically there.
- QR codes: scan with the camera. Very cheap and easy to print, but easy to photograph and copy, and they wear out outdoors.
- GPS trackers: show where an item is right now, from anywhere. Much more expensive, and they need batteries and a data contract. Best for vehicles and high-value items that move.
How we start
A short call about what you need to track, who taps it, and what should happen next. Then a written plan and one fixed price before work starts. The system is built in stages and you own it.
We work remotely with businesses, schools and organisations across South Africa.
Questions
Do iPhones read NFC tags?
Yes. Recent iPhones read NFC tags, both in an app and, for tags set up to open a web page, without one. Most Android phones read them too.
Should I use NFC tags or QR codes?
Use NFC when you need proof that someone was at a spot, when tags must survive outdoors, or when copying a code would be a problem. Use QR codes when cost and printing matter most.
Do NFC tags need batteries?
No. The phone powers the tag for the moment it's tapped, so tags can last for years.
Can NFC tracking work for a school?
Yes. Clothing, bags and equipment can be tagged per learner. Whoever finds an item taps it and the system shows whose it is, so it can be returned.
Can a tag show where an item is right now?
No. NFC shows where an item was last tapped. For live location you need GPS, which is best kept for vehicles and high-value items.