Sensors Improve Operations and Bottom Line… Easily and Cost-Affordably.
Such a small thing, yet it can a have huge impact on your business, in so very many ways. No matter your organisation or industry. In some inudstries, sensors can also reduce operating costs by 10% or so within one year.
According to a recent report by Deloitte, “The global smart sensor market is growing at a 19 percent annual rate and is expected to reach $60B by 2022.4” ~ www2.deloitte.co.
Why?
Thanks to technological advances over the past 2 – 5 years…
Sensors are smaller, much smaller, which means they now fit easily into assembly lines and other manufacturing and distribution-related businesses. With some sensors almost as small as and Chia seed, minimal space is needed to incorporate these high functioning microelectronics.
It also means they can be used by many other types of organizations without interfering with the building aesthetics, which has been a concern for nearly 70% of organizations in North America.
Sensors are slimmer and stretchable. Printed, flexible and stretchable sensors have been available for over 30 years, but it’s only now that with the wide adoption of IOT, and the ability to integrate large volumes of data from sensors with other corporate analytic tools, including complex event processing (CEP), that their use is being embraced across myriad industries.
Sensors are capable of so much more.There are sensors that measure force, touch and pressure, temperature, humidity, water and air flow, chemicals and biomarkers in a wide variety of situations/substrates. They can come with optical/imaging capabilities and more – and the “more” is expanding almost daily. These days, from wearable tech to massive machinery, from small buildings to sprawling companies and campuses, if you can dream it, manufacturers can pretty well make it.
Sensors are stronger and smarter.Not that many years ago, system noise, latency lags, power management problems, connectivity concerns and other factors made people shy away from sensors. Today, not only have these problems been addressed, but more powerful sensors, designed for higher bandwidth, allow more complex data processing and analysis, and for that to happen at or near the “edge”. This helps reduce the amount of data that needs to move between the device and the network at any given time, improving response times. This also means that larger quantities of data, across a wider area, with more players and input points can be integrated, allowing for better analysis overall.
Sensors are more solid. Smart sensors use internal microprocessors for on-site diagnostics and self diagnosing, and connect wirelessly, instantly, with all systems and people requiring the data. This allows for more solid business decision-making and more effective automation.
Sensors continue to come down in cost. That statement pretty well speaks for itself.
New wireless technology not only reduce costs, but are more scalable and can be better tailored to your specific needs than ever before.
Ever thought about introducing more building automation to reduce time and personnel costs, but didn’t want the expense or new cabling headache?
Good news:Meraki has just launched a range of MT sensors for monitoring critical IT infrastructure.
What types of sensors?
Open/Closed Door sensors can be added to doors to let you know if rooms and facilities have been breached, or even to monitor traffic in and out of a location. Schools are using them, conjunction with cameras, to monitor traffic counts – especially important with the new social-distancing measures in place. Add them to a cabinet, and you might reduce the “five finger temptation”.
Temperature and humidity sensors can alert you to hot and cold spots. If you get an alert that temperature is rising, or dropping, in a particular area, you might be able to intervene before there is a real problem. Sometimes, the simple matter of getting the alert, then tapping into your facilities management system and making a small change to avoid a big problem. The time and cost savings from pipes not bursting because HVAC problems could be addressed sooner, alone is priceless.
Leak detection sensors. This goes far beyond the above burst pipe problem. Companies can save time and resources by being able to detect leaks in manufacturing processes, chemical storage and other places where “drips” and “spills” are problematic.
Meraki MT sensors are easy to install because they use existing Meraki MR access points or MV smart cameras, and connect automatically which speeds up your deployment time. Like other Meraki products, they are cloud-managed and tie into your existing Meraki dashboard and mobile app. This means you can stay on top what is going on, even when working remotely – and thanks to flexible alert notification options, you won’t be driven crazy by non-essential alarms.
If you decide to tie your sensors into your cameras, you can even see the problem before dispatching someone to take care of the situation. Better yet, you know who to dispatch – and what tools they will need to have on hand.
Companies that previously thought incorporating sensors into their management tools was beyond reach, no longer need be sensor deprived. Indeed, we are already seeing multiple applications for the MT sensors will be happy to make suggestions to help solve your specific problem.
Please check back with us over the next couple of weeks to read other posts in this series: “How Sensors can Improve Supply Chain Management”, “Sensors in School” and “Sensors in Manufacturing”.
