INDUSTRIAL

IoT PLATFORMS
A Manufacturer’s Guide

BY GR AHAM IMMERMAN, VP OF MARKE TING, MACHINEME TRICS

The Connected Factory

Gartner calls it a game-changer, Forbes named it If you intend to integrate IIoT in your industrial facilities,
manufacturing’s most significant development for the then you will likely have heard of different IIoT
coming decade, and others believe it will increase the platforms and read through hundreds of pamphlets
value of the global economy by 10%. This is the spelling out their benefits.
Industrial internet of things (IIoT), and everywhere you
turn, references to it are being made. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide a holistic
analysis of the choices available. The guide will
These industry watchdogs also put the rise of the discuss:
Industrial IoT and its diverse applications at the top of
their 2020 trends list. Industrial IoT makes this list • The differences between a cloud platform and an
because of the benefits it brings to manufacturing and edge platform
the integration of Industry 4.0 concepts in today’s
factories. • The pros and cons of building versus subscribing
to an IIoT platform
Interconnectivity, data analytics, and process
monitoring are IoT’s most important benefits. To reap • The key considerations to note when purchasing or
the benefits of a connected environment, a centralized subscribing to an IIoT platform
platform is needed to manage the multiple IIoT devices
being deployed across manufacturing facilities. This is At the end of this guide, you will be in an excellent
where IIoT platforms come into the picture. position to decide which IoT platform best meets
your needs.

02
M A C H I N E M E T R I C S   |   A M A N U FA C T U R E R ’ S G U I D E T O I N D U S T R I A L I oT P L AT F O R M S

What is an IoT Platform? UN

It is only natural to start this chapter with a I
PL VER
UG S
A N AL
definition. As with most emerging technologies, D P PL
LA AT
many brands and stakeholders define IoT platforms Y F
OR
using terms that favor the features built into their M
solutions. Here is one comprehensive definition that
01

is making the rounds: 100

001 101
110 10101
0100010
011

RM
‘An IoT platform is a multi-layered technology IoT
PL
AT
FO

consisting of software and hardware which

includes an operating environment, storage,
computing resources, security, and development
tools that support the management of smaller
applications and IoT devices’ IoT Platforms provide insight at multiple layers of the organization:
the machine level, facility level, and organization level.
With this definition, it becomes easy to see why
there are more than 500 solutions, both small and 4. IoT Platforms
large, that define themselves as IoT platforms. In These solutions provide computing support for
reality, these platforms fall into one of four broad the sensors, machines, smart devices, and edge
categories which include: devices within a facility. The aim is to provide
stakeholders and operators with visibility into
1. Manufacturing Application Platforms machines and operational performance.
These platforms connect shop floor operators
and manufacturing processes through the use With this in mind, a more specific definition of what
of applications. They support the development exactly is an IoT platform is required. This definition
and use of manufacturing applications for must set it apart from other contesting solutions
scheduling, inventory management, etc. while taking into account its uses. Thus, our definition
of an IoT platform is:
2. Manufacturing Operations and Analytics
Platforms ‘A set of technologies and tools that support the
This type of solution provides a platform for collection, monitoring, and analysis of machine
managing manufacturing projects through the use data, smart devices, edge devices, and shop floor
of analytical software applications. They support equipment data in real-time to optimize machine
both post-production and pre-production activities. performance and productivity. ‘

3. Building Information Modeling or Connected This definition highlights the fact that the impact
Worker Platforms of an IoT platform is felt at diverse levels which
These platforms are built with the idea include the machine level, facility level, and
of connecting all parties involved in a organizational level. The ability to monitor and
manufacturing process to enable effective optimize machine performance also brings the
collaboration. This includes the product benefits of an IoT platform to original equipment
designer, the material supplier, the operator, etc. manufacturers (OEM).

03
M A C H I N E M E T R I C S   |   A M A N U FA C T U R E R ’ S G U I D E T O I N D U S T R I A L I oT P L AT F O R M S

G E N E R I C I OT P L AT F O R M S to the cloud and the receiving of information from

the cloud by IoT devices. Network connectivity
VS. INDUSTRIAL IoT issues will lead to lags that affect the ability of
an IoT device or system to take action in real-
P L AT F O R M S time. This limits low latency processing.

As you have probably discerned, the answer On the other hand, edge platforms are built to
is in the name. Generic IoT platforms offer deliver processing capabilities closer to the IoT
technologies and tools that support the or edge device producing the data. This ensures
management of IoT devices not used in industrial important data analytics are done within the
settings. In this regard, a home automation platform and data transfers occur in real-time
platform which manages domestic smart without time lags. This means that, although
devices such as refrigerators, smart windows, cloud platforms have the capacity to collect and
temperature, etc. can be referred to as a generic process data, edge platforms are more attuned to
IoT platform. providing real-time feedback to edge devices.

On the other hand, industrial IoT platforms offer

support for the machines and smart devices used
within an industrial setting. The IIoT platform
provides custom software built for industrial
applications and analytics.
C LO U D
Thus, while a generic IoT solution could
be tweaked to receive data from industrial
equipment, it does not have the tools needed
to analyze machine data to provide the insight
needed to optimize industrial operations.

