While industrial IoT is growing in popularity, it can be risky for many smaller industrial companies.
The industrial Internet of Things is becoming more and more popular as it is being implemented in companies all over the world. However, IIoT isn’t right for every emerging business and has some notable drawbacks that can affect business operations. These can negatively affect productivity and lead to problems when attempting to do business digitally.
IIoT is linked to Industry 4.0 and growing worldwide. Countries are expected to transition to Industry 4.0 exponentially in the coming years. As IIoT is adopted, questions about the viability of automation, industrial software, and digital security are becoming prominent around the world.
What is Industrial IoT?
IIoT, as mentioned above, includes aspects of both IoT and Industry 4.0. IoT refers to the connected network of digital assets, composed of everyday technology implemented around the world, through which people can communicate or perform various tasks. Industry 4.0, on the other hand, is the fourth change in the history of global industry. It is exemplified by a transition to digital software and data storage, virtual operations and cybersecurity.
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IIoT is thus the application of the communication and functional tools of IoT in an industrial environment. This means working on automated production technologies, infrastructure monitoring from around the world and smart software for high-risk companies. It is often used as a solution in complex situations, making it difficult for companies to deploy.
Disadvantages of Industrial IoT
Privacy and data
Using IIoT creates huge amounts of data. It wouldn’t matter if it weren’t for the fact that this information has to be processed quickly to be of any use. Especially when applied to digital operations, data processing is the key to success. In addition, all this generated information raises questions about privacy and security. IoT itself is a relatively new concept, and protecting the data it collects requires companies to find other and more efficient ways to sort digital assets.
At the very least, companies working with IIoT technology should definitely invest in a secure cloud computing infrastructure. Without strong digital assets, IIoT implementation becomes even more complicated and risky than it already is.
Cost
Switching to IIoT is expensive. Regardless of the need for new systems, as mentioned above, current IoT costs are already high. This is because IIoT uses advanced software to analyze productivity and predict future trends and issues. It is also capable of deploying smart software for use in technology and agricultural businesses. In combination with the network that IIoT provides to companies, the costs of developing a digital strategy can be substantial.
It’s also worth noting that IIoT can lose money. If not operated correctly, digital assets and production can be affected. This negatively affects the effectiveness of a company in the short and long term.
Communication
Communication, connection and collaboration between devices and digital platforms is an important part of IIoT. While it’s also a big part of cloud computing, it’s not as risky as IIoT. When industrial systems fail, companies lose the ability to operate at a huge level. Manufacturing, maintenance and many other aspects of business become incredibly difficult to pursue. This is important to keep in mind for businesses that rely heavily on remote communications and operations.
Complex applications
While this isn’t necessarily a fault of IIoT itself, the situations that currently call for industrial strategies are complicated and therefore bring their own problems. The sensors, automation tools and remote monitoring in IIoT lend themselves well to complex environments. From farming systems to robotics, the tools of IoT can be very useful and extremely difficult to operate. The problem with this is similar to the problems that can arise from communication failures. It can be time consuming and difficult to set up IIoT tools and even more time consuming to fix them.
All of these issues can help determine who IIoT’s users are. Often those who see the benefits are industry leaders who can afford to develop the infrastructure and solve problems arising from such a strategy. However, even if they are still hugely profitable, smaller businesses cannot benefit from IIoT in the same way.
Conclusion
While there are downsides when it comes to IIoT, others won’t be put off by such things. If you’re working to implement IIoT in your enterprise, selecting IIoT software is critical. There are hundreds of IIoT platforms and each one is slightly different from the next, so how do you choose? This article provides some advice on: how to choose the right IIoT software.
