IoT, Maker Movement Add "Cool" Factor to Industrial Sector
by Alex Iuorio, Avnet Senior Vice President of Supplier Development
Originally published on Industrial Distribution
In the early days of my career, when I would tell people I worked for an electronics distributor, their eyes would light up with fascination. The era of personal electronics was just dawning and the public was mesmerized. Once I clarified that I worked primarily with industrial manufacturers, their eyes would instantly glaze over. While consumer electronics was considered sexy, the industrial sector was more utilitarian. Critical of course, but hardly fodder for cocktail party chitchat.
People’s reaction today might be the same, but the industrial sector has changed dramatically over the past several decades. With growing adoption of game-changing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies and cloud-based tools and platforms, the sector is becoming, dare I say, pretty darn cool.
Though a little later to the IoT party than the consumer segment, leaders in the industrial supply chain are engaged now — leveraging an expanding catalog of embedded and cloud-based technologies to maximize their productivity and efficiency. For example, OEMs or distributors may use wireless sensors to monitor inventory levels in parts bins and send replenishment orders directly to a cloud-connected ERP system. This solution can reduce the number of labor hours dedicated to manual inventory monitoring and increase order accuracy, thereby minimize the need for reserve supplies. Embedded sensors can also monitor physical assets to ensure they are working properly, avoiding costly equipment downtime.
This digital transformation will undoubtedly be more difficult for small to medium-size enterprises (SME) in the industrial sector. Many of these companies are still entrenched in a traditional “brick and mortar” business model. But, as overwhelming as it may seem, this journey can be undertaken like any other: one step at a time.
