Industry 4.0 describes the manufacturing industry’s current trend of leveraging automation and improved data exchange. As we continue to see more rapid implementation of these new data strategies, we are also seeing more connected technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) emerge to help manufacturers ensure their facilities and assets operate at full capacity.

Manufacturers are increasingly looking to utilize smart manufacturing tools to analyze data and predict—or prevent—asset failure. By 2021, there are projected to be more than 36 billion connected IoT devices doing just that.

It is mission critical for manufacturers to have an IoT system in place to manage their equipment.

1. IoT Remote Monitoring Helps Manufactures Avoid Downtime

In the manufacturing industry, there are critical assets to maintain, from HVAC units to refrigerants. Without an IoT solution, manufactures can end up sending out unnecessary technicians for nuisance alarms and submit redundant work orders—potentially wasting further time.

Worse, a blitz of repeated, spurious equipment alarms can cause site managers to ignore real alarms and increase the severity and urgency of future breakdowns. It is imperative for manufacturers to get ahead of equipment failure with proactive remote monitoring to save their organizations time and money.

With Accruent’s vx Observe, manufacturers can avoid unnecessary service by replacing equipment only when needed rather than at arbitrary, predetermined service times. vx Observe can improve asset performance and operations by:

  • Contextually analyzing equipment alarms and automatically initiating actions on alarms that require repair or maintenance.
  • Monitoring performance patterns to detects anomalies and predicts equipment failures before they occur.
  • Initiating customer-specified actions when the risk of failure meets a specified threshold.
  • Integrating with existing processes to speed response time and improve problem reporting.

vx Observe displays the status of equipment alarms and asset performance data, while highlighting active work. Its interface can combine assets from different classes and locations for convenient and timely visibility. Users can take advantage of a red, yellow or green tile dashboard interface to show at-a-glance insights into your asset performance.

Predict and prevent asset failure. Find out how.

2. Locate Asset Data Without Drowning in Spreadsheets

For facilities maintenance managers struggling to locate and delineate data, an IoT solution is likely the key to your overwhelming data problem.

With an IoT solution, users can access data from critical equipment and control systems to look for data anomalies without drowning maintenance and facilities teams in data tables and spreadsheets. This data can help you identify when your equipment is in danger of failure and alert you to make proactive repairs—all without the unnecessary expense of a call center or service bureau.

At Accruent, our customers use vx Observe to cut down on maintenance expenditures, increase equipment uptime, meet compliance needs and reduce unnecessary work orders.

3. Be Prepared for Industry 4.0

For organizations in the manufacturing industry, using an IoT solution to connect assets such as HVAC, lighting and security systems to a digital infrastructure lets you know when equipment is working too hard. It can tell you when assets are close to failure or are performing outside of normal operating capacity. These kinds of insights are invaluable in controlling facilities costs and reducing your spend on unnecessary repairs.

Do not let Industry 4.0 leave you behind.

Find out how you can use IoT remote monitoring to increase your labor productivity. Schedule a demo today.