IoT provides businesses with a wide variety of solutions that help a business eliminate inefficiencies, optimize their services, and as a result, scale. But choosing the right IoT vendor can mean the difference between project delays and lost revenue, and successful, long-term growth.
Defining your IoT Project & Needs
Choosing the right IoT vendor begins with a clear understanding of your goals and project needs. While you likely already have an idea of the types of solutions you’re looking for, being able to define what success looks like for a project and what metrics should be met to secure a good return can help you think of questions to ask the vendor.
In addition, consider how quickly your timeline should move for this project. Development times can influence costs, so your vendor should have the capabilities for scalability.
How Much Experience Does the Vendor Have?
A key indicator that an IoT vendor can meet your needs is their past experience. Look over customer reviews, read testimonials, and if you’re able, talk with people in your network who may have partnered with the vendor in the past.
All of these steps will help you get an idea of potential challenges you might run into with a provider, and help you gauge the quality of their services.
Furthermore, try to determine whether or not a vendor has previous experience providing services for your specific industry or project. That way, you’ll know for certain if their solutions can meet your specific needs and goals.
Putting in the initial effort to vet IoT vendors will save you time and money in the long run.
Should You Partner with more than One IoT Vendor?
Different IoT vendors offer different solutions. Depending on your needs and your capacity to manage multiple vendors, it might be a wise decision to partner with more than one. While using multiple providers creates more complexity for a project, some providers offer specialized services and support that could be beneficial for your project.
Therefore, if your internal team has the bandwidth to manage multiple vendors, your business can take advantage of numerous services that lead to a more cohesive solution.
Device Management
A key part of selecting the right vendor for your needs is their device management solutions. In particular, you should make sure the provider offers a solution for remote managing and monitoring your devices.
While most vendors offer some type of device management solution, try testing out different vendors’ services so you can directly compare the available solutions and choose a vendor that provides exactly what you’re looking for.
Do they Offer Long-Term Support?
During the initial setup phase, certain vendors offer hands-on support that ensures your services have a good foundation. However, not all vendors will continue to provide long-term support as your project grows. This can mean a vendor is not equipped for scalability, and may not always be able to accommodate your needs.
That’s why it’s important that you find an IoT vendor who is invested in a long-term partnership with their clients. If you’re able to, ask a potential vendor to connect you with some of their long-term clients. This way, you can get a sense of how the vendor operates in a partnership, and how supportive they are generally, and helps you learn if you can count on the vendor when challenges arise.
Ready to connect with an IoT Vendor That’s Right for Your Business?
KPI Network can connect your business with an IoT vendor who can help ensure your project’s success. To find out more and start the process, get in touch with us today.
