ROI Case File No. 052 | The Labyrinth Without Exit

Chapter One: Distress Call from the Labyrinth

"Our inventory... we don't know where it is."

That afternoon, the man who knocked on the door of 221B Baker Street could barely conceal his exhaustion. His business card read Astron Tech, Management Director.

Half a century in business, over £10 billion in revenue, a titan in the construction equipment rental industry—yet his expression carried an urgency that numbers couldn't convey.

"We get calls from the field daily. 'Something that shouldn't be there is there.' 'Something that should be there isn't there.'"

He gripped his coffee cup with trembling hands.

"Our manpower and costs are at breaking point. We're seriously considering automated inventory management with RFID. Budget? At worst, we're prepared to invest tens of millions. Without this... our company will become lost in its own labyrinth."

His voice carried the fear of a century-old enterprise facing a distinctly modern crisis.

Chapter Two: The Invisible Enemy Revealed

"Watson, a fascinating case indeed," Holmes mused, examining an RFID tag sample by the fireplace.

"Inventory should naturally be a 'silent asset,' yet the moment it becomes invisible, it transforms into 'mobile loss.' Quite like Jekyll and Hyde of our modern age."

The client company's situation was dire. Temporary materials, heavy equipment, specialized tools—tens of thousands of items with lending, returns, and storage operations all dependent on manual processes. Most dangerously, inventory management was deeply rooted in 'human intuition.'

"'Should be there,' 'probably,' 'I think'—these vague expressions govern the workplace," Holmes shook his head. "Nothing corrodes a company more than scientific groundless optimism."

Chapter Three: Digital Waymarks

"Making the invisible visible—this is the true essence of digital transformation."

Holmes stood and pointed to an old London map hanging on the wall.

"Without this map, we'd be lost in foggy London. Similarly, the combination of RFID and GPS tracking establishes reliable waymarks in the inventory labyrinth."

His vision was clear: install gates at each warehouse entrance, creating a system that automatically records every entry and exit. Eliminate human error while tracking inventory movement in real-time.

"And most importantly," Holmes's eyes gleamed, "static, massive inventory costs transform into dynamic assets that generate ROI."

I was impressed. Indeed, knowing precisely where everything is located would dramatically reduce wasteful duplicate purchases and the labor costs of searching.

Chapter Four: Evidence Analysis (KPT Deduction Method)

I opened my investigation notebook to organize this case's structure.

✅ KPT Deduction Framework:

"The evidence is sufficiently assembled," Holmes nodded with satisfaction.

Chapter Five: The Detective's Final Deduction

"A warehouse is a labyrinth. But with proper waymarks, no one need get lost."

Holmes held the RFID tag up to the evening light. The small chip reflected the light, sparkling brilliantly.

"The true culprit in this case was becoming accustomed to 'invisibility'—dependence on opacity. The key to resolution lies not in technology, but in 'democratizing information.'"

I could clearly sense the client's expression gradually brightening.

"Inventory is silent evidence. Only when properly recorded and visualized does it become true assets. Your company possessed assets but treated them like liabilities."

Chapter Six: Hope for Escaping the Labyrinth

After night's silence settled over the office, I recalled the relief on the client's face as he departed.

"We believed it existed, but had no proof"—

This was the reality quietly unfolding in countless management environments. Invisible assets might as well not exist. Yet tiny RFID waymarks hold the potential to fundamentally change this situation.

"Information generates trust, and trust creates ROI"—Holmes's words perfectly captured the case's essence.

The physical world of construction materials was about to welcome a new digital language. And this language would surely show a clear path through labyrinthine worksites.

A company with 50 years of history taking its first step toward the next 50 years—perhaps it all begins with a small tag.

Every labyrinth has an exit. The question is whether you possess the will and tools to find it.

"True assets are those whose existence can be proven"—From the Detective's Journal