The whole concept of the Internet of Things is to make rapid and well-informed decisions based on the large amount of data gathered throughout an organization or manufacturing process. The reliability of that data is paramount to a successful digital transformation, which makes choosing the proper sensors and analytics services critical to the whole operation.
The Industrial IoT is at the core of what experts call Industry 4.0, the global shift toward highly automated and connected business processes. Industry 4.0 is perceived by most as this century’s equivalent of the first industrial revolution, more than 200 years ago, as it affects vast sectors of the world’s economy, from agriculture to health and insurance, including manufacture, banking and finance, etc.
From real-time decisions to predictive analysis
Digitizing an organization means installing sensors and software that collect data on every part of its various processes. Algorithms then digest that data and generate simplified, at-a-glance dashboards tailored to the various roles within that organization, to help employees and managers to make faster, better-informed decisions. Those dashboards can deliver real-time and historical data, and with the proper AI assets, will also provide predictive analysis.
Manufacturers able to perform maintenance on an assembly line right before one of its components breaks down, or farmers being informed of a looming illness at its earliest stage, thus treating it before it spreads to a whole herd or a whole plantation, are some illustrations of the promises of the industrial IoT.
Reliability, durability, scalability
Cloud computing and technology outsourcing have been growing for years for a simple reason: more and more companies realize that what defines them is not how they build and manage costly hardware and infrastructure. Rather, the value lies in understanding how to use third-party tools and services to better serve their clients and business partners.
The same goes for industrial IoT: your company’s role is not to know which network protocol or which power management tool is more reliable, more durable or more scalable than another, in order to benefit from it the most. Custom-made sensors might be necessary, but proprietary technology might tie you in an ecosystem that will not suit your company well as it grows.
And of course, technology evolves. The so-called smart devices you install today might seem dumb, by contrast, when the next generation comes out. This means you might need to perform small-scale experiments before you find an optimal combination of devices and software tools that will provide reliable data even on a larger scale, and that will help your organization be more efficient in the long run.
Every organization is unique. Out-of-the-box solutions do not always fully apply to their specific situation. That is where the risk of collecting improper or incomplete data becomes very tangible. And then again, where do you find the custom technology that fits your needs?
That is where Motsai can make a difference. We work with end-users to find the proper vendors and manufacturers that will create a solution tailored to your unique requirements, and that will guarantee you get the data you need to benefit from the revolution of the Industrial IoT.