Distribution
The evolution of distribution in a smart era with expanding IIoT capabilities
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is completely changing industry as we know it and the way in which a vast range of industries work. IIoT is being increasingly adopted and delivering huge benefits for manufacturers, from the perspective of connectivity and communication, and gleaning actionable insights – both of which are crucial to increasing efficiencies through smart maintenance and reduction of downtime. So, to succeed in today’s marketplace, it is important to design and deliver smart machines and equipment to meet the increasing demand – and distributors have an important part to play. Richard Curtin, vice president of Strategic Alliances, RS Components tells us more
standardised way. Customers and suppliers are more likely to consider distributors as their preferred partner if they can add value to their business. At RS, our e- Procurement solutions offer our customers an easy ordering process, particularly for our large suppliers with EDI capabilities, which allows the exchange documents and information in a standardised way and accounts for around 80 per cent of our trading volume. We are also working heavily on making continued improvements to product content and listing, to make this more automated and facilitate an even more streamlined and seamless solution. It is support like this that customers will expect as the norm.
Richard Curtin D
The distributors’ role in an IIoT process
istributors need to evolve to meet the needs of design engineers evaluating IoT solutions, and expand
portfolios beyond hardware to ensure that design engineers can access software and cloud solutions. Additionally, providing solution focused content, case studies, rapid prototyping and compliance support – as well as services to support the specification and selection process – is crucial in a rapidly evolving space. Distributors that want to stay ahead of the curve and be part of the IIoT revolution must continually invest in technology that allows them to offer reliable information in an easy and
26 September 2018 Components in Electronics
Helping design engineers keep abreast of IoT developments Machines and equipment that are smart enough to monitor and generate alerts and warnings regarding potential faults and failures are key in a manufacturing environment. Sensors can be used to determine when machines require service or calibration, thus mitigating breakdowns and reducing maintenance costs. Sensors integrated with connected machines and cloud computing platforms provide invaluable data and can determine the health of machines and predict potential points of failure for breakdown. As machine builders and design engineers are increasingly using IoT to deliver smart machines that can help with the above, distributors must be abreast of what design engineers need to know when specifying products for IoT applications. Whether it’s technical knowledge about sensing parameters, micro controllers and processors, IDE support, cloud solutions or security, there are key criteria that design engineers will need to consider before designing a product, and distributors must be able to help in these areas.
Other important elements that distributors can support design engineers
with is sourcing competitively priced solutions, and products that offer easy scalability and integration – so sensors can be added, deleted, customised or upgraded, as required. The capability for smart maintenance – remote connectivity for diagnostics, OTA (Over-The-Air) support, and repair and replacement – is also important for design engineers to consider, and they will increasingly rely on distributors to help. Strong technical knowledge and expertise will be a major success factor for distributors, as will the ability to provide up-to-date information on certification and compliance.
Committing to an ‘always on’ approach to learning As a distributor, to help us truly get to the heart of what our customers need from us with regards to connectivity for greater productivity, we have been investing in a proof of concept by piloting technology at our Nuneaton warehouse. Implementing technology to help avoid equipment failure, manage energy consumption and identify optimum windows of opportunity for necessary maintenance, formed part of an experiment which has quickly become a critical element in our everyday operations at a main warehouse from which we ship more than 55,000 parcels daily. With production downtime trending down, there is real proof of return on investment and we’re investing further in other IIoT scenarios in Nuneaton to be able to produce clear business cases on the value they can bring. It is this kind of knowledge that can be used to help our customers, particularly those involved in the design and specification of manufacturing equipment. IoT has undoubtedly become an area of
unprecedented opportunity for design engineers and manufacturers. Other players in the value chain – including distributors – must up their game to keep up with the evolution of technology and processes. Those who stand still will not survive in an area of increasing demand in this fast-paced industry.
https://uk.rs-online.com www.cieonline.co.uk
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