The Internet of Things: Use Cases

To better inform business leaders, myosh is conducting a 4-week article series that will take a broad look into IoT technology, and how organisations are using it to drive tangible business value:

• How does IoT work? (week 1)
• Making a business case (week 2)
• Common use cases (week 3)
• The future of IoT (week 4)

The Internet of Things being used today

As IoT technology continues to evolve and experience mainstream adoption, the number of use cases is expected to grow rapidly. Even so, a large number of organisations in a range of industries are utilising IoT technology today, with measurable business impact. The following are some of the more common industrial IoT use cases.

Predictive maintenance

Keeping assets operational and avoiding unexpected breakdowns is the aim of predictive maintenance. Downtime costs money, and the ability to precisely monitor and predict operational failures would be valuable in many workplace environments, particularly manufacturing. Sensors can take readings from the machines themselves, as well as the machine’s environment.

This reliable stream of machine status data allows organisations to recognise warning signs, forecast maintenance, proactively allocate resources, and deploy technicians before a problem occurs. Currently, most organisations periodically check and test the performance of their assets. But with remote monitoring, expensive technicians are no longer deployed to test equipment, only to find there was nothing wrong – if it isn’t broken, there’s no need to fix it.

Smart metering

Keeping assets operational and avoiding unexpected breakdowns is the aim of predictive maintenance. Downtime costs money, and the ability to precisely monitor and predict operational failures would be valuable in many workplace environments, particularly manufacturing. Sensors can take readings from the machines themselves, as well as the machine’s environment.

This reliable stream of machine status data allows organisations to recognise warning signs, forecast maintenance, proactively allocate resources, and deploy technicians before a problem occurs. Currently, most organisations periodically check and test the performance of their assets. But with remote monitoring, expensive technicians are no longer deployed to test equipment, only to find there was nothing wrong – if it isn’t broken, there’s no need to fix it.

Asset tracking

IoT asset tracking offers real-time identification of equipment and devices to boost compliance, productivity, and security. Knowing the precise location of an asset (as well as other important data) saves time trying to find it, minimises the chance of theft, loss, or damage, and can also be used to meet common industry standard regulations.

Asset tracking under an IoT system can take a number of forms. The first is to equip all assets with individual sensors that broadcast a radio signal to the IoT hub. This provides the organisation with real-time data on location, as well as more advanced metrics such as temperature or acceleration (via an accelerometer). Alternatively, RFID tags attached to assets can be detected by a nearby IoT gateway with an RFID reader. When a connection is made, the IoT gateway can pass information to the IoT platform that an asset has been moved.

Previously, the high cost of asset tracking was prohibitive for many organisations. This meant the technology was typically reserved for a small number of key assets within an organisation. Now, falling sensor prices and more connectivity options mean tens of thousands of devices can be cheaply tracked and analysed.

Fleet management

IoT in Fleet Management looks to maximise the efficiency of vehicles and drivers. Firstly, a constant and reliable stream of on-board diagnostics improves vehicle maintenance and keeps assets operational. Secondly, IoT data makes drivers more effective by providing them feedback on metrics such as over-acceleration, seatbelt usage, sharp cornering and steering behaviour. Some sensors even monitor a driver’s eye moments to detect drowsiness, and posture to improve ergonomics. Thirdly, advances in GPS systems have transformed navigation to the point where drivers receive real-time updates on optimal routes and driving conditions.

Transport operators are also using IoT to maximise fuel efficiency. On-board sensors collect data on a vehicle’s acceleration, braking, and idling patterns – all of which are then used to coach driver behaviour. A remote operator could even control the on-board temperature of a vehicle transporting fruit and vegetables.

Wearables and worker safety

Organisations across a range of industries are finding that connecting workers to the IoT can benefit workplace productivity and keep workers safe. This is particularly the case in high-risk industrial sectors such as mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, and transport. Workers in remote or dangerous areas can have their health-related vitals tracked, and can be alerted of external hazards such as exposure to CO2 or excess noise.

Common readings include blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, and biometrics/stress indicators. Sensors are often placed in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as watches, goggles, helmets, and vests. The technology can also be used to track an employee’s precise location and restrict access to dangerous areas via geofencing.

Worker safety is a key area of IoT development, and the number of applications are widespread and growing rapidly. One MIT innovation involves shoes with weighted sensors in the soles. When a worker lifts a load above the recommended weight, the shoes will vibrate until the sensor takes a normal reading.

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Your investment in myosh helps you and your team manage risk, compliance and improve workplace health and safety. Today, successful organisations view safety as an asset, and health and safety spending as an investment. This is because a safe workplace adds measurable business value, and can drive tangible improvements in performance, profit, and culture.

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The Facts and The Figures

Organisations are constantly reminded that health and safety failure is expensive. And whilst this is certainly true, there are benefits to health and safety success that go beyond cost-avoidance. Today, successful organisations view safety as an asset, and health and safety spending as an investment.

Download the report and discover the tangible and measurable benefits that health and safety initiatives can have on:

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Your investment in myosh helps you and your team manage risk, compliance and improve workplace health and safety.

We encourage you to treat your software technology like a team member. The myosh Academy is designed to empower your team with Knowledge, Skills, Tips and FAQS, and to ensure they use their software tools productively.

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