C LO U D P L AT F O R M S V S .
EDGE
E D G E P L AT F O R M S
Manufacturing equipment and the IIoT devices
used across a facility have the capacity of
producing large data sets that require scalable
computing resources to process. The cloud
provides the centralized platform, but when
applied to processing machine and IoT data it
CONNECTED MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT
has its limitations.

These limitations are the latency and bandwidth

By incorporating edge computing with cloud computing capabili-
issues that come with transferring large data sets ties, manufacturers can maximize the potential of both solutions.

04
M A C H I N E M E T R I C S   |   A M A N U FA C T U R E R ’ S G U I D E T O I N D U S T R I A L I oT P L AT F O R M S

EDGE PLATFORM IoT PLATFORM APPLICATIONS

FACTORY MACHINEMETRICS APPLICATIONS

MachineMetrics Multi-Tenant Cloud

MACHINES PROTOCOLS ADAPTORS EDGE MANAGEMENT USERS

Sensor PLC Factory Worker Manufacturing Executive Machine Builder

Operational Workflow Triggers

Data

APPLICATIONS
Time Series
Data REST & GraphQL APIs
Stream
Analytics

RAW Data Data Lake Analytics Custom Custom Operator Custom Workflow Custom
Storage
Dashboards Views Development Analytics
EDGE Low
Frequency

Connector High
USE CASES
Supervisor Frequency
DATA & Data Scientists
ENGINEERING Data Analysts
TEAM
Software Engineers
Production Condition Predictive Process
Monitoring Monitoring Maintenance Optimization

EDGE ANALYTICS MANUFACTURER

Manufacturer Cloud or on-premise servers INTEGRATIONS
RAW Data Sync
Anomaly Detection Custom Algorithms

Local Storage CMMS Business ERP Quality

Intelligence

T H E M A C H I N E M E T R I C S I I oT P L A T F O R M

MachineMetrics Industrial IoT Platform transforms your shop floor data from insights into actions with powerful apps that reduce
machine downtime, increase your throughput, and maximize profitability driven by your manufacturing equipment.

The use of a real-time scenario explains these protocols or an IoT gateway back to the edge
differences better. Let’s use the example of a device in real-time. This ensures the edge device
facility with 20 functional edge devices tracking receives the needed information and acts on it
machine health across the shop floor. in real-time without the lags associated with a
centralized cloud platform.
In this scenario, the edge devices will send large
data sets to the cloud for in-depth analysis. It is also important to note that edge platforms
Once this analysis occurs, the information that also leverage the cloud for scalability and
the edge device needs in order to take specific extensibility. In situations where more computing
actions will have to be sent back from the cloud resources are needed to process big data
to the edge device. If the machine needs that from multiple devices, the cloud handles the
information to make decisions in real-time, the processing task and its results are made
time lag and potential connectivity issues during available through an edge platform.
transfers will affect real-time implementation.

Edge platforms reduce the connectivity issues

by bringing data processing closer to the edge
device. In the above example, the edge platform
will transfer processed data through MQTT

05
M A C H I N E M E T R I C S   |   A M A N U FA C T U R E R ’ S G U I D E T O I N D U S T R I A L I oT P L AT F O R M S

Why IIoT Platform

Implementations Fail
In 2017, a Cisco study showed that approximately According to Gartner, although the adoption rate
74% of enterprises that attempted an IIoT for IoT is increasing, execution and the returns on
implementation failed. A more recent study from investments made on IIoT is low. The reasons for
Gartner, showed that manufacturing enterprises this can be attributed to three major challenges:
still struggle with IIoT implementations.

06
M A C H I N E M E T R I C S   |   A M A N U FA C T U R E R ’ S G U I D E T O I N D U S T R I A L I oT P L AT F O R M S

• Approach to Choosing an IIoT Platform becoming uncompleted projects.

Many enterprises still struggle with
understanding the differences in features and • Time and Resources
services the different IIoT platforms offer. The core business of IIoT platform end-users
Thus, they end up choosing solutions that do is manufacturing or facility management.
not fit business needs or choosing to build a Building an IIoT platform from scratch means
custom IIoT platform for themselves and end diverting human and capital resources to a
up being bogged down by technicalities. time-intensive venture. It takes approximately
30 months to build a functional IIoT platform.
• Integration with Existing Systems Dedicating this time to the pursuits of
An IIoT platform functions with the data building one leaves the core business of
collected from shop floor machines. In manufacturing neglected.
situations where the IIoT hardware or legacy
equipment cannot be connected to a platform, • Competitive Pressure
implementation is affected. 75% of industrial enterprises intend to
integrate the use of IIoT in 2020. If first-
• The Applications Environment mover advantage is applied, this means that
IoT platforms without robust environments competing firms will have a 30-month head-
and tools for developing applications limit start against anyone who intends to build an
what you can do with them. This also applies IoT platform from scratch.
to IIoT platforms that do not offer core
applications out of the box. This has led to The cons attached to building an IIoT platform
many enterprises collectingmachine data and the challenges with implementation, makes
without knowing what to do with it. leaving IIoT platform building and implementation
to the experts the more viable option. But before
doing that, enterprises must first identify which
B U I L D I N G V S. B U Y I N G/ solution provides the best fit for their business
cases. The next chapter will outline the process
SUBSCRIBING TO for picking the right IIoT platform.

