Systems, devices and methods of tracking inventory

A dowel system for tracking a position of a piece of inventory, the dowel system comprising:

• a dowel having:
• a first outer surface spaced apart from an inner surface of the dowel sleeve when the dowel is inside the dowel sleeve;
• and
• a plurality of contact portions positioned around a periphery of the dowel, two of the contact portions being positioned on opposed sides of the first outer surface, each of the two contact portions having an edge extending along a longitudinal axis of the dowel to define a side of the first outer surface, each of the edges contacting the inner surface of the dowel sleeve to frictionally retain the dowel in the dowel sleeve;
• and
• a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag applied to the first outer surface of the dowel.

A method of tracking a position of a piece of inventory, the method comprising:

• applying an RFID tag to a first outer surface of a dowel, the first outer surface being spaced apart from an inner surface of a dowel sleeve when the dowel is inside the dowel sleeve;
• inserting the dowel having the RFID tag thereon into a the dowel sleeve of the piece of inventory, the dowel being frictionally retained in the dowel sleeve;
• and
• scanning the RFID tag with a scanner as the RFID tag is supported on the first outer surface of the dowel and the dowel is frictionally retained within the dowel sleeve of the piece of inventory to track the position of the piece of inventory.