RTLS supplier selection checklist: questions a demo will not answer.Supplier demos rarely answer the questions that matter.
Most RTLS supplier selection decisions ride on a polished demo. These are the questions that separate fit from theatre: environment, TCO, integration and what fails after go-live.
Accuracy & performance
- Is accuracy quoted as a percentile under conditions like yours, not one best-case figure?
- Is there a reference doing your use case in a similar environment?
- Will the supplier commit to a paid pilot in your space?
Integration & data
- How does it integrate with our WMS/ERP/EMR/MES, with a named reference?
- Can we export all our data, and who owns it if we leave?
- What is the API, update rate and event model?
Commercials & lock-in
- Total cost over five years: hardware, tags, licences, install, support, batteries
- What is per-tag/per-site licensing, and how does it scale?
- What is the exit path, proprietary tags/anchors or open ecosystem?
Delivery & support
- Who does the site survey, and is it included?
- What are SLAs, firmware support lifecycles and spares availability?
- What does a realistic rollout timeline and resourcing look like?
Exit, spares and firmware questions that belong in every RFP
Questions worth asking: How do we export historical and live events if we leave? What is the spare-parts lead time for locators/anchors? How long is firmware supported on hardware bought this year? Who is on-call during our operational hours? Suppliers that answer crisply are usually easier to live with than suppliers with prettier demo apps and vague lifecycle terms.
Exit and lifecycle terms can matter as much as accuracy. Locating infrastructure lasts longer than the average project team’s memory.
Frequently asked questions
What's the most common selection mistake?
Choosing on demo polish and a single accuracy number, with no pilot in the real environment and no look at five-year TCO or lock-in.
Should we run an RFP?
Often yes, but only after requirements are written well enough to get comparable bids. We write those RFPs with you.
Do you sit on the supplier side?
Never for a client selection. We work for you, not for the technology providers.
Can you shortlist suppliers for us?
Yes, see our independent supplier comparisons and book a free scoping call.
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Advisory note
This guide is written for operators selecting and deploying location technology, not for selling a radio. Use it to frame questions for suppliers and integrators. Bring TRACIO in when you want those answers scored independently against your site.