A N I IoT P L AT F O R M
The first reason for IIoT implementation failures
takes into consideration the challenges of building
an IIoT platform from scratch. Approximately 50%
of DIY IoT platform-building initiatives fail for the
following reasons. These include:

• Technical Limitations
Building an IoT platform requires technical
expertise which most manufacturers do not
have. This is why most DIY initiatives do not
scale out of the purgatory stage and end up

07
M A C H I N E M E T R I C S   |   A M A N U FA C T U R E R ’ S G U I D E T O I N D U S T R I A L I oT P L AT F O R M S

How to Choose the Best

IIoT Platform for You
The diverse IIoT platform options available to you enterprise, then compatibility with existing
make choosing the perfect fit a task that must be applications must be considered.
approached scientifically. This scientific approach
starts with asking the right questions. Here, the ten • How Extensible is the Platform?
most important questions to ask have been outlined Industrial processes produce large data sets
to help you develop a customized strategy for your and an IIoT platform must be able to ingest high-
IIoT platform search. velocity data streams.

• What is Your IIoT Strategy? • How does the Vendor Handle Data Storage?
The first step to making a choice starts with In many cases machine data should be securely
outlining the problems you intend to solve with kept and easily accessible. Knowledge about if
an IIoT platform. With this information, you can a vendor has its own datacenter, uses a cloud
quickly draw up a shortlist and move to answer service, and what service it uses is important.
the next questions.
• Does the Vendor offer Edge Computing Support?
• Who will Make Use of it? Support for edge computing is an important
An important aspect of creating an IIoT consideration for choosing an IoT platform.
implementation strategy is deciding who will This ensures you're prepared to integrate edge
be in charge of the program and the analytics computing concepts alongside IIoT within your
required for process optimization. facilities.

• Does the Platform Support Third-party • What in-built Security Measures are in Place?
Applications? The prevalence of cyber-attacks means special
An IIoT platform should provide you with attention must be placed on the authentication
the option of developing applications that processes and security information and event
fit your business needs. Thus, the facility for management tools protecting the IIoT platform
developing, testing, and deploying apps is a key from threats.
consideration.
• What is the After-sales Support Like?
• Does it Guarantee Ease of Use? It is more than likely that additional support will
Integrating an IIoT platform with existing be needed during system upgrades or throughout
systems should be an intuitive process. A plug the continuous use of the IIoT platform. This is
and play IIoT platform ensures you receive why knowledge of their response timelines and its
returns on the investment made in record time. effectiveness is required.

• Compatibility with Management Software The ten questions outlined here can serve as a
If you intend to use HR software or enterprise template for your search for the IIoT platform that fits
resource management software within your your operational requirements.

08
M A C H I N E M E T R I C S   |   A M A N U FA C T U R E R ’ S G U I D E T O I N D U S T R I A L I oT P L AT F O R M S

Conclusion
Throughout this guide, we have attempted to
answer all the questions you are more than likely to
have about IIoT platforms and choosing the right fit.

The MachineMetrics IoT Platform addresses

the concerns raised with implementation
and the questions asked in the third chapter.
MachineMetrics provides you with a robust
platform for developing your applications and
bringing both legacy and new equipment under

TRANSFORM
one responsive environment.

INSIGHT
Our IoT platform has been used by manufacturers
across every industrial niche. This includes the

INTO ACTION
aviation industry, medical technology, discrete
manufacturing, Oil & Gas, machining shops,
among others.

One example is a medical device manufacturer MANUFACTURING’S

who used the MachineMetrics IoT Platform to INDUSTRIAL IOT PLATFORM
optimize industrial operations by monitoring the
performance of its grinding machines. MachineMetrics Industrial IoT Platform transforms
your shop floor data from insights into actions with
With the aid of MachineMetrics, the enterprise was powerful apps that reduce machine downtime,
able to cut down on downtime and increase its increase your throughput, and maximize profitability
machine performance rate by 50%. The analytical driven by your manufacturing equipment.
support MachineMetrics provided also led to large
scale changes in operational scheduling and staff
training within the organization. BOOK A DEMO

09
A BOUT M ACHINEME TRIC S
MachineMetrics is accelerating industrial digital transformation by providing
an intuitive and flexible platform to easily collect and transform data from any
piece of manufacturing equipment into powerful, actionable applications that
reduce machine downtime, optimize capacity, and drive increased throughput
and profitability for factories. Right now, hundreds of manufacturers have
connected thousands of machines to MachineMetrics across global factories.

CONTAC T US
413-341-5747
[email protected]
machinemetrics.com