Opportunities Ahead for the Internet of Things in Manufacturing

I just read a very nice Gartner paper by Simon Jacobson titled "Four Best Practices to Manage the Strategic Vision for the Internet of Things (IoT) in  Manufacturing". Good paper. 

There is a potential for convergence of IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operations Technology) in the near horizon as the standards-based IT technologies make their way into the new generation of manufacturing machines and systems. Some of the forces helping this convergence include the growing needs for interorganizational collaboration, a desire to mine more realtime data, the expansion of mobile and wireless technologies, and trends to embrace more bring-your-own-device policies in our plants.

The IoT doesn't have to be on the Internet.
The IoT doesn't have to be on the Internet.

I repeat that twice because I have heard several skeptics discounting the technology opportunity because they don't believe that the plant equipment will ever get direct access to the Internet. However, I am hoping the term used by Simon, "The Intranet of Things", catches on. In the short term, we should focus more on the converge of IT and OT, and less on trying to push data into the
cloud.

Some of the examples of the manufacturing IoT opportunities include:
* Automated kanban replenishment across lines/sites/tiers
* Job prioritization via machine learning and sensors
* Remote monitoring and alerts via personal mobile devices
* Accelerated quality checks via asset connectivity
* Automated equipment configuration based on product RFID recognition

These are just some teaser points from the paper. If you have access to Gartner's manufacturing reports, the full paper is a must read. 

Reference:
Four Best Practices to Manage the Strategic Vision for the Internet of Things in Manufacturing
https://www.gartner.com/doc/2899318

Comments

[Jean-Pierre]

Hi there. Thanks for the post. I would like to ask what "Automated kanban replenishment across lines/sites/tiers" means?

Thanks.

[Conrad]

eKanban is a signaling system that triggers replenishment rules based on the movement of materials within a manufacturing or production facility. eKanban differs from traditional kanban in that it uses technology to replace elements such as kanban cards with barcodes and electronic messages. eKanban uses the internet as a method of routing messages to global locations or external suppliers and as a means to provide a view of inventory, via portals. These integrated messaging methods help to eliminate common problems such as manual entry errors and lost cards. eKanban systems can be integrated into MOM and ERP systems, enabling real-time demand signaling across the supply chain and improved visibility.