The Internet of Things has become a buzzword in industries as it can transform businesses. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is gaining momentum, and the manufacturing industry is leading in the adoption rate. IoT has immense potential for creating new business models and has prospects of huge financial returns and operational improvements.
Numerous companies and industries have already deployed data-harvesting sensors and analytics platforms for turning raw data into better business outcomes. Thus, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has shifted from a buzzword to a business priority. Though IIoT presents numerous benefits, it also challenges organizations that fail to properly plan and execute the strategy. Any change in the existing operating practices poses some challenges, and IIoT also involves changing business processes and needs people with advanced skills.
As workplaces have become increasingly digitized, IoT is likely to keep growing. However, to avoid network pitfalls, some strategies can help in successful networked deployments. Though every deployment is unique, by avoiding mistakes and adopting a few key practices, you can ensure successful IIoT deployment.
Look into the Analytics
As the number of IoT devices in industrial control systems rises, the volume of data also increases significantly, and industrial companies need to manage it efficiently. It is a good practice to condition raw data into contextualized data, preferably at the source. Edge computing is also gaining the attention of many companies and industries. A scalable analytics approach is useful to prevent data overload as it solves the problems at different enterprise levels. Enterprise-level analytics can integrate plant-floor information with business intelligence to improve operational productivity. While optimizing machines, processes, and plants, it is better to implement machine-level or plant-level analytics in edge devices such as controllers and plant-floor servers.
Tighten up your Security
Security is the biggest IIoT challenge faced by industries. The advancing technology is also vulnerable to security threats when data is easily accessible to malicious and non-malicious threats. It is important to follow a holistic approach with best industry practices for protecting intellectual property and other assets to prevent security threats. This includes conducting a security assessment to identify risk areas and potential dangers. After identifying the potential risks, mitigation techniques should be implemented. Adopting a defense-in-depth (DiD) security approach is recommended, which uses physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to create multiple layers of protection throughout your enterprise. Moreover, always work with trusted vendors only and install industrial firewalls and other practices to implement secure IoT systems.
Customize with experts
Some technologically savvy companies take a DIY approach to developing a data-harvesting infrastructure in-house. However, this might appear affordable and fully customizable, but only for simple pilots or single control systems. A full-scale IIoT deployment requires experts with knowledge of developing algorithms, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics applications.
