Gain a Competitive Edge with IoT Monitoring Systems

IoT monitoring is the process of collecting, analyzing, and managing data from Internet of Things (IoT) devices remotely and in real-time. Through this continuous stream of information, businesses can monitor performance metrics, identify potential problems before they escalate, and make well-informed decisions.

Goals of Remote IoT Monitoring

The primary goals of remote IoT monitoring include:

• Tracking and maintaining optimal device and system performance.
• Identifying trends or anomalies to prevent downtime.
• Enabling data-driven decision-making.
• Optimizing resource utilization.

Let’s also briefly examine the differences between legacy and modern monitoring approaches to understand better the potential of IoT monitoring tools for operational intelligence.

How Does IoT Monitoring Work?

First, remote monitoring systems gather data from physical assets and environments and send it to an IoT platform for processing. Thanks to device libraries available for multiple platforms, integrating new devices is usually simple. 

The collected information is then analyzed in the cloud or locally on the edge, and data is fed to actionable dashboards, reports, and alerts. Simply put, it’s a never-ending data collection, analysis, and reporting process.

The integral components of any IoT monitoring system are:

• Sensors: deployed to collect data from devices, machines, and environments. These include temperature sensors, pressure gauges, GPS trackers, and more.
• Connectivity: The sensors transmit the collected data via cellular networks, Wi-Fi, or other communication protocols to IoT platforms.
• Data storage and analytics: The collected data is stored and processed in a cloud-based or local system. Advanced analytics tools sift through the data to identify patterns, detect anomalies, and generate insights.
• Dashboards and alerts: IoT platforms provide intuitive dashboards and generate reports to help operators monitor device status and trends. If an issue arises, alerts are triggered automatically to enable swift corrective actions.

Some platforms even enable you to set up automated responses to perform corrective actions to any detected issues, such as shutting down overheating machinery or rerouting resources in real-time.

Spotflow

Key Parameters

The flexibility of industrial monitoring tools allows you to track virtually any parameter critical to your domain. Common examples include:

• Device status: to check whether the equipment is operational, idle, or requires maintenance.
• Resource utilization: to monitor resources like energy consumption, CPU usage, or fill levels.
• Temperature: to ensure the machinery operates within safe temperature ranges or to maintain specific environmental conditions, such as in greenhouses.
• Location: to track the physical location of devices or shipments to improve logistics and security.
• Pressure: to detect leaks or avoid dangerous pressure buildups in industrial processes.

These five variables serve to illustrate the main point – IoT platforms are highly customizable and enable you to monitor the exact variables you need, whether you’re after precision farming or JIT manufaturing.

Benefits of IoT Monitoring

IoT platforms play a key role in gathering data from distributed fleets. The larger the fleet, the more advantages monitoring platforms offer compared to traditional approaches.

Just imagine a fleet of thousands of devices scattered around the globe – manually gathering data from each machine is out of the question, as it would be too slow and costly. 

Adopting an IoT system allows you to collect a large amount of data from any number of devices anywhere and anytime.

Cost Optimization

Monitoring resource utilization to eliminate waste, optimize energy use, and lower operational costs.

Predictive Maintenance

Anticipating equipment issues before they cause failures, reducing costly downtime, and avoiding unnecessary service trips.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Enabling operators to make informed, strategic decisions, and ensuring continuous operational improvement.

Remote Control

Managing devices from anywhere and reducing reliance on on-site personnel.

Scalability

IoT systems can easily scale to accommodate additional devices and parameters, ensuring sustainable expansion.

Next Step

IoT monitoring isn’t just a technology—it’s a strategic approach to industrial operations. Real-time insights and automation help organizations grow efficiently, reduce operational costs, and ensure safety and reliability across the board, enabling businesses to do more with less.

Whether you’re looking to improve your operations, increase uptime, or gain greater control over your devices, IoT monitoring can help you achieve your goals.