Choosing the Right IoT Partner

The internet of things (IoT) has created a unique hybrid environment where physical devices can operate online and be monitored and analyzed for valuable data. Companies convert this data into insights used to improve functionality and sustain longevity through software. 

We’ve prevented outages and downtime by mitigating risks associated with hazardous environments, including factories, manufacturing plants, and aggregate facilities.

Not only that but tools connected to the IoT help optimize a company’s bottom line and enhance the production experience.

Many variables dictate how businesses can use the IoT to improve their operations. Key criteria related to how a business runs can help them choose the right IoT provider. They include:

• Purpose of IoT monitoring program
• Equipment type, location, and specific information a business wants to capture 
• Data positioning (Where will the data be collected and used?)
• Level of expertise needed to support IoT integration 
• Standard KPIs to quantify project success or failure 

Companies looking to improve the utility of their devices must consider how an IoT partner can shift the trajectory of their operations. Implementing IoT technology can be intimidating, but businesses can avoid this hassle by choosing the right provider.

Why Choosing the Right IoT Partner Is Important

Due to a recent influx of technology emerging across industries, businesses are scrambling to digitize their operations and maximize output.

Similar to most new cutting-edge technologies, some businesses lack a deep understanding of the IoT. This lack of knowledge leads to ineffective production and wasting time and money when seeking IoT partners and options. Due to its new yet complex nature, IoT infrastructure can be a hefty time and financial investment for companies lacking prior knowledge in the space.

Choosing the right IoT partner will streamline the IoT integration process, allowing your company to get straight to work.

IoT providers help businesses gauge their exact needs, goals, and expectations. In the case of industrial-based companies such as manufacturing and aggregate, there are numerous factors to consider when choosing an IoT monitoring program. These programs target specific qualities your company may want to integrate and usually consist of preventive maintenance, continuous improvement, or productivity management. 

After your partner helps find the ideal program, they dig into intricate details regarding the purpose IoT will serve for your business. 

The IoT poses a game-changing opportunity for companies with legacy equipment seeking to refresh their operations, so choosing the right partner is imperative.

Criteria for Choosing the Right IoT Partner 

Businesses should be aware of the criteria needed when consulting an IoT partner. The best way to achieve this is by identifying and then creating a program tailored to meet business goals. 

Let’s say your company wants to build a preventive maintenance program. Or do you want to manage productivity and gain an in-depth knowledge of equipment data? These conversations with the right partners are crucial for assessing the integration of IoT into a company’s operations. 

Additional criteria you may consider when choosing an IoT partner are the specific equipment to be monitored and the information you need to capture. Companies can monitor old equipment to revitalize utility, improve equipment lacking effective, built-in sensors, and support equipment used in harsh or rugged outdoor environments. Understanding what sensors you’d want to add to your equipment is also helpful, as IoT partners can prescribe solutions that address factors such as temperature, vibration, impact, pressure, and flow. 

Expanding on criteria companies should consider, they also need an idea of how to configure equipment. Will equipment sensors be wireless? How will the sensor be installed? 

After IoT providers help you assess equipment requirements, understanding the information you want to collect from machinery is the next step. 

Most legacy equipment comprises a versatile range of unique functionality with IoT technology, and partnering with a provider will ensure your company can optimize usage for machinery.

Battery-powered, wireless IoT solutions can provide alert-based notifications that notify workers when equipment begins operating outside of the ordinary, be data loggers that capture large amounts of information for analysis, and also capture general machinery usage information to determine equipment productivity over shifts. 

At Atomation, our products specialize in giving customers the ability to gain immediate insight and derive real value. We provide self-contained IoT devices that use edge computing to process raw data into actionable insights.

Our Atoms are a cost-efficient, scalable solution that’s easily applicable and ultimately brings your overlooked legacy machinery back to life. 

Finding the right IoT provider, such as Atomation, can transform your business operations and upscale your equipment utility. Expert assistance for equipment data positioning is essential.  Is your company’s legacy equipment suitable for a cloud solution, or would an Open source API IoT platform provide the best results? IoT providers can help you select the best platform for capturing and using data.

IoT providers can support businesses by providing resources or delivering a complete customer support service. A company should anticipate the level of support needed from an IoT sensor manufacturer. Some companies prefer a DIY approach and need a credible product; others might need significant assistance. Either way, you should consult an IoT provider to complete a full-scale analysis of how the IoT can optimize your equipment.

Lastly, after a company has assessed its IoT integration strategy, it should devise a comprehensive system that determines the success or failure of a monitoring program. 

If a program is suited for prevention, how will sensor equipment detect hiccups to prevent operational downtime? By what method will your integration process include solutions for standardizing equipment maintenance programs or productivity increases? These questions are examples of the strategic approach providers such as Atomation take to create quantifiable key performance indicators that help determine the success of your IoT project.

IoT technologies will improve production quality for many industries. Nailing these criteria is a great way to start, and choosing the right IoT provider is the best option for doing so.

Conclusion

The Internet of Things is the next state-of-the-art iteration of the technological revolution. Companies can simplify complex data generated by sensors and modernize outdated legacy equipment. IoT technology poses an interesting future where digitally incapable objects can provide utility to improve the quality of our everyday lives. 

Contact us to learn more about Atomation's IoT monitoring equipment and experience transformative results for your business.