Remote Services PapaerSponsored by GE this short E-book provides some useful insights into Integrating Remote Monitoring into an OEM’s business. It’s goal is to help machine builders of all sizes to understand how they can improve fleet efficiency, accelerate product development, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction and profitability by plugging into the Industrial Internet of Things.

For example the remote support To-Do-List identifies that every application has its own unique characteristics and requirements, but there are some common requirements, methods and tools that machine builders, integrators and others can use to establish remote support, monitoring, troubleshooting and even control.

  • Reexamine end users’ business performance goals; evaluate machines, production lines and other equipment for achieving them; and evaluate how and where report monitoring and support could help.
  • Analyze existing network infrastructure, including ports, other physical and wireless connections, communication protocols, hardware components and software used.
  • Determine if network upgrade from dial-up modems to VPN and IP-based communications would improve remote support to end user and establish permissions and policies for granting access.
  • Coordinate deployment of remote monitoring components with existing machines and equipment, especially to make sure remote support devices don’t affect production operations.
  • Implement appropriate level of security functions in remote support devices and networks, including secure IP and VPN links, configurable firewalls, packet inspections and dynamic data filtering.

If your are interested in remote services, then this document is well worth a read. My main comment critique is that even companies like GE are still focused on the technology and what it can do for saving cost or creating revenue. But the technology is just the enabler. The real value comes from a profound insight into the customers business model. Playing with the technology helps us develop this insight and understand how we might use it. But the main challenge is to understand Customer’s Value chain and identify how using the data created by remote services, your company can make a difference to their bottom line. The article can be down loaded through this link  CD1504-GEIP-R3 copy