How To Make Edge Computing Work For Your Data Processing

Edge computing is an important aspect of ensuring that your organization’s network processes data efficiently, enabling quicker and better decision making by allowing data to be analyzed directly at the source where it is collected. If you now feel that you understand the basics of edge computing, you may be wondering how you can implement it in your organization.

How Edge Computing Can Be Useful To Businesses

One useful application of edge computing is real-time inventory management. Edge computing enables real-time inventory management by allowing businesses to process and analyze sensor data on-site rather than transmitting it to the cloud. Analyzing stock levels where the stock is located means it can happen immediately, allowing businesses to optimize supply chains, reduce waste, and improve customer service with accurate inventories.

Using edge computing to monitor the status of your equipment can allow you to monitor the operations of your equipment and fix any issues that pop up right away. By analyzing real-time equipment sensor data right there at the location of the sensor, edge computing empowers rapid anomaly detection and preventative maintenance. Instead of waiting for centralized analytics, issues can be identified as they emerge, reducing downtime. When it comes to something like too much pressure building up inside a pipe, this application of edge computing could avoid a disaster that would be expensive and dangerous.

Additional applications of edge computing for business include quality control automation in manufacturing plants. Edge computing could allow manufacturers to use computer vision to look for defects as items are being produced, allowing for immediate intervention. This real-time feedback can help them to optimize quality without latency. For retail businesses, edge computing can allow for point of sale analytics, which can facilitate rapid, site-specific insights on customer behavior for better engagement and experiences. For a variety of businesses, edge computing combined with AI can also serve a security role. By equipping your video surveillance with edge computing, ai-powered data processing means that the people, objects, and behaviors can be quickly analyzed to identify risks, without latency slowing things down.

Evaluating The Way You Are Doing Things Now

If you are preparing to begin using edge computing in your organization, odds are that you currently use a centralized data processing model, where the devices at the edge of your network send their data to a central location like the cloud or a physical data center for processing. The centralized approach does have its benefits even in a modern networking setup. However, it is important to determine for which data it is valuable and for which data an edge computing approach would make more sense.

Edge Computing as Part of a Comprehensive Data Processing Strategy

It’s important to keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to choose between centralization and decentralization when it comes to data processing. If you develop a strategy that includes both, your organization can benefit from both in the appropriate applications.

Processing data at the edge of your network will make it faster for nearby devices to get the information they need and take action in urgent situations. However, storing all of your data at the edge of your network can overburden your devices which will have less memory than a powerful central server or cloud.

How to Implement Edge Computing In Your Organization

Technical Implementation Advice

From a technical standpoint, when you want to determine where to use edge computing and where to use centralized processing, the first step is to consider where the data is now. It tends to be more efficient and cost effective to put the computing power where the data is, so an important step is to map out where you are collecting data and where it needs to be used.

As noted above, one best practice specific to edge computing implementation is starting where the data already is and moving the computing power there, rather than the reverse. Otherwise you may end up with costly “back hauling,” which can be a drain on resources and slow things down. If the data is stored centrally, doing the processing there makes sense, whereas if the data is being gathered by other devices on the network, it makes sense to do the processing of that data at those locations. It is also important to note that edge computing can be expensive, so if some of your data can be centrally collected and analyzed, a combined approach may help keep costs down as well.

The People Side of The Change

When changing any major process or policy in your organization, success depends on buy-in at all levels. Leadership must set an example by fully supporting the change, while staff need to understand the rationale and feel involved in the transition, with their feedback taken into account. Cross-departmental collaboration ensures the process takes into account what each department needs and how they work together. Obtaining feedback from stakeholders throughout the process will keep everyone on the same page. Employees should receive training on new protocols to ensure a smooth implementation. The effort required to get buy-in from throughout the organizational hierarchy and providing ongoing guidance, major changes can be adopted smoothly and yield optimal results.

Working with an Experienced Technology Solutions Consultant Can Help

Beginning to use edge computing may represent a major shift for your organization. A technology consulting firm can provide invaluable guidance on strategically deploying edge computing, from analyzing your current needs, to planning the stages of implementation, and ensuring buy-in from stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

A first step can be assessing your current infrastructure and data workflows to identify use cases that could benefit from edge processing. This may include applications like IoT and real-time analytics. The consultant will match your needs and resources with the capabilities of edge computing.?

A key focus will be helping you select the right edge technology, whether proprietary hardware and software or open-source options. The driving considerations will be the client's budget, security needs, and capabilities. A consultant can also advise on edge network configuration for optimal speed, reliability, and scalability.

Throughout the edge computing implementation process, the consultant provides technical support and oversight to get edge systems up and running smoothly. They can also assist with explaining the effort to your employees and creating training programs to ensure the teams that will work with the system are comfortable with the new procedures. Finally, once edge computing has begun operating, a consultant can assess your results and look for areas for optimization.?

Reach out to Square Peg Technologies for Data Processing Needs

Square Peg Technologies’ technology consultants can help you to determine the best configuration for every aspect of how your organization handles data. From data management to data intelligence, our experts work with you to ensure that your setup matches and facilitates your goals. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your organization with customized data solutions.