How can organisations successfully navigate the complex IoT landscape to avoid common pitfalls and ensure effective, beneficial and long-term projects?
IoT is becoming a priority for an increasing number of businesses, as the technology proves itself as a way of generating data that can be analysed and actioned to provide valuable business insights and deliver tangible value. However, when it comes to implementing the technology, businesses are faced with the task of figuring out the best way to ensure an implementation that meets their business needs and supports their core objectives.
A common challenge for organisations is finding a platform that addresses very specific needs and supports the core business purpose and objectives. However, due to the constant noise surrounding the topic, it can take up a lot of valuable time to sift through the options available, identify suitable partners, conduct an RFI/RFP process and then head to pilot.
It is not just the platform itself that is an important decision for businesses looking to embark on IoT platforms; they must also partner with the right solutions provider. They must be able to work efficiently and effectively with the organisation and see the IoT implementation as an ongoing and evolving project, continuing to work with the business to implement new functionalities and achieve continuous value when possible, to ensure the maximum benefit from the solution.
To make it easier to identify the right partner, stakeholders can look to reputable and recognisable organisations that have IoT Partner Programs, such as Dell and Intel; these organisations have an ecosystem of approved partners and solutions and can provide qualified recommendations of proven and rapidly deployable solutions and offer examples of previous use cases, proof points and ROI. This provides a guarantee that the project sponsors won’t be buying into an IoT platform that has a limited shelf life in the fast-paced world of technology. POCs can be undertaken to identify the most suitable partner to meet an organisation’s core requirements and to truly test whether the IoT platform chosen is indeed the right one for the job.
Navigating the IoT landscape can be tricky. However, the main things companies should want from their IoT platforms are: the ability to integrate with the existing infrastructure and leverage data from these existing systems; the ability to be rapidly deployable; the ability to deliver value and data that relates to your core purpose quickly and effectively; and the ability to adapt to future changes and advances in technology. Once a business has managed to match up with a platform and partner that offers this, it is set to reap the full benefits IoT has to offer.
It has been nearly 25 years since the term 'Internet of Things' (IoT) was first coined back in 1999.
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