The Internet of Things: Where to Begin?
Recently, Microsoft posted a blog describing the Internet of Things (IoT) as, ” in many ways, like ‘the cloud‘ was nearly a decade ago: Everyone’s talking about it. Some businesses and consumers have already begun embracing it wholeheartedly. Others want to understand it better than they do. And many find the whole idea a bit overwhelming and aren’t sure where to start.”
And much like the cloud was nearly a decade ago, people can see there is a benefit, but don’t know where to begin. They want to start modernizing their business operations overnight. But, in turn they end up overwhelmed and frustrated, it doesn’t happen in a day, but we can tell you where you should begin…
- Start with what you have. Your existing equipment is the best foundation for an IoT solution. Don’t think that you need to start from scratch, instead, identify which equipment is already generating data, then build on that.
- Set your mission and market. Gain a clear understanding of your company’s position and where it needs to be.
- Rank your business problems. Identify one or two areas within your company that most need to be updated.
- Play to your company’s strengths and strategy. Identify one or two areas that could give your company a competitive advantage. Use that as a starting point to forge a path to business growth.
- Define your data needs. The data IoT generates can increase your operational awareness as well as help identify additional opportunities where IoT would reap the most benefit. You can translate that data into actionable insights using a variety of tools. And business intelligence can help you more easily identify emerging trends and determine the best course of action.
Bringing IoT to your business doesn’t have to be trying, and it definitely doesn’t have to happen at one time. By taking a reasonable approach with set, attainable goals to aim for, you will get the best value from IoT. And soon you’ll see how it has the power to transform the way your company does business – Allowing you to identify a business need and address it, learning from it, doing it over and over and finally, opening the doors to opportunity and growth within your business.