Automation Nation
Nowadays it seems everything is automated. Making a trip to the grocery store? You can now scan your items and check yourself out at a self-service checkout. Driving on a toll road or bridge? You can now skip the line and utilize cameras mounted above each lane to log your car’s license plate and pay the toll online. Ordering online food delivery? Soon it will be possible to receive your order from a self-driving robot fitted with GPS. It’s a modern world we’re living in and automation is all about improving business processes and making everyday tasks easier and more efficient.
The Internet, a global resource that adds efficiency to many everyday tasks, is no longer limited to home or office access. It’s everywhere. It’s in our pockets, on our wrists, in our cars and in home appliances. Wherever you go, there’s bound to be a Wi-Fi connection available, and with so many advances in wireless technology, just about any physical object can be transformed into an enabled device. The Internet of Things (IoT) has added an extra layer of intelligence to our devices, allowing them to connect with other digital entities and share data. But how are businesses supposed to utilize the IoT, and furthermore, how can they collect and share this abundance of data for automation purposes? One thing is certain, as the IoT matures, businesses are becoming more connected than ever before.
Start with the Basics
For some businesses, formulating an Internet of Things strategy can be daunting. In a recent article written for Manufacturing Automation, QAD’s Tony Winter talks about some of the hesitations businesses, specifically manufacturers, have about the IoT, planning focus areas and recommendations for internal process improvements and supply chain synchronization. He reiterates the importance of starting with basic steps like data collection and label printing as well as building an effective system that is intuitive and works for everyone involved. Taking smaller steps toward IoT adoption with automation can actually serve a business better than jumping head first into more advanced or lesser known technologies.
So, where should you begin? It is easy to be consumed with analysis paralysis when it comes to IoT and the accompanying technological complexity. However the first question to answer is what business problem am I trying to solve and where can data collection and automation help in addressing that problem.
— Tony Winter, Chief Technology Officer, QAD
To learn more about how automation can serve as the stepping stone needed to reach effective IoT adoption and more advanced business opportunities, read the full story.
