How BPM and IoT Integration Transforms Businesses

With the increasing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), businesses are seeing a disruption in their processes. IoT integration with their Business Process Management (BPM) has shown massive productivity increase.

As new technologies drop, or evolve into enterprise disruptors, technology leaders are gearing up for them. IoT in business appears to have made its mark over the last few years. It is also expected to continue with the boom. IoT in business process has delivered huge advantages.

We try to understand more about the technology, how it has impacted BPM. We also see how this impact is supposed to trend over the next few years.

What is IoT?

Internet of Things (IoT), as the name implies, refers to a network of interconnected devices. These devices (or things) are fitted with tools like sensors, software, and other technologies, which enable data collection over the internet. They form the backbone network on which digital transformation is riding.

For businesses, having IoT integrated into their processes delivers huge value. Some of the pointers could be:

• More effective communications and coordination
• Increase in productivity
• More efficient operations management
• Better resource utilization
• Better data collection, organization, and leverage
• Ability to deliver better customer experiences

Value of IoT and BPM Integration

IoT can be integrated into every aspect of business processes, today. It finds its way into almost every vertical, and has demonstrated value in every operational field. While these are a few of the more regularly used application, integrating IoT in Business processes delivers many advantages.

Here are a few areas, identified:

1. In Manufacturing Processes

This sector has seen the highest proliferation of IoT devices and tools into business processes. Numerous sensors into production platforms can deliver prompt insights into the health and efficiency of the equipment.

Physical inspections can be eliminated, cutting resource and extra tools cost. This will also serve to enhance accuracy of timing and replace/ maintenance plan.

2. Smart Inventories

IoT devices and sensors can help to monitor inventories, to ensure enough raw material for production planning. It can also help to forecast production values.

The IoT enabled RFID smart inventory tags are already in widespread use. These allow complete transparency for the entire supply chain for all entities involved.

Each point can now securely and seamlessly receive data. This can be used to plan for well-timed production cycles and shipments, and efficiently manage inventory.

3. Testing and Forecasting

IoT devices can help to solve challenges related to test automation across various controller software. The data collected from these sensors at the end point can support the automation output of a number of testing tasks.

Since manual intervention is reduced and completely eliminated here, human error factor is also reduced.

4. Cloud and Mobile Services

IoT devices can help to monitor mobile assets. This way, they can remotely streamline management. It can be a strong input for logistics and supply chain management, particularly useful for production planning. With the ability to generate alerts and notifications at critical times, these devices are a planning team’s biggest support.

5. Transparency in Business Processes

Integration of IoT in BPM makes it much more transparent. It is the Machine-to-Machine communication which ensures clarity and absolute transparency in business processes. Working with an automated BPM platform grants complete clarity and high efficiency to all processes.

6. Delivering Advantages of Automation

BPM bring all data generated from physical touchpoints onto a digital platform. The role of IoT then, is to control the flow of this data to relevant applications.

These applications are responsible for monitoring and reporting. So, the physical devices that are connected to a business process management (BPM) platform, allow employees and other teams to interact in a conventional manner. This is an advantage in terms of ease of adoption of IoT complexities.

7. Increase of Data inputs

With IoT connections, companies are estimated to produce much more data than before. Increased data leads to more accurate insights and hence, better business decisions, both for internal processes and the market. This data can support better product development decisions as well as faster time to market strategies.

8. Enabling Smarter Supply Chains

IoT devices help to track supply chain nodes. Integrated with a BPM platform, it will help to implement digital circles of trust. So businesses can safely add or remove partners, vendors or suppliers, from their supply chain.

The partnership will enable efficient monitoring, detection and early response to risks that the supply chain may face, if only physical tracking is done.

Also Read: Business Process Management (BPM) Trends in 2022

Growth Trends to Look Forward to

Clearly, with so many advantages, it is in best interests of business to adopt IoT for their business processes. They should put the integration of IoT into their BPM platforms at top priority.

Over the last decade, IoT adoption has been on a steady increase. This curve is expected to continue its upward trend. According to estimates in an IHS study ”The How’s and Why’s of IoT Adoption”,

The market has been growing at a similar rate.  According to Fortune Business Insights, the “Global IoT market,” which stands at

Concurrently, technologies that are driving this adoption are also growing at a similar pace.

According to an article by Deloitte Insights, “5G adoption is inevitable. It is time to focus on experience”,

 So safe to say that:

• Growth of IoT will continue to accelerate over the next decade
• IoT integration with BPM across sectors will deliver increasing value to enterprises so will certainly become a go-to strategy for growth
• As the costs of computing power, advanced connectivity and devices falls, this adoption and integration will be even faster.
• The earliest adopters of this integration will make the most benefits. This is due to the clear benefits they see. New adopters will also be very positive about their growth, but the advantages will not be as much in real terms.

Conclusion

Enterprises have just started learning the advantages of integrating IoT with BPM. As their profits and efficiencies accrue, adoption will pick up pace.  Being a viable solution for people, devices and systems, it will lead processes to higher productivity. This integration will only deliver more operations advantages as supplementary technologies like internet connectivity develop.

Check Out The New Enterprisetalk Podcast. For more such updates follow us on Google News Enterprisetalk News.