The Manufacturers’ Guide to Picking the Right IIoT Platform

5 min read

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) effectively creates a digital overlay for the plant floor’s inner workings by translating physical phenomena into data. By processing and analyzing that data to drive business-level decision making and to actuate individual machine processes, IIoT systems unlock Industry 4.0 and the automation-boosting technologies that define it: edge AI, cloud computing, augmented reality, and others.

Value-driven use cases include enabling just in time manufacturing, using machine learning for predictive maintenance to prevent downtime, and monitoring remote assets in real time. Essentially, since the IIoT is a source of granular knowledge, we can convert that knowledge into power to realize an ROI.

Getting started is the hard part. While companies that do succeed reap the rewards, most IoT projects fail due to a lack of foresight, unrealistic expectations, missing talent, or the sheer difficulties of tackling full-stack IoT engineering. 

In practical terms, this comes down to picking the right IIoT platform for you. There are hundreds of options on the market, and to help you get started, we’ve categorized them into four generic buckets. Each one comes with its own trade offs. 

Equipped with knowledge, you’ll have the power to make the right decision for your company.

Custom Applications

This open-ended option can entail devoting internal resources to develop a platform, working with an external partner, or any combination of these. The main advantages are that you’ll end up with a solution that’s completely tailored to your use cases, that you have complete ownership of both the tech and the data, and that you retain flexibility going forward.

One common path is leveraging the options provided by your current cloud provider. If you’re already on AWS, then it’s easier to work with their IoT options, such as AWS IoT Core for MQTT pub/sub. Similarly, Microsoft users can access Azure IoT. Costs will then depend on the services integrated.

The downside of this approach is that it’s often more costly than buying or subscribing to a prebuilt service. Additionally, the time spent bringing it up is time that you’re not using the IIoT system.

We recommend this option for organizations with unique use cases or stringent data control requirements, such as pharmaceutical manufacturers. Custom applications are also ideal for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that want fleet management with subscription-based access for their industrial customers.

Open Source

The biggest benefit of an open source IIoT platform is the low barrier to entry. Since this technology is free to use and change, we can quickly and cheaply set up a proof of concept using off-the-shelf components.

For instance, we can install ThingsBoard, an open source platform that supports common protocols like MQTT and HTTP, on a cheap single board computer, such as a Raspberry Pi. Simply hook up a couple sensors, and you’re up and running in no time.

Another even simpler option is Node-RED, a visual programming tool for wiring together hardware devices. While we can write custom code, there’s also large libraries of prebuilt modules, including ones designed specifically for IIoT. Node-RED is based on JavaScript, so you’re not going to want to trust it with any mission-critical processes, but for use cases like funneling machine metrics to the cloud, it does the job.

The downside of going the open source route is that they can’t offer the same level of optimization as the other options unless you devote significant resources to making it happen—at which point, you’ve basically just built a custom application. 

We recommend this route for companies that want a cheap and easy way to develop a proof of concept so that they can then move forward with another option.

Prebuilt Dashboards and Individual Machines

Some IIoT platform developers offer industry-specific solutions that provide most of what is needed. This is the closest we’re going to get to “plug and play,” which reduces overhead, simplifies integration, and shortens the launch time.

MachineMetrics, for example, provides a popular IIoT dashboard. Since their solution is designed for industry, it supports protocols like OPC-UA, Modbus, and a host of proprietary connectors. Samsara is another good option along these lines, especially for companies that want to begin integrating AI into their operations.

There are two main trade-offs to adopting one of these solutions. First, these are generic solutions that offer limited customization, making them difficult to scale for large enterprises that have specific requirements. Second, your data must pass through their servers, increasing your overall attack surface and potentially complicating compliance.

We recommend this option for manufacturers who want fast and easy access to a general IIoT platform. Basically, unless you have a specific reason not to prefer a prebuilt solution, it’s almost always better to take this route.

Full Industrial Solutions

Finally, we have the cream of the crop: end-to-end industrial communication options for any type of device on the factory floor. These systems are designed to easily integrate with ERP and MES systems in order to gather data, generate insights, and assist c-suite decision making.

These solutions come from the biggest names in the industry. PTC ThingWorx is a fully equipped IIoT platform that easily integrates with Rockwell Automation equipment. Along similar lines, the Siemens Mindsphere platform works well alongside Siemens PLCs and other hardware.

The main drawback is their price tag. These IIoT solutions have everything that you could want, but they’re generally out of reach for all but the largest corporations. That’s why we recommend these platforms for big companies with a comprehensive IIoT strategy, but we don’t endorse them for smaller enterprises that are on a tight budget or are just getting started.

Conclusion

When it comes time to make a decision on your IIoT platform, start by looking at your needs. What use cases will you focus on? Where does data need to go and who needs to access it? What third-party integrations and compatibilities do you require?

From there, you want to prove an ROI as quickly as possible. Open source is a great way to get started with a proof of concept, but a subscription to a prebuilt solution is an equally good way to see how IIoT works in your factory.

We understand there’s a lot of options out there. One good way to start working on your shortlist is checking out actual IIoT customer reviews on Gartner. We also recommend checking out this IIoT platform comparison matrix.

Then, of course, there’s always your friendly neighborhood systems integrator. Outlier Automation has the expertise to help you pick the right option for you and see the project through from ideation to execution. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.