TOP CONSIDERATIONS FOR EXPLORING IOT IN YOUR OPERATIONS OR BUSINESS

It seems these days you can’t take two steps without hearing about the explosion of the Internet of Things. The term IoT can be also be confusing, as everyong defines the term loosely and the industry needs to focus on the specific use cases and opportunities to move to scale. I want to briefly chat about the ways to think about IoT in your organization to support your operations or your business. As many of you are thinking about the Digital revolution and transforming your business, this brings further automation, real-time access to critical and customer information, data intelligence to make decisions and act without human intervention, and new ways of doing business whether that is an enhanced user experience or advancements with your internal processes and operations.
When thinking about The Internet of Things or IoT, businesses need to first think about what is connected or automated today, what type of technology is currently being used (WiFi, Satellite, Cellular, Bluetooth, RFID, etc.), and whether the asset or equipment is connected is…

• Stationary (will not be moved, for example equipment on a factory floor, HVAC systems in a building, CT Scan equipment in a Hospital, etc.)
• Portable (will sometimes be moved. for example pallets, workers, equipment on an assembly line, etc.)
• Mobile or in-transit (is moving often or generally in motion, vehicles, assets being delivered, transit equipment, drones, robotics systems, etc.)
• Body Worn (think wearables, VR/AR, etc)
• Handheld (Interfaces such as Computing devices, smartphones, digital displays, scanners, POS systems, etc)…OR
• Maybe a combination of above depending on time of day or other situational characteristics

Another key aspect to assess is, what is NOT connected but should be, and to work with your technology or consultant partners to uncover other attributes of your operations, workforce, and systems that might benefit from being automated or connected (including sensor systems, industrial automation, robotics, workplace devices, etc).
Another aspect to explore is the range required for communications with the connected device, asset, or equipment. Range is important as it will also provide answers on what type of technology to choose, whether in-building interference may be an issue, and if there may be failures in connectivity.
In addition, you must think about the interface to receive the information. This BIG DATA we are collecting will need to be intelligent enough to communicate with existing software and systems, and to be integrated in a manner to be as seamless and efficient as possible. The interface may be automated, it may trigger a response, it may require human review or intervention or not, and it may be in the form of an alert or information push to your smartphone or even a smartwatch. The possibilities are vast and the technology is advancing. The main point is, the IoT is an important part of the digital and business transformation taking place. If you are not thinking and implementing these into your business today, you will be left behind or go out of business.
Lastly you need to thing about priorities and critical components of your business or operations. If you are thinking about implementation, is the asset a high value asset or critical to your business or is it of lower importance. How often does your company need the information and how will it integrate into your existing systems and software. The priority assessment is of major importance to determine priority communications and escalation, and leveraging “intelligent data” will all need to be components of your strategy. There is so much to explore, and as we dig into each industry and sub-industry the conversation becomes even more relevant and exciting. What do you think?

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