The upcoming Enterprise IoT Summit brings into focus important relationship between the internet of things and digital transformation
The internet of things, supported by powerful data analytics engines and increasingly inexpensive cloud computing power, has been around for some time, but is now reaching an inflection point that will reshape market boundaries, usher in new business models, shift the nature of competitive advantage and change how profit and value are created.
This embrace of technology to enable new enterprise efficiencies and services fits under the heading of digital transformation. The rather broad term has been debated by analysts, thought-leaders, executives, but essentially refers to the fundamental transformation of companies to a more technology-reliant approach for operating business processes, activities, models and competencies.
And while digital transformation is an imperative, it’s also a tricky process that commands adherence to best practices, while pursuing clearly-defined goals and maintaining operational agility. In order to achieve the benefits of digital transformation–new operational efficiencies and revenue opportunities, new products and services brought to market more quickly, and an improved customer experience–enterprise adopters need to tap into networks of partners and experts, remember that they’re part of larger ecosystem, not just operating in a vacuum, and maintain a laser focus on core competencies.
To give an example, let’s take a look at Swedish truck manufacturer Scania, which in the last 20 years has doubled its production from three trucks per employee to six trucks per employee, according to Bjorn Windbladh, head of Scania Mining. By combining information from connected trucks to its lean production know-how, Scania has developed Scania Site Optimization, a service offering designed to help mining operators improve their productivity by helping them identify waste and boost logistical flows. Data from geo-fenced connected mining vehicles is fed into Scania Site Optimisation where five production performance factors–time, road, load, safety, and sustainability–are measured and evaluated. Based on these factors, customers can then select a number of services, ranging from data reporting to outsourcing of their transport operation.
In a different industry, Airbus has teamed up with National Instruments on a research and technology project that will automate the company’s many manual operations using the internet of things. Cyber-physical systems and big data enable a smarter, operator-centric production that allows operators and machines to collaborate in the same physical environment, according to Airbus. What it calls “The factory of the future” requires the extensive use of a modular platform with a high level of abstraction based on commercial off-the-shelf modules. Smart devices are designed to communicate with a main infrastructure or locally with operators or other tools, but only when it is required to provide situational awareness and make real-time decisions based on local and distributed intelligence on the network.
To stay up to date with the fast-moving advancements in enterprise IoT, including a deep dive into use cases, deployment strategies, case studies, best practices and more, join RCR Wireless News and Enterprise IoT Insights in Austin, Texas, for the Enterprise IoT Summit, March 28 and 29. To learn more about the event track, speakers, sponsorship opportunities and registration, click here.
Event content tracks will focus on smart transportation and smart cities, as well as how the IoT can support digital transformation in vertical industries including oil and gas, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing and commercial real estate. Speakers include Kiva Allgood, managing director of new business creation for GE Ventures, Silicon Labs CEO Tyson Tuttle, Joe Madden, principal analyst of Mobile Experts LLC, and InterDigital EVP of Research and Development James Nolan, among many others. Click here to view a full list of confirmed speakers.
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