Automation solutions are increasingly incorporating capabilities to handle the Internet of Things, but manufacturers will likely need to shop separately for many best-of-breed IoT components. These include sensors to make factory equipment “smart” and Internet-connected; “fog computing” or “edge computing” applications for nearby tablets and rugged personal computers to capture, filter and analyze data from smart equipment so that only the necessary data needs to be uploaded to manufacturers’ main systems, and the right data analytics solutions to make the kinds of decisions that help manufacturers best compete. Manufacturers will also likely need third parties to help them integrate all of these moving parts. With IoT, manufacturers can collect real-time information from equipment, facilities, supply chain partners and logistics providers, and analyze that data to make decisions on new control mechanisms, optimized routings or improved maintenance regimes. The ultimate goal? Better asset utilization, greater operational efficiencies, improved manufacturing quality, and reduced waste, says Alex Blanter, partner in A.T. Kearney’s communications, media & technology practice. “This is the broad promise of IoT in manufacturing,” Blanter says. “In reality, delivering on this promise is complex, and comprehensive integrated solutions are years away. Therefore, at the present time and in the near future manufacturers need to focus on finding specific-use cases where the benefits are more immediate and obvious, and available IoT solutions are somewhat more mature.” “Better asset utilization, greater operational efficiencies, improved quality and reduced waste are the broad promises of IoT in manufacturing.” Ideally, smart technologies will be integrated into existing automated systems and processes, so manufacturers don’t have to redesign and rebuild everything, says Julie Anderson, a principal at AG Strategy Group in Washington, D.C. Justin Hoss, principal, advisory at KPMG LLP, prefers to use the term the “Internet of Everything (IoE),” which focuses on a “broader business […]