What is IIoT?
IIoT (The Industrial Internet of Things) refers to any type of machine, equipment, or device that can gather and share vast amounts of data by connecting to a network. The connectivity from industrial machines allows for continuous data collection, exchange, and analysis, enabling manufacturers to create and execute improvements in production.
What’s the Difference Between IIoT vs IoT?
IoT, on the other hand, can be referred to as any smart object – smart cities, smart computer, smart phones, etc. These are the objects that connect the physical world to the digital world by communicating with data. While both IIoT and IoT are similar in concept, they do differ in usage. IoT was created with a broader concept in mind – make products smart.
IIoT was built off of IoT to focus on and enhance industrial processes, such as manufacturing. The use of smarter devices in manufacturing helps organizations better understand the supply chain and gain complete visibility. The utilization of industrial IoT management means having the ability to track and control a diverse range of industrial IoT devices.
Why is the Industrial Internet of Things so Important?
The IIoT is important because of its ability to create faster, more efficient, and better decision making. Not only does the IIoT collect large amounts of data, it collects it in real time. This method provides manufacturers with complete visibility and transparency. By utilizing data in real time, organizations are able to evaluate and understand how efficient their processes are and optimize accordingly.
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IIoT benefits the manufacturing industry in a variety of ways. Here are a few of the advantages below:
- Enhanced operational efficiency – one of the most important industrial IoT use cases is the ability to connect each asset to a wireless network through sensors, which enables operations managers to continuously monitor the performance of production and attend to issues even before they arise.
- Reduced waste – when connecting IIoT devices to products, the supply chain process becomes more effective and decreases the need for excess inventory. For example, shelf-level sensors are utilized to order stock when the product is low.
- Cut costs – equipment monitoring, such as predictive maintenance, is used through sensors connected to machines. When something isn’t right, these sensors set off alerts and help reduce unnecessary labor costs. IoT analytics, in this case, are used to predict future issues by examining past results.
- Enhanced customer experience – IoT sensors are also able to reflect customer’s experience by capturing data on their usage of the product. This process helps manufacturers optimize their processes.
