What the heck is IoT?

A street lamp, a child's toy, an aeroplane, and a thermostat all have something in common: each is something once "dumb" made "smart" through connection into the IoT.  

But what is IoT?

If you were to consult a search engine, you'd find the following definition:

"The Internet of things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction."

If you were to consult with our team at SAPHI, you will find a definition which is much more palatable:

"IoT refers to all of the physical devices out there that are connected to the internet."

IoT can include anything. The smartwatch on your wrist, the phone in your pocket, Alexa in your living room, or digital signage at the bus station are all things that can connect to the Internet of Things. 

These are referred to as 'Ground-to-Cloud devices', indicating that they are capable of collecting data from the real world and making it available to a user anywhere, globally.

Further than simply collecting data, Ground-to-Cloud devices are also capable of manipulating their environment based on data they retrieve from the internet, if fitted with the right equipment. For example, a sprinkler can be automatically switched on or off based on an online forecast of rain.

IoT is popular. There are close to 30 billion devices currently connected, with approximately 127 new devices connected every second. I mean, who doesn't need a smart toothbrush, smart-toaster or a smart-pens?

But why is IoT becoming more popular?

Simply put, the potential for sweeping improvements to an organisation is limitless, and the application of technology in driving these improvements seemingly the same. With the buzz surrounding IoT, one could think of the topic is a panacea of sorts, offering infinite growth to the bottom line. 

While IoT can provide incredible amounts of organisational optimisation, it is not achieved by merely plugging in a device and letting it run. The real challenge is to interpret the data obtained by the device and translating it into credible, actionable information. 

It is at this point in which your people, the Development team, come into play. When combined with the right software and electrical engineering expertise, IoT devices transform from mere data collectors to powerful optimisation tools. 

To make life easy, we've outlined 5 advantages your organisation could enjoy with the right programming and installation of IoT devices:

1. Improved Asset Utilisation

By adding IoT devices to track the performance of your assets, such as machinery, plant equipment, warehouses, or production line equipment, you will access real-time insights. 

These can enable you to detect potential abnormalities and faults to prevent a critical problem, or trigger processes to respond to changes in the normal operating environment.

2. Predicting the Future

By applying Machine Learning principles to the data IoT collects, your team can identify imminent problems hours, or even days, before they occur. No more unnecessary downtime as technicians try to diagnose problems, and ample time to schedule maintenance and keep machines running at capacity.

For more information on these principles, read our article on Machine Learning here.

3. Cost Optimisation

Programming efficiencies into the core of your organisation means assets are used more efficiently, downtimes are reduced and, importantly, significant savings are made to give happier bosses and healthier bottom-lines.

4. Smoother Operation

By facilitating real-time operational insights, the guesswork is taken out of day-to-day decision-making, allowing more resources to be devoted to productivity. When you have the data and infrastructure to monitor logistic networks, production lines and machinery, efficient management becomes a whole lot simpler.

5. Happier Clients

The key to success is customer satisfaction. Using IoT to streamline interactions between you and your customers lowers the barriers to conducting business with your company and can offer customers additional value to make you stand out from competitors. 

You can provide a superior service to your clients by harnessing IoT to implement smart-tracking systems, offer IoT-enabled devices to process transactions, reduce delivery times, or increase overall product quality and consistency.

As IoT continues to grow in popularity, so too does the importance of companies investing in the proper adaptation and utilisation of this technology to outperform their non-investing counterparts.

Written by Liam Manning, COO at SAPHI Engineering. Reach out via Linkedin or our website for expert advice on utilising the full power of IoT enabled devices.

Article first seen on the Forsythes Recruitment & HR website.

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