PLM and the IoT (#7): Issues with IoT Projects
The previous post in this series looked at some of the potential issues with the Internet of Things (IoT). This post looks at a related subject, the typical issues with IoT projects. Some of these are shown in the table below.
Most existing products weren't designed to be connected to the Internet. It may be more difficult and costly to adapt them than expected.
Most people don't have experience of innovating or developing connected products. Few have skills and experience of operating and supporting connected products. Few have skills and experience of maintaining connected products. Few have skills and experience of managing families of connected products, and developing these families efficiently and effectively. It may take much more time and expense than expected for people to learn appropriate skills and get useful experience. It's difficult to get people to change. And it's even more difficult to get them to change if nobody can tell them where they're meant to be going or why they're meant to be going there.
Among the strategic issues in the IoT project, should the company change its business model? Which IoT opportunities should it pursue? Among the organisational issues that may arise in the project, how should the company reorganise to take advantage of the IoT? How will it address systems engineering of mechatronic products? Will it do everything in-house, or will it add new design and supply chain partners? How will it stay compliant with evolving rules and regulations throughout the world? How will the company's IoT project be linked with its PLM Initiative? How will it be linked with its Big Data project? How will business processes be modified to include new activities addressing the IoT? How will people be trained to work effectively in the IoT environment?
Another issue is that the IoT may be seen as a technical topic for engineers to play with in their sandbox, not as a business subject requiring executive involvement. How will the project team find out where business value will be generated? How will real business benefits be measured and tracked? (Many CFOs will not be interested in IoT hype, but expect to see financial results quickly.)
The IoT offers many opportunities, but the first that appears may not be the best. It may take a long time to find the best opportunities. The project team needs to take the time to find the best opportunity, and not be rushed into something quick and dirty.
PS As usual, comments welcome.
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Next post in this series
IoT Project Success Factors
Previous posts in this series
PLM and the IoT (#1) ; PLM and the IoT (#2) ; PLM and the IoT (#3): What's New in the IoT? ; PLM and the IoT (#4): The Opportunities of the IoT ; PLM and the IoT (#5): IoT Impacts Across the Product Lifecycle ; PLM and the IoT (#6): Issues with the IoT
