IoT Solutions To Boost Your Business Efficiency

There are billions of connected IoT devices and IoT device vendors are continuously introducing new products that are based on cutting edge-new technologies and new communication protocols – that are proprietary or newly developed communication protocols not available widely.

Technology Solution Partners (TSP) will help you understand the right technology needed and translate it into an optimized business solution deployable throughout your organization at a global level.

Here are some best practices to avoid common missteps during the design of an IoT solution.

Step 1: Security! Security! Security

Security is a day 1 discussion topic. Specifications for a solution are typically set without an in-depth understanding of security needs. Security for many solutions is limited to providing access via user credentials. This is not enough. Hackers are persistently scanning for security flaws to hack into your data and solution. Some solution features may do more harm than good in the wrong hands. Here’s how to avoid the common missteps and design an IoT solution with strong security:

• Plan solution design to incorporate multiple security and encryption features at multiple levels based on access level and user role.
• Design processes with a foundation based on information governance with built in data integrity and ways to eliminate data corruption.
• Integrate processes to verify user email and phone number, change password on initial login, periodically, or when seldom used.
• Encrypt and\or anonymize highly sensitive data.
• Include in test plan for security challenges.

Step 2: User Experience

There is a big disconnect between the tech savvy young design engineer and the less technical real or end user. User experience is often ignored over process flow. The one solution fits all approach adds clutter and unnecessary complexity to the user interface. A typical user is very familiar with a smart phone user interface. Mimicking this unspoken standard gives the user the experience they are used to with minimal training. This user interface is intuitive with a foundation in a simple step-by-step process.

• Rethink solution design to focus and solve a particular problem than a general-purpose solution that covers a broad objective.
• Focus on Simple Step-by-Step Intuitive process flow.
• Design with modular approach with role-based multiple user interfaces to aid in uncluttering and simplicity.

It is very important to have a clear understanding of user requirements and how the solution will be used.

Step 3: Use IoT Devices with proven standard technology from established vendors

IoT devices is a link in an IoT network chain. The weakest link in the chain can disrupt the entire network chain. An IoT device using newer communication technologies like BLE, LORA, 5G may not work everywhere as countries may have their own regulatory certifications. Smaller vendors may offer attractive pricing but may not be able to support the IoT device in different parts of the world.

• Plan to incorporate in solution IoT devices with standard proven communication technology from vendors that can support the IoT device in the countries the solution going to be used in.

Step 4: Pay attention to IoT Device Antenna and Power

• Make more in-depth conversation about antennas as early in the solution requirements process as possible. The nature of enclosure, surroundings, and direction of reading highly affects the performance of an IoT device.
• Be aware of power consumption requirements for battery operated IoT devices. The size of IoT device is dependent upon the size of battery.
• Plan solution design to keep power consumption to a minimum to keep “air time” as brief and infrequent as possible, because sending and receiving signals will likely be the biggest drain on the battery.

Step 5: Communication and Devices that you can depend upon

Connectivity is a major challenge that can lead to solution delays and unexpected costs. Early assumptions take for granted the use of omnipresent and cost-free customer’s existing Wi-Fi infrastructure. Customers like the idea of free but they quickly change their mind as IoT devices send a lot of data which can easily overload the existing infrastructure.

• Plan for a secure independent Wi-Fi infrastructure by choosing IoT devices that work on both Wi-Fi and on cellular. For moving assets, cellular connectivity may be the only choice.

Step 6: Store data where it is mostly used

How the IoT solution connects to the cloud and where data lives have a significant impact on acost structure and its development timeline.

• Do you need to invest in dedicated on-premise servers to house data that is collected and used on a production floor? Or do you need to use cloud-hosted infrastructure? Where data is collected and how much data going to and from, speed and cost of transmission all come into play. Often, a hybrid infrastructure is most cost effective – Edge server on premises to collect and use data locally and cloud hosted data for data collected from moving assets.