Edmond Ho, Business Analyst from Liferay, provides a critical review of the growing trend of IoT manufacturing that has resulted in an estimated $12.44B in global spend towards IoT platforms for manufacturing.
Ho believes there is a lot of good to come with the coupling of IoT and manufacturing, but shares his three biggest concerns and/or pitfalls to the effectiveness of implementation of IoT-enabled devices.
Roadblock #1: Legacy Investments
From old operating systems to parts simply not compatible with being a connected device are seen as needing major investments to rethink and rebuild these devices where a majority are well over 15 years old. Talk about “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
Roadblock #2: Security & Regulation
If you’re operating in the United States alone, you’re faced with regulation at the federal and state levels. Overseas? Hello, export controls. The main tenet behind IoT-enabled devices is connectivity to transmit data. Generating data is a security game and a hard one at that.
Roadblock #3: More Cost-Effective Options
Industrial IoT is a hot trend that will continue for years to come, but that doesn’t always mean a company should pursue IoT. The reality is there’s a fair share of simpler (and more affordable) options to exercise that will add to productivity and improved efficiencies while adding to your bottom line. Example, “... using Six Sigma to analyze the results and apply lean manufacturing waste reduction principles.”
The Road Ahead
No one doubts IoT’s potential impact through smart technology and connectivity enablement. But will it happen now or later? The author seems keen that it will likely be years until IoT is ubiquitous across the industry. Only time will tell. Read on to see more examples for each Roadblock from Edmond Ho.
Ho believes there is a lot of good to come with the coupling of IoT and manufacturing, but shares his three biggest concerns and/or pitfalls to the effectiveness of implementation of IoT-enabled devices.
Roadblock #1: Legacy Investments
From old operating systems to parts simply not compatible with being a connected device are seen as needing major investments to rethink and rebuild these devices where a majority are well over 15 years old. Talk about “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
Roadblock #2: Security & Regulation
If you’re operating in the United States alone, you’re faced with regulation at the federal and state levels. Overseas? Hello, export controls. The main tenet behind IoT-enabled devices is connectivity to transmit data. Generating data is a security game and a hard one at that.
Roadblock #3: More Cost-Effective Options
Industrial IoT is a hot trend that will continue for years to come, but that doesn’t always mean a company should pursue IoT. The reality is there’s a fair share of simpler (and more affordable) options to exercise that will add to productivity and improved efficiencies while adding to your bottom line. Example, “... using Six Sigma to analyze the results and apply lean manufacturing waste reduction principles.”
The Road Ahead
No one doubts IoT’s potential impact through smart technology and connectivity enablement. But will it happen now or later? The author seems keen that it will likely be years until IoT is ubiquitous across the industry. Only time will tell. Read on to see more examples for each Roadblock from Edmond Ho.
