According to research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of reichelt elektronik (European online distributor of electronics and IT technologies), several Italian companies already use IIoT systems. In fact, more than 75% of the IT managers interviewed say that machines and devices are connected to each other and to the Internet in their company. However, there is a very polarized situation: about 40% of the companies that don’t yet have IIoT systems don’t plan to invest in this type of systems over the next 12 months, while 33% have not yet taken a decision on the matter. Most companies that don’t use IIoT solutions currently don’t consider them essential. In fact, 44% of the respondents said that the implementation of the IIoT is not a priority element within their company.
According to the survey, the companies that have already implemented the IIoT systems are generally satisfied with the obtained results. Among the main advantages, the companies mention the increase in productivity (53%), the increase in the processess effectiveness (48%), the savings in economic terms (44%). The IIoT systems also simplify the logistic operations (43%), avoiding delays or interruptions in production (42%) and improving the products from a qualitative point of view (38%). A significant finding is that over 91% of the Italian companies that already use IIoT systems are planning to expand the existing technology within the next twelve months. Although the response of the interviewees is mainly positive, there are also negative aspects: among these, 38% of the interviewees believe that the cost of networking the equipment and the growing complexity of the business processes are the main brake on the IIoT implementation. The survey also reveals a lack of qualified personnel: 36% don’t have an adequate know-how. In addition, technically, the companies are “struggling” with the interoperability of the IIoT systems with the existing networks (29%). Finally, the data underline that 90% of the Italian companies use the cloud for the central storage of the data generated by the IIoT.
