Advantages of IoT for SMBs
Tags: iot, business, innovation, benefitsiot
Published: 2021-07-01 09:56:16

The Internet of Things is gaining momentum every year and is developing at an ever-faster pace. There are still a small number of businesses that do not use this tool to streamline internal operations and provide effective customer service.

The adoption of the Internet of Things allows all the possibilities of the Internet to be used to connect all devices, machines, or structural components that can be connected. Through the use of sensors, electronic tags, and other technologies, the IoT can automatically collect, share and use valuable data. The applications of smart technology and improved Artificial Intelligence (AI), which are increasingly being used in home appliances, retail outlets, logistics centers, and the workplace, are making significant changes to work and impacting both the home and the work environment.

## Benefits of IoT
The use of new technologies allows you not only to optimize your time and optimize resources but also has many other advantages.

### Reduce costs

There are several options for how you can reduce your costs. One of the most significant is that the introduction of the IoT system in your production allows you to more closely monitor the state of technology, improves the quality of service and helps prevent accidents. This is realized through the introduction of special sensors and sensors. These technologies allow your employees to remotely monitor production and receive notifications in case of any malfunctions. This way you reduce your maintenance costs.

### Get real-time business intelligence

One of the main advantages of introducing the IoT system into your business is that you will receive business analytics in real-time. Access to real-time data about all design or organizational processes allows for the comprehensive implementation of complex preventive actions. The advantage of IoT is control over critical assets, maintenance can be done in advance to avoid difficult situations, and production processes can be made more efficient and accurate.
By measuring critical data points in the sensor network, it is possible to receive project and asset status notifications for all team members. As a consequence, they will be able to know if they need to change certain processes or take action and whether they need to act in the future or immediately.
The use of this technology allows you to increase the performance of all systems, quickly analyze the data obtained, and, based on it, make predictions for the entire enterprise.

### Analysis of customer behavior

An important advantage of the Internet of Things is that the collection and processing of data allow businesses of all sizes and directions to track and access consumer demand and overall purchasing behavior. Using this information, companies will be able to quickly and efficiently tailor their offerings to their customers by using more effective advertising and promotional offers. Taking into account the information received, companies will be able to better understand their target audience, orient their product to specific types of customers and build an effective chain of relationships. This will allow not only to predict the possible scenario of the client's behavior but also to create successful marketing campaigns.
For small business owners, IoT will accelerate business growth and build the foundation for strong, lasting customer relationships early on.

### Cybersecurity

The introduction of IoT into your business is also associated with certain risks. The main risk for digital devices is cloud security. Permanent transmission of data through networks and the cloud has a chance to provide hackers with the ability to intercept them and steal information. Therefore, there is now a high need to develop policies regarding the use of the Internet of Things and personal devices in order to reduce the risks. If we analyze all the available information on this matter, then we can confidently say that the cloud offers a more reliable security system, in contrast to traditional servers.

### Improving efficiency

During the pandemic, it became necessary to ensure the effective work of employees who work remotely. The advantage for the company will be that IoT technologies allow not only connecting devices to the Internet but also connecting people using these devices. Implementation of the Internet of Things makes the work of the enterprise and its employees more productive. This improves the efficiency of employees in all key areas. For example, working on certain projects, you will need a few clicks to get the necessary files that are stored on a central server.

## Benefits for the different sphere of business 

###Logistics

This area has undergone significant changes since the introduction of the Internet of Things. With the help of sensors and sensors, you can track the location of goods and their condition, which is good for perishable goods. It is also helpful that dispatchers can quickly change routes depending on traffic congestion and weather conditions. To summarize, the use of the Internet of Things in logistics has increased the level of reliability and security in the field.

### Agriculture

The main advantage of implementing the Internet of Things in this area is that most of the manual processes are becoming automated. The use of sensors allows you to measure and regulate the climate inside greenhouses and rooms with animals. Drone deployment helps analyze the soil, monitor crops, and spray plants. IoT devices can track the location of cattle. All this allows agricultural enterprises of all sizes to reduce costs, save time and effort, and become more efficient.

### Healthcare

Over the past few years, this is one of the areas where the most notable changes have occurred since the implementation Internet of Things. The health tracker has become the most widely used healthcare gadget. It allows not only the one who is wearing it to monitor their own condition but also allows you to transmit data to the doctor in real-time.
The latest implementations were virtual wards, which were actively used during the period of outbreaks of Covid 19 and made it possible to monitor the patient in real-time, saving space, time and reducing the risk of infection.

## Conclusion 
Leveraging the Internet of Things offers many benefits for small and medium-sized business owners. It is important to understand that this is a fairly new area with possible bugs and glitches, but it is evolving faster and faster, and according to IDC forecasts, there will be 55.7 billion connected devices [in the world by 2025](https://orientedsoft.com/why-is-it-high-time-to-invest-in-iot-app-development). Consumers, businesses and cities in general are increasingly adopting real-time smart technologies and IoT applications to save time and make money through the IoT.