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sending notifications but also for integrations and as an abstraction layer for the machine data. The edge can also be a very good position for your advanced machine learning algorithms. One easily understands that here is a risk of misunderstanding. The confusion is confirmed in the


data. A 2021 McKinsey survey of industrial company executives concluded that, despite two thirds of respondents using some form of cloud technology in their operations, around 50 per cent found its implementation more complex than initially expected. This buzzword confusion also adds complexity to the customer’s buying experience. Every vendor can claim edge abilities on a generic level, because there are so many solutions that fit into the concept. So how do you decide which vendor is right for a designated project? The use of jargon is just a barrier


to communication, preventing the technology from reaching businesses it could benefit.


Making the coMplex siMple


Avoiding jargon in the world of edge computing and streaming analytics is a valuable tool for enabling non- experts to understand the technology, but it only solves half the problem. Simplicity must be carried through to the platforms themselves, to allow users to operate the systems without extensive background knowledge and training. Handling huge amounts of data in


real time can be challenging under even the most favourable of circumstances. However, the situation is made worse by the global IT skills shortage.


According to data collated by IT training company Global Knowledge, in 2020, 78 per cent of managers reported an IT skills gap within their business. There is simply not enough


talent to fill global IT vacancies, which is preventing businesses from benefiting from technological advancements. In addition, technology is developing at a rate faster than the end user’s ability to learn how to use it. So, even businesses with software developers in house will struggle to keep up.


In response to this, Crosser’s Flow Studio is a low-code solution, turning existing OT and IT personnel without programming skills into citizen developers - developers without formal training or coding knowledge - enhancing the users operational and functional knowledge instead. The modular system uses a drag-and-drop methodology to allow employees to easily construct data flows with ease, from an ever-growing library of pre- built modules.


The design of the Flow Studio is


intuitive and simple, enabling collaboration between several business divisions, including IT professionals, data scientists, product specialists and maintenance staff. By removing unnecessary complexity, the Flow Studio gives non- developers the ability to innovate without long or specialized training. Edge computing technology is technical, but it does not have to be complex. As an industry, we need to demystify our technology and its applications by eliminating overuse of jargon and keeping things simple. By adopting simplicity, Crosser’s products and services empower businesses that can truly benefit from them across industry and beyond.


Crosser www.crosser.io


understanding of iot’s value drops 14 per cent in one year


from intention to adoption in 2020. A year-on-year Ubisense report has found that, at a time when its benefits were most needed, an alarming 43 per cent of manufacturers no longer understand the value of IoT, compared to just 29 per cent a year previously. IoT has long been promoted as a tool to offset productivity,


D


planning, automation, energy, maintenance and capacity challenges, even in the best of times. However, despite 74 per cent of respondents agreeing that they would like to see reduced cycle times in their assembly processes, fewer decision-makers are seeing the link between IoT and this competitive advantage than they were before the pandemic. Only 63 per cent make that connection now, compared to 70 per cent a year previously, and a similar downward trend was seen across other proposed benefits too. Ubisense’s report, ‘A Lost Year for IoT in Manufacturing: The


Hard Work Begins Now’, was informed by a study of 300 managers, directors and higher-level executives from the industrial manufacturing community across the UK, USA, France and Germany. Primary concerns among respondents have become more entrenched over the past year, including IoT being irrelevant as their manufacturing processes are too unique (up from 18 per cent to 21 per cent), or unlikely to yield positive ROI (up from 16 per cent to 19 per cent). As such, IoT service providers should take these statistics


and this opportunity to introspect on where their communications have missed the mark. “Too often, IoT is positioned as a futuristic promise somewhere


on the digital horizon, and for many, this just doesn’t resonate with their current, very real challenges when it comes to assembly processes,” says Steven Manifold, chief marketing officer at Ubisense. All is not lost, however, with almost half of manufacturers


reporting that they still feel left behind when discovering that peers have rolled out IoT. “The report highlights short-term disillusion rather than long- term disinterest,” confirms Manifold. “Sadly, global manufacturers failed to trust IoT’s potential at a time when they needed it most. And that is for IoT solutions providers to fix with real, proven examples of where IoT works best, so that this lost year doesn’t


turn into a much longer-term lost opportunity for manufacturing.” ubisense.com


Instrumentation Monthly May 2021 13


espite almost two-thirds of manufacturers running at reduced capacity over the past year, the Internet of Things (IoT) still was not able to make its long-awaited transition


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