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IOT Expectation vs Reality

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WebClues Infotech
IOT Expectation vs Reality

There are lots of benefits to bringing IoT into the supply chain: better data collection, traceability, and quality assurance to name a few. But there’s also a lot of hype surrounding the IoT and all the ways it’s going to revolutionize industry. Today we’re going to separate the truth from the hype and bust some of the more common misconceptions about the IoT.

The Internet of Things Technology has plenty of hype — it’s going to be big, really big — but also plenty of detractors. The naysayers breathily predict everything from the surveillance state to a wrecked economy to people enslaved by machines.

Industrial manufacturing is undergoing a digital transformation. Factories are no longer disconnected from their larger supply chain, and workers are no longer limited to siloed information. Instead, data related to each step of the manufacturing process can now be generated and securely shared around the world, helping to increase efficiency, drive productivity, and lower costs.

The Internet of Things (IoT) application is at the heart of this transformation. And yet, despite years of surging growth, critical misperceptions continue to surround IoT, creating anxiety about implementing IoT solutions in manufacturing that keep businesses from realizing its tremendous benefits.

Myth 1: New technology means extensive staff training

Reality: most IoT devices are designed for ease of use. The goal of all these IoT devices is to make life (and work) easier. If the devices are hard to use, they’re not achieving their goals. But there’s a caveat here: user-friendliness can mean different things to different people. So conduct user testing before deploying any new technology in your business. And make sure you’re testing the tech with the people who will actually be using it.

Myth 2: All IoT devices are secure

Reality: as with anything connected to the internet, you have to think about cyber security. When you start connecting things that haven’t traditionally been connected to the internet before, like plant-floor equipment and machinery, you have to prepare for a cyber attack—both on the machines and devices, and on the data itself. This is why IoT deployment and maintenance require the efforts of both your IT and OT departments, working together to keep devices, machines, data and people safe from cyber threats.

Myth 3: The IoT is going to cost people their jobs

Reality: the IoT doesn’t replace the work people do: it augments it. While some aspects of Industry 4.0 (specifically robotics and automation) may make some jobs obsolete, Industry 4.0 won’t make human workers obsolete by any means.

“Most jobs that are at risk of disappearance [due to Industry 4.0] are white-collar office and administration-related. This is in contrast to the widespread belief that low-skilled jobs will be affected most. At the same time, a growth in demand is expected in jobs related to business and financial operations, management, and computer and mathematical roles, among others.”

In other words, it’s not that jobs will disappear: it’s that skills will shift. Learning how to use Industry 4.0 technology—like IoT devices—is a good skill to learn, because it’s something you’ll be using more frequently in the future. And it will make your job easier.

Conclusion

Before adding any new technologies to your business, do your research: some great sources for IoT information include IoT News and Tech Republic.

 

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