From pervasive GPS technology and smart homes to smart cars and fitness trackers, the Internet of Things has evolved, setting the stage for the next industrial revolution: the Industrial Internet of Things.
When Kevin Ashton coined the term Internet of Things in 1999, he was giving a name to the idea that physical objects could be connected to a network — namely, the internet. The concept that computers no longer needed to be programmed to function, but could instead sense the world around them to arrive at facts and figures without added human intervention, ushered in a new era of computational technology.
Now, IoT is shaking up the industrial sector in a big way. Here’s what you need to know about the Industrial Internet of Things and the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0.
IoT and the Industrial Internet of Things: What’s the difference?
What the Internet of Things was for the commercial sector, IIoT is for the industrial sector. Both are concerned with the interconnectivity of devices all linked to one network via the Internet. The major difference is scale.
While IoT devices often rely on the omnipresence of mobile devices to connect to smart home devices, smart cars, and devices for facilitating routine life tasks, IIoT operates on a much grander scale with connectivity for smart factories, machines, management systems.
By outfitting industrial machines with sensors and equipping employees all across the supply and delivery chains with the tools to monitor and respond to the output from these sensors, companies have begun to streamline all business operations.
IIoT: Better processes, improved efficiency, lower costs
What does this mean? Simply put, IIoT is paving the way for a complete transformation of routine business processes from ordering to delivery to maintenance to production and so much more.
Warehouse sensors allow companies to monitor stock intelligently so that parts and supplies are ordered when necessary. This prevents overstocking and under-stocking of essential items.
Sensors along the delivery chain make it possible to track shipments from the moment they leave the factory floor to the moment they arrive with the customer. Sensors along the production line lead to early detection of potential breakdowns.
By relying on predictive maintenance to fix problems before they occur, companies avoid costly downtimes and breaks in production. All these applications improve efficiency, minimize unnecessary expenses, and maximize quality.
Real-time responses through crowdsourcing
The Industrial Internet of Things has created a shift in company and consumer expectations. Easy access to information, products and services via mobile devices has led to an increased demand for real-time systems and responses. This is even more prevalent in IIoT.
As sensors provide up-to-the-minute insight and information about warehouses and machines, a greater need for immediate, or real-time, services has arisen.
The reason is clear: IIoT, this connection of machines and sensors to the internet and other devices, is pointless without mechanisms in place to react to notifications and updates. There’s no sense in knowing about imminent problems or shortages if there’s no way to respond with the necessary speed and accuracy to avert potential issues.
However, many companies lack the expertise, and geographically scattered, round-the-clock manpower to deliver real-time services and responses.
This shortage has led manufacturers to tap the power of an on-demand workforce. They combine their resources – employees, partners, subcontractors, freelance specialists and experts – to create a pool of available technicians to respond to the increased demand generated by real-time services. This crowdsourced team relies on field service management software and their mobile devices to stay informed of service requests, product information, customer history and more.
Industry 4.0: The possibilities are endless
Thanks to IIoT, it’s possible to amalgamate all this data – sensor output, customer input, service provider availability and knowledge – to not only provide real-time responses, but also accurate and effective real-time responses. These first-time-fixes are the industry’s top goal.
And this is how we have found ourselves at the precipice of the next industrial revolution.
In less than 20 years, we’ve seen the evolution of IoT to IIoT and countless more innovations that were devised as solutions to new challenges and possibilities. The potential of this technology is clear.
However, we can only imagine how it might continue to change and redefine the way we live and work over the course of the next 20 years. That’s why it’s essential industry leaders and small enterprises hoping to become legitimate players consider how IIoT is reinventing the industry.
This is especially important in the age of big data, and as more and more connected devices lead to a constant accumulation of complex data, because soon companies will have little choice but to rely on artificially-intelligent systems to process and analyze it.
