The requirements of an enterprise solution, like an indoor asset tracking platform, can often vary greatly for different industries. Often times, generic turn-key solutions target an industry vertical, and offer features that are most common for that area of operation. For instance, an industrial asset tracking platform may focus on indoor forklift navigation as its primary use-case. If your industry requires inventory management integration, then this can severely limit options. Not only that, but a company’s needs can also evolve over time. This is where IoT based platforms have an advantage. IoT projects are inherently modular. It takes many various ‘things’ to come together to create an enterprise platform. As a result, your company can easily upgrade or replace these modules without having to significantly alter the entire enterprise solution. This built in flexibility gives IoT based platforms a definitive advantage over pre-packaged counterparts.
Industrial indoor navigation
To continue the above example, indoor navigation is a primary use case for industrial indoor asset tracking applications. As a consequence, there are many ready-made indoor forklift navigation solutions on the market to fit various use-cases. Some examples are, narrow aisle, stock reporting analytics, and traffic heat mapping. In many cases, these solution providers stick to one base hardware technology and build a solution around it. The sensors, scanners and locating devices limit the initial use-case that is provided at the time of installation with little room for improvement.
There are benefits to these types of solutions. These typically require minimal configuration, and carry a lower up-front cost to implement. However, the quick configuration means these solutions lack customizability. Also, the solution provider often compensates for this low-up front cost with hidden fees, renewals, and additional license costs.
IoT based platform advantages
The advantage of an IoT cloud solution is in the level of flexibility possible. This increased degree of customization allows the solution provider to craft a unique solution to suite the exact needs of the client. There are many advantages that this allows, such as:
- More bang for the buck: with a pre-made solution, you are paying for features that have already been developed, whether you will use them or not. By comparison, a custom approach will ensure that development effort will focus on your company’s specific requirements. Development will not waste time on features that are irrelevant to your company’s use-case.
- White-label opportunities: Nobody knows your business like you. Our clients seek solutions that do not yet exist. Often times, by creating a solution for themselves, they are also creating a potential product for their vertical as well. This creates an opportunity to white label this development and resell it to competitors as well.
- Future considerations: as mentioned previously, the scope of support for turn-key solutions is typically whatever the solution provider deems important. If you have a need in the future that the solution does not cover, you are at the mercy of the solution provider to decide whether to develop this new functionality.
- Future proof upgradeability: most solution providers specialize on one or two core hardware technologies, and build their solution around them. For instance, BLE, RFID, UWB, and Wi-Fi are a few common technologies behind indoor asset tracking applications. If your company expands or changes significantly enough to require a new hardware component, it can completely invalidate the entire enterprise solution.
Flexibility in mind
IoT based indoor asset tracking platforms address these concerns with flexibility in mind. Additionally, this custom approach to development means selecting of the right hardware from the beginning based on best-fit, rather than the typical one-size fits most approach. Furthermore, the cloud-based nature of an IoT Platform means that hardware replacements or upgrades in the future are always an option. A robust enterprise IoT solution has the flexibility to adapt to customized use-cases. That way, workers can take advantage of what the solution instead of having to change the way they operate so the solution can work properly.
Often times, entrepreneurship is synonymous with ingenuity. As a result, business owners often have creative ways of using resources or keeping track of important items. These individuals require a solution that will conform to their workflow, not the other way around. And, with the right combination of devices, there is often a means to this end. The right technology partner must be up to date with the latest hardware available on the market. Don’t be caught off guard by the fancy bells and whistles created by pre-made solution providers. Bridgera is a custom IoT solution provider that creates solutions based on the requirements of your unique business. Let Bridgera be your guide to creating your ideal indoor asset tracking and management platform today!
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