By now, you’ve probably heard of the Internet of Things (IoT) during a conference or a business lunch – the term seems to be everywhere. Even if you have heard of it, maybe you don’t exactly know what it is and how to apply it. As a business owner, you need to be making the smartest decisions that yield the most profit and gains. This is where IoT comes in.
Back in My Day…
Is it weird to anyone else that less than 30 years ago the Internet wasn’t a keystone of daily life? In such a short span of time, our lives have become not just better because of, but also dependent upon, the World Wide Web.
Technology is a steam engine, ever-moving toward the bigger and better; can you even imagine what the next 30 years will bring? What we do know, is the Internet of Things (IoT) is the next wave of technology advancement and we’ve only reached the tip of the potential iceberg. And we should know, because Monnit has been leading the charge in IoT Innovation.
CEO Brad Walters said, “the Internet of Things isn’t on the precipice of changing the entire world as we’ve always known it, it’s already doing it and now is the perfect time to understand how it can better change your world too.”
What is IoT?
Among the world of self-proclaimed computer geniuses, live men and women who understand all the backend, techie jargon involved in making IoT work. If you would like to understand more of this, then you may find a different article helpful. Our agenda today is to help you understand the practical applications of this very cool and very powerful world some call “the Internet of everything.”
The essence of IoT is taking an inanimate object (a refrigerator), applying sensors to detect something (the refrigerator door has been left open), and it communicating its findings to you (you receive an alert about the open door), giving you control over your business and systems in a more streamlined way.
Even still, you may feel like you don’t quite have a handle on it. That’s ok, we’ve got you. Use our handy IoT terminology cheat sheet here.
Who Uses IoT?
In a word, everyone. But more specifically, users are smart managers who run smart buildings. Imagine that you could have an eagle-eye view of your entire business, from the lights to the refrigeration all the way to the air conditioning vents. What power does that give you? How can you gain the most from being one step ahead of your building?
Back to our refrigerator example, if one of your employees leaves an industrial refrigerator door open for too long, it could result in costly food waste or potential food safety risk. Being on top of the efficiency of your business is at the core of saving thousands of dollars annually. In fact, the Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences at the University of Florida says that leaving a refrigerator door open wastes between 50 and 120 kWh per year. To put it into perspective, 100 kWh could run a washing machine 50 times. Imagine the amount of money you could save every year with one single act of closing the door to a refrigerator.
Easy as 1-2-3
1) Identify
The first step may be the step that takes the most effort – identify your needs. If you are a restaurant owner that has several industrial refrigerators, not only should you install an open-door sensor, but a temperature sensor as well. This will give you peace of mind that the food you keep is fresh and at the safest temperatures. Once you’ve identified your needs, allow a company like Monnit to help you navigate which sensors best support your internal processes.
2) Install
The second step is installation. Wait, don’t panic! You don’t need to be tech-savvy to install your sensors. It really is a matter of placing the sensors and gateway into the correct positions and then you are off and running. In fact, the most advanced IoT companies have systems that can be installed in less than 15 minutes.
3) Manage
The last piece to the puzzle is making sure you receive the alerts when changes occur and your sensor is alerted. You’ll need to have a way to capture this information and disseminate it. Software is available to help you manage your data and reporting.
Your Imagination is the Limit
It was Charles Kettering, an American inventor, who once said, “Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future.” We echo his sentiments. If you can think it, it can be done. The same is true for turning a facility into a “smart building” for business. With sensors that already have the capability of tracking open and close rates or temperature settings, many business owners are already saving time and money. But what’s next?
Monnit has been a well-established, industry leader for more than a decade and has developed more than 80 sensors types. But we aren’t done yet, and you shouldn’t be either. What can IoT do for you and your business? Where can you cut down on redundancy or human error? In this Internet of smart things, it makes sense to improve processes and production with IoT.
For more information on IoT or any of the Monnit products, call: +1 801.561.5555.
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