Developing Your Own Machine Connectivity Solution: A Serious Mistake? In Summary:
Creating a custom IIoT connectivity solution may seem like an appealing option. However, this approach to industrial solutions comes with significant risks and complexities that are often underestimated. Discover why this machine connectivity strategy can prove counterproductive for your industrial digitization efforts.
The Stakes of Machine Connectivity in Modern Industry
Industrial connectivity has become a central element of digital transformation. Data collection solutions enable process optimization, but their implementation requires specialized expertise and a deep understanding of technical challenges.
The Temptation of Internal Development in Industry 4.0
You may have already noticed that acquiring machine data seems straightforward in theory. It involves gathering a few basic metrics:
- Uptime and downtime to calculate availability
- Production cycles to evaluate performance
- Quality data to track defects
This apparent simplicity can lead some companies to pursue the development of their own supervision solution. However, the reality of industrial connectivity is much more complex.
The Complexity of Modern IIoT Solutions
Machine Availability: Much More Than a Simple On/Off Status
Monitoring availability requires:
- A detailed classification of downtime causes
- A differentiation between planned and unplanned stops
- Constant adaptation of categories according to needs
- A dynamic interface allowing for easy addition of new causes
Industrial Performance: A Multidimensional Challenge
Accurate performance measurement requires:
- Integration of standard times
- Synchronization with various data sources (ERP, Excel files)
- Mechanisms for automatically updating references
- Advanced statistical analysis capabilities
The Challenges of Technology Adoption
The successful implementation of an IIoT solution heavily depends on user adoption. This involves:
- Developing interfaces tailored to different user profiles
- Setting up accessible kiosks and tablets on the shop floor
- Designing with a user-centered approach to facilitate adoption
- Establishing feedback mechanisms to continuously improve the interface
The Risks of Internal Development
Developing a custom solution poses several major pitfalls:
- Feature creep: the continuous addition of features that extend timelines
- Limitations of rapid prototyping against the needs of a complete solution
- Difficulty in maintaining consistent data quality
- Lack of responsiveness to evolving user needs
Technical Challenges of Industrial Connectivity
Underestimating Required Features
A professional industrial supervision system must include:
- Customized dashboards for different users
- A sophisticated alert system (SMS, email, Teams)
- Complex notification rules based on schedules
- An intuitive and configurable user interface
The True Cost of IIoT Development
Internal development represents a significant investment:
- Initial development costs ranging from $100,000 to $500,000
- Ongoing maintenance and update expenses
- An unfavorable cost/performance ratio compared to professional solutions
- A total investment significantly higher than market solutions
Choosing the Right Approach for Industrial Connectivity
The Relevance of Existing Solutions
Professional IIoT connectivity solutions represent years of development and expertise. They offer unmatched technological maturity, the result of massive investments in R&D and extensive field experience.
These solutions stand out due to:
- Proven expertise in Industry 4.0
- Comprehensive features including real-time data collection, advanced analytics, and configurable dashboards
- Continuous technological evolution ensured by regular updates
Interoperability as a Major Asset
Interoperability is a crucial aspect of modern professional solutions:
- Native compatibility with major industrial software solutions
- Data export capabilities to centralized data warehouses
- Simplified integration with standard artificial intelligence services
- Open APIs allowing for specific complementary developments
Conclusion
In the context of the current digital transformation, the temptation to develop an internal industrial connectivity solution is understandable, but it often represents a major strategic error. Professional IIoT solutions offer a proven, scalable, and sustainable approach. The real costs, technical complexity, and resources required for internal development far exceed initial estimates. Manufacturing companies have every reason to focus on their core business and rely on established industrial connectivity solutions developed by domain experts. This approach not only accelerates digital transformation but also enables immediate access to best practices in Industry 4.0 and the latest technological advancements.
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