15 Expert tips for ensuring a successful IoT Project

As the scope of the Internet of Things continues to expand to include everything from smartwatches to smart cities, more tech companies are considering both public-facing and internal IoT projects. The IoT certainly has enormous potential, with both industrial applications—such as supply chain management and crop monitoring—and consumer uses—such as voice assistants and home automation systems. Further, for businesses, the sheer volume of real-time data that can be collected is a significant lure.

However, developing a new product for the IoT realm comes with challenges that developers must be clear about before beginning. Without a clear use case and plan for the collected data, companies may be spending R&D dollars on a project destined to fail. Further, IoT projects face the same challenges as any new tech, including cybersecurity, compliance and user adoption. So how can companies improve their odds of success? Below, 15 industry experts from share strategies for ensuring your IoT project comes to fruition.

1. Determine The Scope Of The Challenge Before Beginning

A key challenge of IoT is the sheer amount of data created, in many cases without any clear way to make sense of it, develop actionable insights and get it to those who need it most. Before embarking on your project, it’s important to understand the scope of the challenge you need to address so you can develop the right data model to capture and share data and then operationalize it across the organization. –,

2. Start Small

Start small, with a use case that has the most benefit for your customer. There is unlimited potential when it comes to the IoT, and you will discover more as you collect more data and see the trends and patterns in it, which can unlock more opportunities. Don’t try to solve everything at once. Taking an iterative approach with the most beneficial use case being the minimum viable product is the way to go. –,

3. Understand How And Where The Device Will Be Used

IoT devices often have specific uses. Make sure you understand the user’s needs and the environment they will use your device in before you start designing the product. The environmental factors will drive design elements such as the rigidity of the outer casing or how many ports need to be available to the user. Make the final user experience equal in importance to the technical features. –,

4. Define Multiple Use Cases

Developing multiple use cases will ensure the successful implementation of an IoT project. Use cases should be developed by analyzing every product aspect as well as targeted users. Post-release conditions must be validated with the help of an iterative process, such as a prototype or a market test. Such well-defined use cases will help you identify and eliminate any weak points before releasing the product to the market. –,

5. Find Partners With Complementary Strengths

Partnerships can solve most challenges encountered during IoT product development, particularly when it comes to the domain expertise required for what is being built. The “T” in IoT is now so vast that becoming an expert in all of it isn’t possible. Collaborating with complementary co-travelers can help you close knowledge gaps while strengthening areas of overlap, resulting in a more robust solution. –,

6. Prioritize The Software To Ensure Seamless Syncing

When building out an IoT ecosystem, it’s always important to make sure that software is prioritized so that the embedded systems are fluid and able to sync seamlessly with other devices. Data within an IoT system must be shared quickly, seamlessly and securely. If those three criteria are met, IoT systems will be able to execute on their core functionality. –,

7. Leverage A Software Simulator During Development

Hardware is expensive. The cost to do multiple versions can burn tremendous holes in your pocket. So invest in a sufficient software simulator and iterate as much as possible within the software simulator with bidirectional protocol support such as AMQP. Other than the tactile acceptance of hardware product finishing and other certifications such as CE and UL2900-x, most of the investment in an IoT project should be in software. –,

8. Address Cybersecurity Risks

Keep it secure. Bad actors are quickly realizing that IoT devices do not have authentication, certificates or other security protocols. They have become an easy back door. If you do not keep your IoT devices secure, the rest of the plan will not matter. –,

9. Map The Flow Of Data

A major challenge for any IoT project is dealing with the data. Creating a device that is meaningful in a sustainable way requires developers to map out the flow of data and consider the relationships among the producers and consumers of that data. Early health tech wristbands captured tons of data but failed to make it meaningful to everyday life. Meaningless data landed these devices in drawers. –,

10. Plan For The Effective Use Of Gathered Data

The biggest issue around developing an IoT project is how to effectively use the immense amount of data it will collect. The question then arises—and consequently, the focus then becomes—how to transform all this collated data into an actionable engine. It all boils down to enabling independent decision making or charting out an actionable course that requires human intervention where it adds value. –,

11. Establish A Chain Of Trust

The evolution of the IoT is generating business opportunities across verticals, with new solutions such as smart meters, connected cars, health monitors and more. Establishing a chain of trust for an IoT device—from manufacturing to the authentication of devices, processes and users—is more critical than ever to eliminate the risk of key compromise and malware or man-in-the-middle attacks. –,

12. Engage In Robust Product Testing

Inadequate software testing and IoT update risks are significant issues. The IoT has already become a well-known technology in the era of digital transformation. To protect users and data against malicious attacks, companies should engage in the right level of product testing before launch. Failing to do so will create a bad situation, and in the future, may completely ruin the reputation of the company. –,

13. Develop MVPs And Validate Them In Real-World Conditions

Robustness, reliability, security and response times are among the key challenges facing IoT installations. To ensure the success of IoT projects, businesses need to identify priority areas, implement MVPs that encompass these priorities, have users validate IoT installations in real-world conditions and only then, finally, scale up. –,

14. Ensure ‘Out-Of-The-Box’ Value

IoT systems are incredibly complex, so help your users manage that complexity. Take some tips from Lean, and don’t require customers to make massive upfront investments and implementations before they realize any value. Design your IoT product so that customers can easily and securely get started with a minimal footprint to evaluate the value, learn, adjust and then scale to follow the value. –,

15. Remember These Four Considerations

In today’s market, IoT products require strong and reliable connectivity, immaculate security and privacy protection, compatibility with a related ecosystem of products, and smart data management for the endless streams of sensor data. Product designers need to properly scope against at least these four considerations to ensure their IoT product successfully makes it to market. –,

Source: https://www.forbes.com/

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15 Expert tips for ensuring a successful IoT Project

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