The use of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions in manufacturing grows in complexity and scale over time by providing solutions to specific requirements of the plant or manufacturer.

Manufacturers should deploy pilot IIoT projects to address specific challenges and then scale up their use as the projects provide a return on investment (RoI), advises industrial technology and engineering multinational Emerson Automation Solutions integration and marketing director Zachary Gustafson.

An effective IIoT solution is focused on a specific goal. There are explicit metrics that support the goal and those should be the only ones in focus, to help drive adoption and streamline the insights. Once a baseline for the metric is established, it is critical to have notifications that alert maintenance or other resources when the metric has passed a certain point.

The most important part of digital transformation is picking the data that can be turned into information that drives action and decision-making, he says.

"There is a tremendous amount of data available throughout the manufacturing process. The most important part is to discuss what data the manufacturer wants to extract and how it wants to visualise it. A good partner can then tailor the solution based on the current infrastructure and deliver the insights via various methods – including gateways, through the control system, or using open IIoT protocols," Gustafson notes.

The first step is always to start with digitising existing data. If a parameter like airflow is missing, manufacturers should think about adding suitable sensors. When all these parameters are digitised, a manufacturer can start with the visualisation of the data, such as air volume per day. When viewed over a longer period of time, good conclusions can be made, if an increase exists.

IIoT technology unlocks insights and the ability for a company adopt more digital processes and solutions. By enabling previously "unintelligent" products, like cylinders and air preparation, to collect and transmit data to aggregation hardware, such as gateways, and software systems, manufacturers can unlock insights they have never had before, he explains.

If a manufacturer wants to reduce energy costs then it is important to know how much energy is consumed, where there is potential waste and what options there are to optimise consumption. The information and historical patterns can further allow manufacturers to benchmark various applications and facilities against others to drive broader enhancements and deliver greater returns across the company, he notes.

Further, in the current operating environment, it is also important to pick solutions that are tied to a specific RoI and payback period, Gustafson says.

By starting with a specific goal, like lowering energy costs, the solution will end up being much more cost effective and lower the overall risk of investing in IIoT. By focusing on one or two problem areas and designing a solution that improves those operations, it is much easier to track and realise the RoI.

It is important for manufacturers to pick solutions that do not restrict potential future projects they want to implement and they should use flexible architectures and open protocols that enable them to easily adjust or redirect information based on their changing needs, he advises.