5 Critical Things to Consider When Rolling out IoT

IoT has arrived. Cities all over the world are using it in one way or another– in homes, offices, streetlights, waste management and environmental protection and making mobility a reality. Such examples are only a small reflection of what the ‘Internet of Things’ is truly capable of: creating useful chunks of information to unite people with infrastructure and improve their quality of life.

Despite its proliferation and widespread recognition as a force to reckon with, IoT technology continues to pose a challenge for many manufacturers looking to join the bandwagon of digitalization. While a number of IoT projects reach fructification, some of them don’t reach a ‘happy ending’ due to a number of factors.

A lot has been said about IoT and its implementation over the past year or so, and the writing is clearly on the wall: Implementing IoT technology efficaciously needs companies to plan well, be innovative & flexible and avoid the mistakes others typically make.

Key Components

Regardless of whether companies work for a vehicle tracking system in vehicles, a futuristic solution for renewable energy or precision-laden finesse in the farming sector, the core essentials of IoT remains the same. The technology finds relevance and application in

• Security
• Applications
• Device
• Communication
• Cloud Services

Apart from the fact that the areas of convergence are similar, some of the problems that actually emerge out of its implementation are also often similar. Here are six considerations that must be a part of every IoT-related endeavor or decision.

Unexpected Delays Are to Be Expected

This shouldn’t be a surprise, really. The fact of the matter is that IoT does take a fair share of time to implement. While there are exceptions where commercial deployments can occur within 8-10 months, such examples are few and far between. The average roll-out span is typically between 18 and 24 months.

The causes for such delays can be varied and include technical reasons or business-related challenges. For example, a company may be at odds by working with an infrastructure that does not support its implementation in a commercial setting, or may not be able to get in touch with appropriate stakeholders.

More significantly, profitability takes a back seat for the first few years because most organizations are focused on enforcing mass-deployments safely. Regardless, it is important to factor in such unforeseen developments and take proactive measures.

Lesson: Stakeholders would do well to be patient and be a part of a process which takes the senior management into confidence and keeps reassuring them about long-term viability.

Culture & Its Organization-Specific Context

Those who have rolled-out IoT projects and vouch for the fact that this remains one of the most neglected factors while also offering a great action point for those who wish to leverage this technology.

IoT projects are typically a small component of a bigger transformative process of digital transformation that needs organizations to leverage agile, future-ready approaches to support the entire transition. To that end, the entire composition of the organization must be familiarized with what the plans are and the methodology/vision of its execution. Everyone must know what to expect and be prepaid accordingly.

Any lapse or communication gap can spell doom for an entire project, which can translate into losses running into millions of dollars and bad publicity for all the stakeholders.

Lesson: Organizational change efforts must be taken seriously. The key is to begin early and use an agile approach to smoothen the transition. 

Interconnectivity Drives Complexity

While downloading an app on our phone, we invariably expect to use it within seconds, without any hassles. Any other outcome is considered to be an anomaly, and rightly so. However, the mistake many people make is that they harbor similar expectations from IoT when the reality is far different!

The fact remains that protocol translations (getting everything ready in order to prepare a launch and its applicability) are a major component of most IoT efforts, taking up time, effort and money.

However, today’s reality is far different. Protocol translation still takes up a majority of today’s IoT development efforts. It takes months and even years to get the bearings right and get the entire equipment, systems, and other infrastructure ready to ensure the technology works and works well on a large scale.

Lesson: The need of the hour is to build a standard ecosystem which is relevant for your industry.

Security Holds the Key

Security is erroneously not given the due importance that it deserves when it comes to rolling out IoT. This means security is often not taken into consideration while adding new technology features or adding device-specific functionalities, which is a huge mistake.

In the era of big data, artificial intelligence and interconnected devices, any compromise on security is an absolute deal-breaker because it can negate the very essence of the IoT, which is to bring people and things together. Therefore, security must be adhered to and improved at every stage of IoT deployment, which includes the need to detect vulnerabilities across networks.

Lesson: Best practices in security, such as using unique identity keys or deploying a safe boot process is no longer an option.

Turn Data Into Actionable Insights:

At its core, IoT is a process towards better governance, lifestyles, and systems where people and their ideas flourish; it is not an end goal in itself. It must be utilized in a way that allows municipalities, industries and eventually, cities to work together and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Any data is only as useful as how it is used, and there is no point in creating technologies that pave the way for real-time information if that does not help us anticipate problems and prevent them. IoT can surely help foster innovation, improve information sharing and catalyze public engagement. But that must be a part of an ongoing strategy to constantly refine new procedures while tackling existing problems so as to be future-ready.

Lesson: Make your data-driven IoT tell a story that matters and helps transform lives.

No matter when you decide to roll out IoT, be sure you are realistic in your goals. Prepare your finances, Crediful can help, and hang in there for the ride. You’re headed towards the future.

 

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