Developing IoT solutions for existing product lines is increasingly important to industrial companies of all sizes and scopes, primarily because they’re seen as important value-adds without the need to reinvent the wheel itself.

One example: manufacturers are adding sensors to their devices in order to provide customers with a preventative maintenance service – the product is monitored and, when necessary, serviced, without inconveniencing the customer. The result: no disruptive field failures, the product’s service life is extended, and by extension the brand enjoys a stronger affinity from the customer.

That’s the theory, anyway.

IoT Potential vs. Reality

Because we live in an era with virtually unlimited potential for imagining digital tools and the connective networks that bind them, industry is faced with a difficult decision: while IoT devices sound good in theory, how do you know if an IoT investment actually makes sense?

To answer that question, we recommend answering four key questions about the users (and uses) of the IoT product prior to actual development and deployment. We’ve bundled these into what we call the 4W […]