PAC IoT study: Evolution in the SME sector
SMEs have found their best practices for the IoT – and are looking around to see what else can be done with the constant stream of data.
No signs of hesitation and procrastination: The Internet of Things (IoT) is establishing itself among Germany’s small and medium-sized businesses. However, companies are no longer limited to monitoring and controlling machines and processes. They want to do even more with the constant stream of data sources. Because: critically checked and sensibly combined, they enable much more exciting applications. Thus, digital services and business models have landed on the priority list of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and are likely to become even more relevant. This is the finding of the PAC study "The Internet of Things in German SMEs 2019: Importance, Fields of Application and Status of Implementation," which was conducted on behalf of Deutsche Telekom and looked at 161 companies from the retail, logistics, transport and utilities sectors as well as the manufacturing industry.
IOT APPLICATION CASES FROM REAL LIFE
In the SME sector, 12 fields of application for the IoT are crystallizing, which can be divided into three groups:
- Monitoring and controlling processes and devices remotely
- Analyzing sensor data and thus automating processes
- New digital business models such as maintenance-as-a-service
Fundamentally, the study emphasizes, it is nothing new for small and medium-sized businesses to monitor and control devices and processes. Particularly in the logistics, transport and supply sectors, as these benefit most if the entire supply chain is transparent.
SCHMITZ CARGOBULL – THE TRAILERS IN THE IOT
How do you monitor a fleet of several hundred or thousand vehicles? The Westphalian SME Schmitz Cargobull, for example, not only sells its customers trailers, but also, on request, the appropriate telematics solution to efficiently manage the vehicle fleet. An IoT solution from Telekom transfers the data from each networked trailer via mobile communications to the screen of Schmitz-Cargobull’s customers. The fleet managers use this system to locate their vehicles in order to predict exactly when they will reach their destination. In addition, they are always notified if the doors have been opened or a trailer has been stolen. For refrigerated transports, they also monitor the temperature in the hold and the fill level of the refrigerator tank.
WHERE WILL COMPANIES INVEST NEXT?
According to the PAC study, knowing when and where customers buy products and how they use them is highly relevant for companies across industries. Up to 40 percent of respondents have already planned or even implemented IoT projects. The logical consequence is that no significant investments are currently planned here. But which IoT application do most of the respondents currently have on their radar? It is clearly predictive maintenance for industry – and this is where the money should be invested. Only every fourth SME surveyed currently uses a corresponding solution. However, a number of SMEs are currently increasingly introducing networked maintenance (11 percent) and are planning further measures in this context (33 percent).
HÖRMANN – SMART ROLLING SHUTTERS
This includes Hörmann KG, Europe's leading supplier of gates, doors, frames and operators for both private and commercial real estate. Hörmann's high-speed doors are logistical hubs at loading points or closures for cold stores. On request, the manufacturer can equip the customer doors with smart control. The IoT solution reports over 150 parameters such as a counter for opening and closing, operating hours and error codes. Based on this data, each door is maintained predictively, thus avoiding malfunctions. If a door suddenly comes to a standstill, the solution alerts customer service. The web portal provides an overview of the condition of the door, troubleshooting is much easier and many faults can be rectified more quickly together with the customer. This takes the strain off Hörmann's service staff, who have fewer emergency calls and double journeys.
FOCUS ON NEW DIGITAL SERVICES AND ASSISTANTS
The Hörmann example also shows that companies so far see little need to fundamentally change their business models. New, additional digital services based on apps and digital assistants are more important for all the industry groups examined in the study.
Click here to download the study:
Florian Marte
Head of IoT Marketing Communication
Since 2014 Florian Marte has been part of the T-Systems team. In his position as head of IoT Marketing Communication he is very familiar with all topics related to the Internet of Things. His articles for the blog are focussed on new developments and trends concerning connected devices and data analytics.
Florian Marte
Head of IoT Marketing Communication
Since 2014 Florian Marte has been part of the T-Systems team. In his position as head of IoT Marketing Communication he is very familiar with all topics related to the Internet of Things. His articles for the blog are focussed on new developments and trends concerning connected devices and data analytics.