Can IoT eliminate the need for ERP and MES in manufacturing?

2 years ago 293

How a elemental knowing of however systems enactment tin pave the mode to IoT and manufacturing success.

The Internet of Things is simply a large operator of Manufacturing 4.0—also known arsenic the Fourth Industrial Revolution—a digitalization inaugural that began successful Germany successful 2015 and has propelled thousands of sensor, robotics and automation projects successful manufacturing and warehousing. The quality to get real-time accusation astir an imminent nonaccomplishment of a instrumentality connected a accumulation enactment oregon to usage a robot alternatively of a quality to chopped metal, plastic, wood oregon granite to size, has enthused manufacturers truthful overmuch that immoderate are opening to wonderment whether they tin get escaped of what they comprehend arsenic aged and clunky endeavor assets readying and manufacturing execution systems.

SEE: Edge computing adoption to summation done 2026; organizations cautious astir adding 5G to the mix (TechRepublic Premium)

Unlike ERP and MES, IoT that is hooked into each manufacturing and warehouse cognition tin study connected real-time events. It tin contented alerts and impact machine-to-machine communications to facilitate accumulation enactment automation. So, if IoT tin bash each of these things and successful existent time, wherefore usage older bequest systems that can't?

The ERP, MES and IoT combination

The feeling that IoT could supplant accepted systems similar MES and ERP began with users connected store floors who got excited astir each of the real-time automation and reporting IoT systems could do. It was earthy to wonderment if IoT could bash adjacent more.

IoT tin and volition bash much successful the aboriginal that it does today, but that doesn't mean that it tin supplant ERP oregon MES due to the fact that these systems were built to bash antithetic things that IoT can't bash well.

Often referred to arsenic the "drive chain" of enterprises, an ERP strategy is all-encompassing. ERP has bundle modules that enactment manufacturing, engineering, planning, purchasing, accounting, service, HR, etc. ERP's worth rests successful its quality to integrate endeavor accusation processing crossed each departments. The information successful ERP systems is highly robust. ERP's reporting and analytics capabilities are good developed. Most ERP systems besides person middleware that assists ERP successful integrating with IoT.

SEE: Future of farming: AI, IoT, drones, and much (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

MES is besides a bid of bundle modules that are intimately linked with each other—only MES focuses exclusively connected manufacturing and shop-floor operations. Like ERP, MES systems person robust information and extended reporting capability. They tin besides pass with IoT devices.

The advantages that IoT has implicit ERP and MES are its quality to pass with borderline sensors and services, seizure and process unstructured data, trigger events successful existent clip and pass betwixt antithetic devices and networks connected the manufacturing floor.

The advantages that ERP and MES person implicit IoT are overmuch sounder security, ample information repositories that tin grip a assortment of queries and analytics, and the quality to interface with myriad concern processes crossed the institution (e.g., manufacturing, planning, finance, work marketing, HR and more).

At the extremity of the day, IoT is simply a much specialized exertion that tin automate concern processes that usage robotics and different IoT extremity devices, and it tin present results successful existent time—but ERP and MES are inactive the mainstay systems of organizations, with IoT being a captious real-time information "feeder" web into these larger systems.

Why strategy explanations matter

Explaining however antithetic systems enactment unneurotic and wherefore they are each indispensable is an important talking constituent for IT leaders arsenic much organizations follow IoT due to the fact that if the antithetic roles of IoT and different systems aren't intelligibly explained, determination is simply a hazard that radical could expect much retired of IoT than it tin deliver.

If IT tin springiness enforcement absorption and concern users a amended knowing of wide IT architecture and its antithetic strategy components—including IoT—these plain-English explanations volition spell a agelong mode successful furthering wide knowing of systems and paving the mode for IoT task success.

Smart Cities and IoT Newsletter

Stay informed astir astute cities tech, which includes innovations successful IoT, 5G, security, information analytics, mobile apps, and more. Thursdays