You’ve heard of the internet of things, right?
It's IoT, and it means your fridge can order its own milk and your heat pump knows to turn on in time for it to be toasty warm for when you get home. But much more than a novelty, the internet of things is set to change the workplace too, making business more efficient, transparent and easier for those running it.
Here are the five ways IoT could give you an edge in business:
Fleet management
If you own more than one truck or van, the internet of things is set to revolutionise the way you manage them. IoT means you can know everything you need to know about your fleet in near real-time. With systems like Coretex you can see how many trucks are out, where they are, if they are speeding and even how much fuel is being used. Is a van stuck in traffic and late for a delivery or pick-up? No problems, you’ll be able to see where the closest replacement is and get the driver to make a diversion.
On-time delivery
Amazon, Uber and other online retailers have mastered the art of on-time delivery. While stock control systems may tell you how much product you need to have on hand to fulfil customer orders, once the product leaves the warehouse your clients now expect to see specifically how far away their delivery is. IoT means they can watch their delivery, right to their doorstep. As a customer, that’s a big reason to use you and not your competitor.
Wearable tech
While knowing the status of your fleet is one thing, imagine being able to overlay that with the well-being of your drivers. FEELythm is a wearable sensor device that detects when drivers are drowsy based on their heart rate. You won’t have to worry if someone is fit to drive – IoT will alert you to a driver feeling fatigued or under the weather. This tech isn’t too far off and means you can sleep easy knowing your team are healthy and safe.
Client data
The IoT places you right next to the customer at the time of purchase. Say you own a vending machine business and sell bottled drinks. The only data you’d usually have is maybe whether customers have exact change. But with IoT you can track temperature and know how it correlates to sales. You’ll know when the machine needs a refill and you could even change the price in real-time, saving you tramping around each machine changing price tags. IoT offers more knowledge about your customers’ behaviour than ever before, meaning you can do more of what makes them happy.
Service calls without a call
We’ve already talked about the fridge ordering its own milk, but the same is true for business. If you’re a B2B selling consumable products – from photocopy paper to coffee – chances are you’ll be taking as many orders from machines as you will from humans in the not-so-distant future. With tech moving in this direction, if you’re not set up to take the orders, you’ll miss out.
With Spark and the internet of things, your assets can come alive. The technology enables you to make your assets smart by connecting them to the Internet to help increase efficiency and profitability. Spark has the broadest range of IoT networks in New Zealand, with flexible coverage options and a network of proven end-to-end solution providers.
