IoT implementation requires proper design, deployment and direction

©weedezign via 123RF

The strategic architecture also has to change to enhance and support the new environment. The classical idea of a central architecture team, subdivided by the architectural domains of business, information, application, and technology, is no longer effective.

At the same time, the architecture profession has matured as best practices have evolved. New organisational structures are emerging that incorporate these practices and principles to address the needs of digitally transforming enterprises.

Establishing guidelines on how these parties must interact is fundamental to the proper implementation of an Internet of Things (IoT) application. IoT architects can use these guidelines to ensure effective operation and hold all responsible parties accountable for their portion of the implementation.

Functional aspects

Using DTC-based policies, the IoT director, working in conjunction with the IoT architect, ensures that all functional aspects of an IoT implementation are up to par, stakeholders are held responsible for their contribution to the system, and the integrity and quality of all data transformation stages are preserved. In addition, having a blueprint for implementing and directing an IoT implementation eases the apprehension that CIOs and other C-suite executives have about obtaining results from its operation.

The IoT is a system of many different parts, delivered by a variety of different providers, assembled by enterprises to achieve specific outcomes - improved experience for consumers, more efficient functioning of devices, optimisation of system performance, and business growth. To make sure IoT implementation has the desired result, IDC recommends that:

• IoT architects must develop a plan to provision, maintain, and upgrade an IoT implementation.

• IoT directors must safeguard the integrity of the IoT implementation by delegating responsibility for each data type and transformation to a set of stakeholders.

• IoT directors must monitor the state of the implementation and alert the responsible stakeholders if the performance at any of the control points falls outside of boundary values.

IoT implementations have the potential to enhance the prospects of just about every commercial, government, or non-profit endeavor. In fact, IoT forecasts call for neck-breaking adoption rates over the coming years, across many swathes of industries and markets. IDC predicts the installed base of IoT endpoints will rise at a compounded annual growth rate of more than 19% over the next five years.

Standardise the activity

But these investments will not bear fruit unless IoT implementations have been properly designed, deployed, and directed. The current elevated level of trepidation among companies planning an IoT implementation can be related to the absence of a realistic governance scheme for ensuring the operation and performance of IoT.