Harnessing the industrial Internet of things (IIoT) has arguably become the biggest strategic priority for industrial companies in the race to gain competitive advantage through digital transformation.
Through the implementation of IIoT systems, industrial companies are improving the speed and accuracy of decision making and corrective actions. This is achieved by having the correct information in the hands of the correct expert at the right time. The IIoT is ushering in a transformation that is enabling these companies to exploit their own expertise through technology like never before.
IIoT and the Digital Connected Worker
As Mendix affirms in its solution brief, “The internet of things (IoT) is a transformative force driving the convergence of the physical and digital worlds.” In the industrial space, this often means needing to access the data generated by the IIoT while out in the field. As many sectors within the industrial space move toward comprehensive digital transformation, more and more field-based employees are completing their work on digital devices. Field applications, therefore, have become commonplace in the industrial space.
These apps take many forms, whether it is to replace a paper form or an Excel sheet, automate an entire workflow, or track work progress or asset performance. The majority of these apps involve employees collecting data and uploading it to a central system. This is where the IIoT comes into play in taking industrial field apps to the next level.
The IIoT can change these field apps from being an interface to input data to a source of continuous information about the assets that a technician is responsible for.