Keeping Pace with IoT in B2B Design and Manufacturing
As technology plays a growing role in how today’s businesses are run, it’s clear the Internet of Things (IoT) will continue to improve efficiency and productivity through the delivery of more timely operations and unique insights through business data.
Ericsson forecasts 50 billion connected “things” by 2020 and while it’s clearly an exciting time for the B2B tech industry, reaching these lofty projections will require a fundamental shift in the way designers and manufacturers create products.
Simon Duggleby from RS Components discusses 5 ways businesses can keep pace with the IoT revolution.
Use what you know Demand for quality and bespoke products is replacing the desire for mass-produced goods. Getting products to market quickly enough to meet the evolving expectations of consumers is a serious design challenge.
Businesses must strike the right balance between new and familiar user interfaces to deliver improved manufacturing at speed. IoT is about enterprise asset intelligence, something product manufacturers are already familiar with, so this should not be too daunting.
Companies can apply the knowledge they already possess and use IoT to work out answers quickly and accurately to questions like “What do I need to find out at a given point of activity?”- whether it happens on your property, at a vendor or elsewhere in the supply chain. From picking to trailer unloading to equipment service calls, you need that information in a timely manner.
Instead of hoping materials will arrive in time, or waiting for a stock out to indicate replenishments, a manager with IoT visibility can leverage what they know from IoT insights and prepare or adjust proactively before small problems become big ones.
Combine R&D with user insights One of the benefits of using IoT is it challenges organisations to think beyond the physical object and adapt to manufacturing processes to keep up with change.
As user actions evolve, so will business’ approach to different interfaces, in order to keep up with demand for the latest products. Just as touch screens introduced the pinch, finger scroll and swipe, we can expect more natural movements controlling our environments in the future, such as hand gestures and voice recognition.
The R&D sector can play a critical role here and some agencies have already identified the technology gaps that need filling across manufacturing. Businesses want to use such insights to differentiate themselves, monitor real-time developments and drive future-thinking decisions.
Combining research on evolving market conditions and user feedback will enable manufacturers to design and release updated versions of a product, so it will meet its maximum capabilities.
Agree on a USP Deciding whether IoT adoption is right for your business should be based on whether it will address a specific problem inhibiting growth. By defining the underlying needs of your organisation, a prospective IoT solution can be selected to address the issue.
First, use problem statements to cover the fundamental questions like , “Why does this matter?” and “How will this benefit customers in the long run?”
For example; say you need more advanced industrial sensors to improve manufacturing.
