Depending on which
research you read, between 20 to 26 billion sensors and endpoints will serve up colossal streams of data anywhere from any device through the internet of things (IoT) in just a few short years. We’ve been hearing about the power of ubiquitous information for the better part of a decade, and now IoT is delivering on that promise with intelligence in devices that transforms business processes.
I saw an amazing example of this at
SAP TechEd 2016 in Barcelona from MAPAL, a leading precision tools provider. Headquartered in Germany, MAPAL has been built on a foundation of innovation, quality and cost-efficiency. In this
VIDEO, Matti Maier, SAP HANA Cloud Platform Architect at MAPAL, demonstrated how his company is quickly developing intuitive iOS apps harnessing the power of IoT using the SAP HANA Cloud Platform.
Seamless break/fix processes
Developed in collaboration with SAP and Apple, the app increases efficiencies by capturing and displaying all relevant information about a tool including the number of grinding processes used, as well as downtime. The modern iOS interface visualizes information as easily as a consumer app. Using their iPad, managers can scan an image of the problems they detect on the tool itself, create a service report, and send it directly to suppliers. Because the company’s SAP ERP system is seamlessly linked to the app, requisitions and purchase orders can be created at the push of a button when tools need replacing.
Each tool has its own data matrix code that creates a digital twin of the physical product linking the real world to the virtual. Connecting services and data allows MAPAL to generate autonomous workflows across its value chain. For example, future order processes could be triggered automatically without any manual intervention.
“With SAP HANA Cloud Platform, we can quickly and easily implement applications for Internet of Things scenarios,” said Dr. Jochen Kress, Member of the Management Board at MAPAL.
Not long ago, companies were forced to watch untold data riches slip away. By intelligently connecting things to processes, systems and people, IoT is helping organizations use that data for business gain.
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