4 Success Stories of Internet of Things
There are more than 31 billion devices connected to the web today. 10 billion items of clothing from bombers to sneakers with “smart” labels and built-in chips will soon appear on store shelves. And most of these shelves are digital. According to IDC, advances made in the Internet of Things (IoT) field will be used in the development of 50% of the world’s largest companies by 2023. 58% of companies are studying the demand and planning an assortment with the help of IoT.
Yet most of us don’t fully understand secrets behind IoT amazing work. Here are 4 examples of Internet of Things success that will help you to figure it out.
Coca-Cola — Quality Service, Customer Loyalty and Marketing
Coca-Cola was one of the first to introduce IoT to customer service and in 1982 one third of vending machines were connected to the Internet. Now the company uses the Internet of Things to attract clients, and offers to buy products in one click. IoT helps to understand customer behavior, to calculate a formula for sales growth, and improve loyalty program.
Coca-Cola collects data from vending machines with IoT systems to understand where people buy more, which drinks are popular, which vending machine is running out of products, what is profitable, and so on. So, after finding out that customers often mix cherry and vanilla cola, the company created a new drink. Coca-Cola uses AirWatch, SAP and Salesforce for analytical data evaluation.
The company’s management receives notifications about the number of goods and the technical condition of vending machines. The Internet of Things also allowed Coca-Cola to create a new promotion program for clients. They collect the required number of points in smartphone apps and then can get a free drink.
100,000 Coca-Cola vending machines accept mobile payments. Speaking about “mobile”, the company has launched an interesting contextual advertising. By sending the word “wallet” to the number 2653, the customer will receive messages with a reminder to buy a drink. For example, someone who goes to a gym gets a reminder to buy a protein shake after training.
Compology Works to Reduce Waste Collection Costs by 40%
Compology has created WasteOS, a system for planning waste collection routes that reduces production costs by 40%.
Optimal routes for a vehicle fleet are selected by GPS sensors that are battery-operated under all conditions. They take pictures inside the bins and transmit them over the mobile network to the server. WasteOS shows if rubbish bins are full in real-time. The data is used to create routes and work schedules. Also, based on this information rubbish bin fullness is predicted — according to Jason Gates, the founder of Compology, a truck fleet is reduced by 40% thanks to that.
Drivers get an information about rubbish bins and shortest routes using apps on tablets. As Gates says: “this is not just smart, but also very effective”. Sensors inform on an equipment and last bin cleaning. The number of lost or stolen bins is kept to a minimum. If it is is not full yet, the car will not be sent. Thus, you need less equipment to do the same job.
Also Waste OS improves the quality of service. Truck driver will know when empty a bin faster than the customer. According to the company’s client, Louie Pellegrini, “being able to predict when the rubbish bin will be filled up makes route planning and overall operations more efficient.”
Rio Tinto — a Predictive Analysis and Precautionary Maintenance
A precautionary maintenance using IoT identifies potential problems before they occur. Thus Rio Tinto saves up to $2 million every day.
The company exploits mineral deposits. Each Rio Tinto truck is equipped with 200 sensors, a GPS receiver, a radar guidance system, and is remotely controlled. Data from IoT sensors identify equipment weaknesses.
Data from personnel and geological equipment is sent to a single control center. The Rio Tinto field development automation system provides real-time 3D visualization of ongoing operations. Responsible employees also plan equipment maintenance and upkeep. Rio Tinto employees work only to inspect equipment, and to change routes and unloading locations as required. The company plans to switch to automated drilling and a rail system.
Bank of America: Productivity and Corporate Culture
Sociometric Solutions developed tracking sensors for Bank of America basing on the student’s idea at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They are built into the work passes of staff and perform real-time collection of voice, speech, gestures and posture information during informal communication with colleagues. The content of conversations is not recorded, the software of the sensors makes the metadata anonymous.
Sociometric sensors with Bluetooth, microphone, motion sensor and infrared beam collect unique information. After analyzing data, it ascertains the peak of employee’s productivity and defines who is the leader in the chatting group.
Alex Pentland, a Professor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a consultant for Waber’s group, believes the information received is rather reliable. He writes in his article for the Harvard Business Review: “Our employees wore badges at the cocktail reception. We studied the collected data and were able to predict which teams will win the business plan competition.”
IT Company IoT Experience
Talking about our latest IoT projects, it was the integration of a mobile app into smart watch for Canyon company. Canyon has created a unique fitness device with high frequency ECG measurement rate similar to Apple Watch. The device is also smaller, lighter, cheaper, and all its functions work all over the globe (not only in US).
Concerning our work, we have implemented and integrated 80% of all functions. We have provided data exchange between the mobile app and the wearable device, and adapted the functionality to the SDK capabilities.
One of our goals was to design an application screen that shows health information using the Xamarin framework. The smart watch processes the user’s data daily, sends it to the app, and takes back the suggestions from the server that can improve the quality of life. For example, if the user has a pretty lazy day, Canyon recommends specific physical activities, based on the obtained indicators. And if the day was too busy, it suggests you to have a rest.
We have also implemented smart analytics, fitness recommendations system, a heart rate detection system, and improved the ECG system.
All the development work is completed for now, and the device is going to be released very soon — in August 2020. Learn more about the device here.
In Conclusion
IoT has already been firmly established in our lives and is going to go deeper. More and more companies focus on IoT and invest money into the development and integration of such services. The question is, are there any negative sides of that “IoT intervention”? And what is going to be next? Well, we’ll see.
Learn more about future IT trends from our special article: The Future of Quality Assurance
A few tips of how to survive the COVID-19 (and any other) crisis: Stop Losing Customers: How a Business Can Survive the COVID-19 Crisis
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