Best Industrial IoT Software for Medium-Sized Businesses

What is Industrial IoT Software?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming industries around the world, and perhaps none more than the manufacturing industry. Smart sensors and well-programmed IoT applications are helping convert factory equipment into functioning IoT devices, allowing them to generate actionable data, communicate with other machines, and optimize production. Industrial IoT software empowers factory operators to harness the power of smart technology with their own IoT projects, connecting production machines, and uncovering the benefits of industrial automation.

The widespread adoption of IoT systems in manufacturing is called the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0. Achieving IoT connectivity and its potential business outcomes requires more than a single software platform. Bringing a factory operation to the industrial internet requires a substantial investment in modern hardware. These initiatives require unique networks and data plans to bring connectivity to industrial IoT devices, and relevant programming. For companies with resources, industrial IoT software can provide digital capabilities for real-time monitoring of connected objects, managing of IoT data, and configuring the applications that make these systems perform in the desired ways. The industrial IoT market is evolving on a daily basis, becoming a top priority for how businesses invest their resources and structure into their critical factory processes. As it becomes more accessible for the average business, the advanced tools in this emerging software category will be an IoT gateway for many of these teams, helping make sense of complex IoT technology and using it to achieve specific needs.

Key Benefits of Industrial IoT Software

• Create real-world applications for smart technology within a manufacturing scenario
• Unify distributed factory equipment and corresponding data on a centralized platform
• Automate processes and trigger device-based events across the supply chain
• Track real-time analytics related to machine performance, allowing predictive maintenance and proactive improvements to business-critical assets

Why Use Industrial IoT Software?

Industrial IoT, or IIoT, is helping manufacturing businesses perform at a higher level than ever before. As the IIoT market continues to evolve, it becomes more affordable and sensible for businesses to implement IoT applications and hardware on their factory floors, whether incrementally or in complete transformations of their equipment fleet. Used properly and with the necessary resources, intelligent factory systems can maximize efficiency, reduce operational costs, and improve worker safety, among various other benefits.

There are a number of technologies and cloud-based platforms that can assist with monitoring and optimizing factory operations, such as manufacturing intelligence software. Internet connectivity and IoT platforms have expanded these capabilities by enabling machines to “talk" with each other and share timely, actionable insights with factory workers and supervisors. Considering recent innovations such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, as well as the growing popularity of industrial robots, IoT-enabled factory devices are helping manufacturers produce consistently and securely, minimizing equipment downtime and discrepancies in production. This allows workers to focus on the most critical tasks, while making data-driven decisions about machine maintenance, worker distribution, and overall production strategy. An IoT strategy may be an overwhelming or nerve-wrecking concept for established manufacturing operations, but thanks to advanced platforms like those in this category, factory connectivity and automation are within reach for businesses around the globe.

Who Uses Industrial IoT Software?

The IoT market is rapidly scaling thanks to implementation across industries and regions, with smart technology now commonplace in homes, retail stores, and countless other scenarios. Industrial IoT applications are designed specifically for manufacturing environments, with unique tools for connecting, programming, and tracking factory machinery and other equipment. These platforms are best suited for decision-makers and supervisory experts, along with machine and process engineers who help these teams execute their overarching strategies. Each of these applications offers a unique set of tools, and may be intended for certain aspects of IIoT management.

Industrial IoT Software Features

Though the platforms in this category can help achieve similar outcomes, they each provide different sets of features, whether for very specific components of industrial IoT or end-to-end execution of smart factory scenarios. The following are some common features of these diverse offerings.

Real-time monitoring — Managing a factory floor can involve an outsized number of expensive, complex machines, with a never-ending demand for inspections, upgrades, and repairs. This can be especially troublesome for larger operations, with distributed assets and various products assembled at any given moment. Using live sensor data from embedded machinery, factory supervisors can keep a close eye on machine performance and health, with granular tracking of equipment parts and connected processes. Industrial IoT software may share features of or integrate with IoT device management software, providing users with valuable information about any and all assets connected to the IoT network. Using the actionable data from these monitoring tools, factory managers can make proactive decisions about machine upkeep and resource allocation, while ensuring these distributed assets are active and working as needed for the desired outcomes.

