The connected world is promising for individuals and businesses alike. To enjoy the benefits of the value that the Internet of Things can provide to you, there are a few crucial things to be aware of when talking about an IoT project.
As we have supported countless IoT projects from the first spark to the fully implemented solution, we want to explore the three most common mistakes in IoT projects and provide solutions to avoid them. Let’s dive in:
Mistake #1: Not validating the concept
One of the biggest mistakes that can derail an IoT project from the outset is not validating the concept before investing time, money, and resources in the development process.
Without proper validation, an IoT project can fail because it lacks the potential to succeed, meet user needs, or generate a return on investment.
A successful IoT project begins with a solid foundation, and proper validation is critical to creating that foundation.
To avoid this mistake, it is essential to have a clear business value at the core of your idea. That also means, having an idea of what data to collect and what value is created by gathering and working with said data.
It is also recommended to create a proof of concept (POC) to validate the idea before starting the actual development. A POC is a prototype that demonstrates the core functionalities of the IoT project and helps to identify potential issues and areas of improvement.
It is also beneficial to involve stakeholders, experts, and end-users in the validation process to get feedback and ensure that the project meets their needs.
Mistake #2: Not building for scalability
Many IoT projects start with a small number of devices and users, but they can rapidly expand as the project gains momentum and popularity. Oftentimes, there is the risk of over-customizing your POC to be fully functional in a small setting, which afterwards often turns out to be unable to scale.
This mistake can lead to several issues, including slow performance, system crashes, and security breaches. As the number of devices and users increases, the system can become overloaded, resulting in slow response times and poor user experience. Additionally, the system may not be able to handle the increased workload, leading to system crashes and data loss.
Therefore, designing the IoT solution to scale without affecting performance, reliability, or security is crucial.
To avoid this mistake, it is important to design the IoT solution with scalability in mind. This means using a modular architecture that can be easily expanded and modified as needed. A modular architecture allows you to add new components, devices, and features to the system without affecting the existing components or compromising system performance.
Additionally, using scalable and robust technologies can ensure that the system can handle the increasing workload:
-Cloud computing allows you to store and process data in the cloud, which can be easily scaled up or down as needed.
-Edge computing allows you to process data closer to the source, reducing latency and improving performance.
Load testing and stress testing can help identify potential bottlenecks and performance issues, allowing for improvements before the system becomes overloaded.
So keep in mind early on that the scope can change quickly – and build it into your solution early on.
Mistake #3: Not benefiting from an IoT platform
To build value creating IoT solutions can be an intense and time consuming process. Not leveraging an IoT platform to manage and monitor devices, data, and applications can lead to fragmentation, complexity, and inefficiency. Fragmentation can occur when companies use multiple solutions to manage and monitor their IoT devices, resulting in a lack of standardization and consistency. This can make it challenging to manage and monitor devices, leading to inefficiencies and increased operational costs.
Without a platform, businesses may need to invest in multiple solutions or develop their own IoT stack, leading to higher costs and slower adoption rates. An IoT platform can help businesses streamline their IoT operations, leading to greater efficiency, faster adoption rates, and improved ROI.
As you can see, an IoT platform can be a powerful and valuable asset in your IoT project. Many IoT platforms provide a unified view of the IoT ecosystem, including device management, connectivity management, data analytics and data visualization, enabling you to manage and monitor the project.
Depending on the size of your project, you might be thinking about building the solution from scratch yourself to fit exactly your requirements.
But cost aspects might call for buying licenses or software for that purpose.
Steer clear of those mistakes
Developing an IoT project requires careful planning, validation, and execution. By avoiding the three most common mistakes in an IoT project, namely, not validating the concept, not building for scalability, and not leveraging an IoT platform, businesses can increase their chances of success and achieve their business objectives.
At akenza, we provide a comprehensive IoT platform to help businesses overcome these challenges and achieve their IoT goals. You can try out akenza for free at https://akenza.io/ and start building your IoT project today.
