“Participants in various industries repeatedly monitor critical processes to ensure they are continuously operating as required. Often, these monitoring operations have to be performed at inconvenient times and places because the consequences of failed processes can be highly damaging. This has a detrimental effect on the work-life balance of those doing the monitoring, particularly in an era where anyone can be reached at any time via the phones in their pockets. IoT systems enable the automation of such monitoring and the generation of alerts. This allows participants to go about their day and only have to react if and when alerted.As an example, our product enables several California winemakers to automate and remotely monitor various critical processes using Intelligent Assets (IA). Traditionally, these winemakers would have to regularly monitor various process parameters, such as turbidity, pH balance, chlorine levels, etc., to ensure the quality of their products.

Now, thanks to IA, the monitoring is automated. When process parameters meet or violate the conditions described in pre-defined rules, alerts are sent to relevant individuals. This improves the work-life balance of those individuals while ensuring the integrity of their processes.

I think in recent years, workers in all industries have shown a willingness to be flexible and make themselves available to solve problems at various times of the day. The automation provided by IoT ensures that this goodwill is used productively and with the least inconvenience to the workers.

Contrasting these capabilities with years prior, instead of a lot of unjustified fire drills being escalated to site managers, relevant onsite staff can quickly address issues when necessary. In the future, as AI components become more widely used in IoT, predictive and prescriptive reactions baked into those automations will allow for further autonomy of critical systems.”