ifm's commitment to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
Industrial data follows a "Y-Path" that leads to real-time improvements in manufacturing processes.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the industrial application of connecting machines to a network. With over 50 years of experience shaping automation, ifm believes that the path to smart manufacturing should be:
- Easy to implement
- Free of expensive consulting
- Quick to prove value and business impact
Therefore, we are committed to the following six key principles as we bring industrial hardware and software solutions to our customers.
The 6 key principles of IIoT:
Show measurable benefits
IIoT projects should offer clear and measurable benefits to manufacturers.
Simplify technology
The technology should be “plug-and-work” and involve minimal effort so that customers can quickly reap the benefits.
Simplify implementation
Hardware and software should be easy to implement without requiring specialist expertise and integration consulting.
Strive for interoperability
The system architecture should be “open” for communication with the most important hardware and software platforms.
Simplify software
No-code or low-code software solutions are important to shorten the time to integrate, deploy, and benefit from IIoT projects.
Develop scalable solutions
Proof-of-value projects enhance project definition and should scale easily to accelerate return on investment (ROI) calculations.
✔ Increase plant efficiency ✔ Reduce costs ✔ Avoid unplanned downtime
How does ifm implement this commitment to IIoT?
The needs of our customers are at the center of all ifm product development discussions. Guided by the principles in our vision book, ifm believes that bringing innovative technology to as many manufacturers as possible benefits all of us.
The best way to reduce friction and increase adoption of innovative technology is to continually improve the customer experience. We accomplish this by developing more intuitive hardware and software solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure.
Hardware
We design our products to simplify complexity. For various sensors, this often includes offering multiple programming methods, LEDs or other visual indicators, and various housings to accommodate a variety of industrial applications. ifm was an early adopter of embedding IO-Link technology in industrial sensors to ensure that our customers could access their production data in the future without disruption.
Software
ifm continually improves the moneo software platform to ensure maximum flexibility and to simplify visualization of production data for manufacturers. With an emphasis on no-code and low-code solutions, ifm provides an intuitive user interface to easily get started building drag-and-drop dashboards and programming notifications.