Machine workflow creation — Automation is a resounding benefit of industrial IoT technology for businesses adopting these solutions. Using similar programming modules as IoT platforms and IoT development tools—or importing the applications designed with these solutions—industrial IoT systems can help implement automated process and response flows across connected machinery. In addition to optimizing machine processes, these intelligent workflows can instruct machines to adjust their processes based on triggers, observations, or signals from other machines. For example, if a nearby machine encounters a problem, it can communicate the problem and cause a connected machine to pause production. By creating intelligent workflows with various situations and preferred responses, it can alleviate factory workers of certain time-sensitive tasks and keep things running throughout the ups and downs of production. It can also help create a symbiotic relationship between the many and varied systems on a factory floor, unifying production and improving business outcomes across the operation.

Factory data analytics — There are boundless data points to be considered in a modern manufacturing operation, from the efficiency of certain machines to the number and types of anomalies encountered on the assembly line. Each new piece of data can help factory managers make informed decisions about how to structure work processes, allocate resources, and train employees. The platforms in this category offer features similar to or integrate with IoT analytics software, collecting data from distributed assets and revealing the most actionable insights related to production, work environments, equipment health, and more. These platforms may also offer features which integrate with digital twin software, allowing users to monitor virtual replicas of machines and machine parts as well as view predictive analytics about maintenance needs or performance outcomes. Factories that take advantage of these advanced analytics can continuously improve their operations in ways that were not possible before the rise of IoT technology.

Software and Services Related to Industrial IoT Software

The following software and service markets are worth considering, and may help shape companies’ manufacturing strategy and processes in significant ways.

Manufacturing intelligence software — Manufacturing intelligence software provides factory supervisors and leadership boards with high-level insights drawn from sources across the operation. For factory operations to succeed and meet the increasing demands of customers and partners, there needs to be a continuous effort to identify issues and improvement opportunities related to cost, production quality, and worker productivity. Manufacturing intelligence platforms help to gather and structure data from company software systems and production equipment, allowing users to quickly and conveniently observe the metrics that matter most so they can determine priorities and adjust strategies. Employees on the factory floor may also utilize this data to inform their ongoing manufacturing tasks and gain a deeper understanding of their operation and output, along with the equipment they use on a daily basis. With or without an IoT strategy in place, these tools can centralize and visualize the most relevant analytics for manufacturing teams, with timely alerts or notifications about production issues and other important findings.

PLM software — Product lifecycle management software, or PLM software, provides manufacturing teams with a centralized information hub related to their product development. These tools help industrial companies track various data points throughout a product’s creation and distribution cycle, including the people and systems involved at every step in the process. PLM software often integrates with ERP systems, which help manage the many resources involved in a production-based business. As factories continue to adopt IoT technology, these platforms can help store and organize critical production data and ensure that resources are allocated as necessary for the desired business outcomes.

Managed IoT services — Deploying a fleet of IoT devices and connected factory assets is only part of the challenge, as these assets demand constant monitoring, analysis, updates, and maintenance to realize their potential and function as intended. In certain situations, manufacturing teams may not be properly equipped to manage these fleets and handle the litany of tasks related to their management and optimization. Managed IoT services providers allow these businesses to outsource one or more of the responsibilities related to an industrial IoT infrastructure, including device monitoring, data analysis, and system diagnostics. Additionally, a business may consider working with an external IoT developer to design and deploy underlying applications that allow machines to communicate, gather data, and automate responses to various events or triggers. Limited internal experience with smart technology and embedded systems should not stand in the way of a business realizing the benefits of industrial IoT. Working with a third-party specialist may allow companies to achieve these goals faster and with fewer risks.