How Connected Are You?

How Connected Are You?

Recently I had a video conference with a former professor. Then my headphones connected to a mobile audio app in the other room to make boring household chores slightly less evening-crushing.

And that’s a pretty low-connected evening.

Compare that to a decade ago, when I was thrilled to have moved up in the world with a slide-up phone with a camera, and video conferencing would have been nothing but fuzz and glitches, if the Internet was in a kind mood.

From smart TVs and lights to thermostats and fridges, it’s estimated that there are 8 networked devices per person, with that average expected to hit 13.6 by 2022. This use of wireless Ethernet technology can help us stay organized, protect our homes while we’re away, and connect with others. They ensure a toasty car a few minutes before you have to run out into the winter air. They get that sweet coffee elixir ready for you. Ironically, all of these connections have made life simpler for us in ways we didn’t know we needed a decade ago.

How that translates to industry

So picture all those connected devices that help make your life easier on the regular.

And now, think of how similar technology could assist in your industrial applications. There, the benefits are greater than a fresh cup of coffee improving your Monday or a TV that connects directly to Netflix. At home, your connected devices make life more pleasant; at work, they can create efficiencies that can introduce major savings.

You can make sure that moving equipment is where it needs to be, reducing costly downtime.

You can keep a worker at their station and switch the product they carted between facility corners to an AGV instead. Just like that: Improved productivity for the employee.

The possibilities are huge for any application, as are the savings you can report to your higher-ups – and stakeholders. At a time when most companies are looking for ways to optimize processes, connected equipment can boost efficiency in nearly every industry.

By identifying what you can connect, you can start to recognize ways in which doing so will benefit your bottom line.

This is Part 1 of a five-part series focused on wireless connectivity and its effect on industry. Next up: How wireless forms the foundation for IIoT applications. Subscribe at the box to the right to make sure you never miss this series!