In our consultancy sessions with clients, we often emphasize the importance of distinguishing between assets and devices in IoT projects.
The parking - sensor example
To illustrate this concept, let’s consider the example of a digitalized parking system. One of the key features we want to offer customers is real-time information on the number of available parking spaces in the entire parking lot, on each floor, and in each row, as well as green/red lights above each parking spot to indicate occupancy status.
Architecture
The solution architecture could have:
- An occupancy sensor in each parking place.
- An edge computing system capable to:
- collect the data of each occupancy sensor;
- calculate the number of free places in the whole parking, on each floor, and in each row;
- send the number of free places to the appropriate displays;
- and at the end, send the collected and calculated information to the IoT platform for analytic purposes.
- Displays to show the number of free places.
- An IoT platform to collect and show information and analytics about the information sent by the edge system.
Where are the assets
While this architecture includes various devices such as sensors, displays, and edge computers, it’s important to note that the assets in this scenario are the parking places themselves. By understanding this distinction, we can approach the digitalization of these assets with a more strategic and holistic perspective, ultimately leading to more effective and successful IoT projects.