Increase Operational Insight for IoT

Connectivity is the key to increasing operational insight and improving general operations for OEMs. The understandings offered by Industrial IoT join to generate immense value-creation opportunities.

Machine and Factory Health: The complexity of advanced automation and lean supply chains greatly increases the likelihood that something will go wrong and of that interruption having extensive cost repercussions. The extent of these disruptions may be mitigated with the data mining of machine sensor signals to detect and predict potential equipment failures.

Digital Thread: By combining lifecycle data from all aspects of input and functionality, insight into predicable failures may be treated as a single preventative process, rather than a post-disruption investigation.

Smart Products: For OEMs, incorporating smart devices into the end product will allow that product to communicate information regarding the potential demand for aftermarket parts due to usage or defects, which may lead to warranty claims.

While the impact of an IoT conversion may not be immediately visible to the end user, the internal advantages to the OEM are found in reduced costs and advances in quality and throughput. These advantages will strengthen the position of early adopters and likewise degrade the value of those who lag behind.

The biggest challenge for manufacturers lies in the inflexibility of the required data integration and harnessing the data for interpretation in a standardized way. However, big data integration is not an all or nothing game. One option is to implement a smaller-scale plan with the intention of using results to launch a large-scale application. If the benefits are easily quantifiable, a company-wide implementation may be more appropriate and ultimately more beneficial.

The inability to mix older technologies with new ones is another hurdle for companies considering Industrial IoT. While old technology can do the job independent of IoT, there is a mentality of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Ultimately, the adoption of Industrial IoT manufacturing will play a key role in separating those who will succeed or fail in the long-term.