5 misconceptions and facts about IoT in manufacturing

December 15th, 2018 Intech Systems IoT (Internet of Things), Microsoft Azure

Digital transformation is happening in every part of businesses, especially manufacturing. Factories are no longer aloof from the other business processes and workers are no longer complaining about the siloed data. Information about each step of manufacturing is available to use and share securely from anywhere and any device. And in this manufacturing transformation, IoT (Internet of Things) plays a significant role. According to a study, of all the business who chose to implement IoT, 94% have already seen a return on their IoT investments.
However, there are many misconceptions regarding IoT that makes manufacturers apprehensive about implementing IoT in their manufacturing operations. Here are the top 5 misconceptions about IoT and the facts.

1. IoT is not for SMEs

Fact: IoT is suitable for organizations of any size.
Many organizations think that IoT is only for large enterprises that can afford the time and efforts needed to implement it. In reality, organizations of any size can implement IoT as recent developments in IoT have made it easy to implement and cost-effective. Open-source software like Azure IoT makes it easier for SMEs to leverage IoT in their manufacturing without building comprehensive IoT infrastructure or dedicated IT and engineering teams. Thus, the potential benefits manufacturers can get by leveraging IoT outweighs any concerns about cost or time.

2. IoT is not secure

Fact: IoT is safe and secure
One of the major concerns for manufacturers about IoT is that it is not secure. The fact that the connected devices communicate over the cloud poses security challenges to the manufacturers.  However, due to increasing awareness and research about the security strategies, IoT and cloud are any day more secure than the on-premise IT infrastructures. Although there will always be some potential risk when connecting devices to the internet, an active security strategy helps reduce threats and increase the long-term value of your IoT infrastructure.

3. IoT is not necessary

Fact: IoT helps gain business insights that increase business productivity and ensure operational efficiency.
Though the benefits of IoT in manufacturing outweigh the myths associated with it, manufacturers still think IoT is not necessary. Many of them think that they won’t be ever able to use the amount of information produced by IoT systems. According to McKinsey, around 60% of the IoT industry’s projected $11.1 trillion value in 2025 will depend on data integration and analysis. So it is possible that as your business grows, any unutilized data may suddenly become valuable. Also, IoT doesn’t only generate information but also enables you to gain insights across the supply chain, create new revenue source, and optimize equipment life cycle.

4. IoT is only about connecting devices with sensors

Fact: IoT is all about gaining in-depth business insights to make better decisions
IoT does include connecting the devices and machines with sensors but there is much more to IoT than that. Other than physical devices, IoT also involves networks, cloud, gateways, APIs, etc. Thus, connecting is just the foundation of IoT. But the main motive of IoT is to generate real-time data insights to enable actions and thus, decision making. When the devices are connected to produce business insights, manufacturers can predict outcomes, prevent operation failures, and better augment the system uptime.

5. IoT is expensive

Fact: IoT implementation costs are decreasing and it also helps in building new revenue streams in the long run.
That IoT is costly is one of the biggest myths too. Obviously, investing in IoT requires finance but what organizations look at is only the cost part and not the benefits they get from IoT. Once IoT is implemented, the actionable insights that are generated reduce costs of production, thereby increasing efficiency and productivity. The result is fewer expenses and more growth, which boosts profits.

Understanding the importance of IoT in manufacturing

With increase in the competition, it is important to reduce the shop floor costs while also serving the customers right. The current trend is of automation and business intelligence which uses real-time data insights and monitors the data continuously to prevent any loopholes in production. All in all, the potential of the factory connected with IoT increases multi-fold. So, ensure that your organization is not lagging behind in the digital transformation journey because of some misconceptions.
Schedule a meeting with our IoT expert to talk about our end-to-end solutions and to learn about how your business can start benefiting from IoT.

About Intech

Intech Systems is a three-cloud Microsoft-certified partner that boasts deep expertise in providing digital transformation solutions for organizations by leveraging the Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure solution stack. Intech is recognized as a top-tier Microsoft implementation partner globally and specializes in transformative technology solutions such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Business Process Automation, Business Intelligence, Cloud Infrastructure, Data Management, Productivity & Collaboration and Generative AI (Gen-AI) solutions. As a trusted Microsoft Solutions Partner, we are capable of doing complex technology implementations catered to an organization’s specific needs & also rapid solution implementation such as our Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation packages. We pair our implementations with end-to-end customer support, offshore development & 3rd party integrations. With offices in India, USA (United States of America), and Singapore, we work with clients across globe to empower businesses with cutting-edge technology solutions. Our latest services aim at delivering business ready AI solutions to the customer, like our  Microsoft Copilot Consulting Services & Solutions for small, medium & large enterprises. Intech’s expertise lies in building software solutions for Manufacturing, Professional Services & Healthcare.  Our Dealer Management System, Sales and Service CRM for Manufacturing, Field Force Automation for Pharmaceuticals and Manufacturing Central are some of our leading industry solutions. Intech’s vision is to catalyze digital futures for operation-centric industries globally, we are at the forefront of innovation, helping organizations drive growth and innovation like never before. Contact Us to learn more.