Having the data on the product runtime and when it malfunctions via IoT can help manufacturing companies improve on-device software updates. Source: Shutterstock

Having the data on the product runtime and when it malfunctions via IoT can help manufacturing companies improve on-device software updates. Source: Shutterstock

IoT data insights to help manufacturers build better products

TECHNOLOGY is challenging the manufacturing sector to reinvent not just the way it runs but also the products it builds.

There are many digital tools that manufacturers will find useful in its climb up the digital maturity curve.

Though, the technology that is quickly becoming the top digital investment for manufacturers is the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT enables factory floors to be automated by collecting data via sensors and using an artificial intelligence (AI) platform.

This is heavily favored as it can finally realize the dream of lights-out operation. IoT can help save time and also maximize output.

However, the data that IoT devices capture offer deep insights into the business, and companies are just beginning to harness that beyond the factory floors — shaping product designs that are more suited to customer needs.

How will IoT make better products

IoT devices can measure everything from temperature to vibrations and moisture level to sound. Within the factory floors, it can solve prolonged maintenance problems that usually cause unnecessary downtime.

In the product development scope, IoT-enabled products can actually help manufacturers understand how to design better products as well as to schedule after-sales service.

For instance, home appliance maker SharkNinja analyzes the IoT data from its products to understand better what each robot product is primarily used for, what it does well, what it struggles with, and how it can do better.

Having that data helps product engineers improve on-device software, which makes the product an endless feedback loop that will help manufacturers deliver more than just a product.

It is a pledge that can reassure consumers that products will always be up-to-date based on feedback.

Before IoT, manufacturers could only access such data via periodic surveys. However, it’s usually hard to get consumers to fill them out and send them back — leaving manufacturers in the dark in terms of customer needs.

With IoT, manufacturers simply get data fed to its network via the devices that consumers use, without any hassles at all.