A Complete Guide To Industrial IoT Solutions

With the rising use-cases for IoT (Internet of Things), it is no wonder that most enterprises and organizations have started investing heavily in IoT devices. These devices have sensors that allow users to collect data and analyze it in real-time, leading to quicker and more precise decision-making. What’s more is that these devices can “talk” to one another – that is, they can exchange information through a common network. For example, an IoT sensor in an industrial fuel tank is triggered when the pressure drops below a threshold. As this could be caused by a leak (read: catastrophe), the sensor informs another IoT device to quickly seal off all valves to contain the leak.

The entire process is automated, reliable and quicker than any human employee. No wonder Industrial IoT is being adopted in diverse sectors such as manufacturing, energy, oil & gas, etc. The deployment, monitoring and management of Industrial IoT (or IIoT) devices is what Industrial IoT Solutions are all about. So, without further ado, let’s understand how these solutions work, why they are important, their benefits and a lot more! 
 

What Are Industrial IoT Solutions?

First, a quick recap of what IIoT means - Industrial IoT (or simply IIoT) refers to the deployment of IoT devices to support monitoring, maintenance, analytics, etc. for industrial applications. By capturing, exchanging and analyzing real-time sensor data, businesses can acquire quick and intelligent actionable insights. The Industrial Internet of Things provides valuable information that enables businesses to leverage anomaly detection, process optimization and predictive maintenance.

Consequently, IIoT Solutions are software and tools that help businesses use their IoT device data for improved business decision-making and analysis in real-time. Industrial IoT Solutions are the need of the hour as businesses and manufacturers are setting up smart factories and intelligent processes. Yet, that wasn’t always the case.
 

How Did Industrial IoT Solutions Evolve?

While working with Auto-ID Labs in 1999, British entrepreneur Kevin Ashton invented the term "internet of things." It was essentially a network of physical items containing sensors and processors, that could exchange data with other devices over a network, usually the Internet. It only took a year for LG to launch a smart refrigerator based on the concept in 2000. The product failed miserably as consumers thought it was too expensive and unnecessary - because who wouldn't want a 15-inch screen with MP3 playback on your fridge!

However, the concept found several uses in the industrial context after 2002 with the emergence of cloud technology. This allowed businesses to connect several devices to a common enterprise network, where data from sensors and processing software could interface. Since then, the Internet of Things has crossed the number of humans on Earth (and Pandora!) to include approximately 50 billion objects, such as air filters, smart lamps, thermostats, coffee machines and anything else you can imagine.

However, do businesses really need IIoT – wasn’t IoT good enough?

Do Businesses Really Need Industrial IoT Solutions?

 
Short answer – NO! The Internet of Things was a gamechanger in several ways but it was challenging to scale up the technology and implementation for industrial use. Hence, IIoT Solutions are tailored specifically for industrial applications and its demands.

IIoT Solutions are almost always cloud-based IoT units that collect sensor data from every component and process it in real-time using analytics software to produce usable results. Large factories and businesses can use an IIoT Solution to acquire visibility, practical data and lifecycle status on every piece of equipment in their operation.

With real-time condition monitoring, IIoT Solutions even give service managers and technicians insight into the health of the equipment. It informs them of any irregularities in routine processes and advises when machine maintenance is necessary, allowing for proactive maintenance. Much like the Tree of Souls, an IIoT Solution lets businesses stay in touch with every individual IoT device in their network - even if it is halfway across Pandora!

With that out of the way, let’s dig a little deeper into the benefits of IIoT Solutions.  

How Does An Industrial IoT Solution Benefit Business?

 

• Improved Energy Efficiency

  Smart IoT devices can be used to keep track of how much fuel, water or electricity are used. As a result, plant managers can see exactly how much energy was consumed, allowing for a reduction in operational costs through better planning and management.

• Products Of Higher Quality

  Smart tracking devices, which are part of IIoT Solutions, can assist in identifying potentially damaged products through close monitoring. The information gathered can then be used to repair or replace products so that compromised shipments do not reach customers. Furthermore, these solutions provide managers with visibility across inventory channels, offer realistic material predictions, recommend modifications and detect production lags to improve production quality.

• Real-time Analysis

  IIoT systems can provide real-time data analysis, making it easier to identify bottlenecks and eliminate inefficiencies to simplify workflows. By removing lags in real-time, IIoT Solutions reduce slowdowns and lower operational expenses.

• Predictive Maintenance

  When IIoT Solutions are combined with industrial equipment, condition-based alerts can be generated based on sensors that record temperature, humidity and other conditions in the workplace. All of this data is useful for predictive maintenance as manufacturers can improve operating efficiency, avoid maintenance overruns and reduce machine downtime.

Although that sounds really cutting-edge technology, it is no match for what’s next – and no, it is not the three sequels planned for Avatar!
 

What’s The Future Of Industrial IoT Solutions?

 
The possibilities for the future of Industrial IoT Solutions are endless. Increased network speed, integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and the capability to deploy, automate and orchestrate at scale will accelerate advancements in industrial IoT applications. Hence, IIoT Solutions providers and platforms will also need to evolve quickly to accommodate the increased demand for such industrial IoT applications. IIoT Solutions providers will start developing tailored offerings to businesses, opening up entirely new revenue and research opportunities soon.
 

Conclusion

It is not surprising that Industrial IoT is moving ahead at breakneck speed. In fact, Forbes predicts that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market could add over USD 14 trillion to the global economy by 2030. IIoT Solutions will soon become the new normal within the industry and businesses that have already started integrating such solutions with their existing infrastructure will be ahead of the curve.

James Cameron had to wait 13 years to film Avatar as the technology necessary to realize his vision of the project was not yet available. However, you don’t have to wait – Industrial IoT Solutions are here and ready to help you succeed just as much as Avatar!