Horizon scanning the digital and IoT landscape - 5 top tips for success

Many businesses are always horizon scanning in terms of their attempts to ensure they future proof or stay abreast of technology and its uses. The truth is though that it is almost impossible to do so in relation to knowing what the landscape, equipment or process needs might be, despite our best crystal ball efforts.....

UV-C, thermal imaging, asset tracking, cleaning regimes, how we purchase, building needs, employee safety, it has all changed and will continue to do so in this increasingly changing world.

There are ways though that we can put down a marker, a stake in the ground in terms of our attempts to plan and implement more flexible business solutions around IoT in commercial spaces, retail and horticulture and I will share a few that will really help.

1, Use open protocols and systems where possible to avoid getting locked into a proprietary (and often limited) set of functions or business model. Will the system still be operable should the vendor cease to exist, push up subscription costs or take a different go to market approach? Can my own business continue to build out, modify or adapt the system should we choose to take that approach?

2, Really consider how you can do a job once, correctly, especially in infrastructure areas such as installing lighting, power, data, wireless meshes or similar types of installations that whilst appear more expensive to deploy initially, clearly could make considerable savings in the long term. Try to create an infrastructure that really provides the springboard to easier upgrades, changes and use cases.

3, Take a pragmatic approach to the needs of today and also tomorrows nice to haves, really consider them, maybe group them by business importance. Is the system or equipment you are considering purchasing capable of a much larger scale, is it reconfigurable, can it be easily added to? What kind of lifespan can I expect from the equipment I purchase?

4, Really drill into advantages of the OPEX/CAPEX element as it may be possible to professionally manipulate this to fit your business and your budgetary constraints. Lighting as a service (LAAS) is an example of this but there are many more and it pays (literally) to consider all areas of incremental operational or financial gains.

5,Whole life costs are often ignored if the equipment or service is not the lowest cost to purchase but what will the system cost over the next 5 to 10 years and where is the value? Can I drive down maintenance costs? Can I bring down any future operational costs by automating process, easier future install or even by using unqualified staff to safely undertake tasks. Will operational data unlock further gains in economy, do I have system that will be flexible enough to dynamically change and also collect the data to suit? I know I will need to add to whatever system I deploy and if I can do so for less cost each time (either time saved on labour or equipment cost) then real financial value is continually unlocked year on year.

The current pandemic has brought many new challenges (and the need for solutions to them) and also highlighted some older recurring ones but it is fair to say that while we do not know exactly what we need, we do know there is a growing need for better, more flexible IoT solutions and a more future proof approach.

James has a wealth of sales and solutions based experience and has spent the last 10 years as the principle or lead innovator in several businesses around lighting and technology. He is a firm believer that fitting the correct solution to the problem is the ultimate sales tool and the way to real customer delight. He has been involved in the creation of many new, unique and innovative products used in the most prestigious, demanding and safety related environments. James is the Channel Manager for Intelligent Growth Solutions and is a champion for the patented Intelligent Grid power and wireless enablement platform that can future proof large, open, indoor spaces such as Commercial, Horticulture and Retail.