5 Tips to Ensure the Success of Your Cloud Solution

Cloud technology is fast becoming the standard for technology on the plant floor. Though the implementation of a cloud solution on the plant floor has shown to be a marked improvement over legacy, on-premise systems, there are still several key areas that should be addressed after implementation to ensure the high performance and availability of your cloud solution.

   1.      Internet Connectivity and Redundancy

The advent of the Internet on the plant floor has brought faster and increased communication, but reliability and performance are two factors that need close attention as well. IT professionals need to ensure that a separate secondary Internet connection exists as a backup, as well as adequate response speed to keep production and data flowing without a hitch.

   2.      Application and Data Security

Application and data security are real concerns, and it’s important that technology professionals are focused on three key areas of security: the security of the network environment in the end user’s facility, data security between the end user site and the cloud provider, and security within the cloud provider’s data center. With these three areas properly investigated before and during implementation, your data will be secure throughout the enterprise.  

   3.      Mobility and Wireless Network Requirements

A sound wireless network enables mobility so you can keep track of shipping, receiving, quality and more. From the beginning of the inventory lifecycle to the end, you can keep track in real time. Depending on the size of the plant floor and other facilities, IT professionals should ensure the wireless network eliminates or avoids dead spots and can handle roaming if needed.  

   4.      Plant Floor Equipment Needs

In order to enjoy the benefits of real-time data and accurate information from the plant floor, the use of barcode technology such as barcode printers, production workstations, mobile scanners and more are essential. Manufacturers are also incorporating wearable technology on the plant floor, using ring and eyeglass scanners to enhance productivity by allowing workers to learn the status of an item simply by walking up to it.  

   5.      Integrations to other Systems

A successful cloud solution needs to be able to “speak” to different devices on the plant floor. The cloud solution can do this through an open application interface (API), and technology professionals can use this to make machine-to-machine communication a cinch.   Want to learn more? Access the “IT Infrastructure Tips for Ensuring High-Performance Cloud Connectivity” white paper.