The most common misconceptions about the Industrial IoT

The most common misconceptions about the Industrial IoT

Due to the real potential to help companies gain a competitive advantage, the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) continues to generate a lot of interest. But all the hype has inevitably led to some misconceptions, which remain significant barriers to realizing the full value of the industrial IoT.

Here, we explain the faulty thinking behind four popular misconceptions:

Misconception 1: Industrial IoT is IoT

Industrial IoT	IoT
Millions of sensors	Billions of sensors
$100 to $1,000 per sensor	$5 or less per sensor
Some to No Installation	No Installation Required
Distribution is a few dozen to thousands in one location – thousands of sites	Distribution is a handful to a dozen in one location – millions of sites
Connection over wireless industrial sensor networks and fit-for-purpose backhaul networks	Connects to the general internet
Designed for industrial use – More rugged and accurate	Designed for the consumer market
High ecological or monetary consequences from an error or hacking	Low ecological or monetary consequences from an error or hacking

Misconception 2: IIoT is about technology and too expensive

Industrial IoT is all about changing the way an organization conducts business to gain a competitive advantage.  However, many discussions about the industrial IoT start with the technology and costs, rather than focusing on the business problems to be solved. This creates the misconception that technology is what matters the most and focus turns to the overwhelming task of replacing old, out data legacy equipment. But the reality is that the technology selection is not nearly as important as the changes in organizational behavior that must take place in order to apply the technology and gain a competitive advantage. And it’s important to note that legacy assets can be connected to the industrial IoT using sensors – which is a fraction of the cost of new machinery.

Check out the lists of industrial IoT companies and startups present at Web Summit 2021.

A classic story is the one about a refinery that equipped workers with handhelds to perform operator rounds.  The focus was on implementing WiFi in the refinery, deploying handhelds, and implementing the mobile software.  However, operators continued to write the readings down on a clipboard and then type the data into the handheld later.  Not changing behavior defeated the efficiency gains – of saving time and resources – that handhelds were expected to deliver. Read about another case study: Refinery of the Future type of projects: the benefits, opportunities, and challenges in implementing IIoT.

Read what are the other two common misconceptions here.

Similar articles can be accessed here:

• Industry 4.0: dispelling the myths
• 6 Myths about IIoT Implementation Debunked
• More about IIoT vs IoT

About the author

This article was written by Jennifer McClure and originally was published here.