10 Skills IoT Integrators Need Now to Succeed

Added to IoTplaybook or last updated on: 04/15/2019

The Internet of Things may be getting a lot of buzz, but today’s buyers have valid concerns about it, according to Benson Chan, senior partner at Strategy of Things, an Internet of Things consultancy in Hayward, Calif. Indeed, as Chan notes, a Cisco survey conducted last year found that 35 percent of all IoT projects fail. “Turns out that integrating IoT into existing systems is hard, very hard,” he remarks.

That spells opportunity for integrators, Chan says. With early IoT projects, people “learned what they didn't know. And that's where, as IoT integrators, you can come in and fill that gap.”

In order to do so, however, you'll need 10 important skills. Chan reveals them here.

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1. Security

With IoT, there is more to worry about than with traditional IT, according to Chan, and within the IoT ecosystem it’s everybody’s problem, including the device makers and the cellular providers. “As an IoT integrator, you have to understand where these holes are and what you can do to protect a customer from that,” he says.

To build your skill set, Chan recommends taking university/online courses, participating in industry-specific and vendor training, attending conferences, and gaining certifications.

Because security is a broad topic, Chan suggests developing general competency first, and then honing in on strategic specializations.

2. IoT Solution Development

As IoT is at an early stage in its evolution, few commercial solutions exist at present. That gives integrators an opportunity to create and pilot solutions for their customers, Chan says. “It may involve some software development, it may involve some mobile application development, integrating it into their existing operation systems, helping them plan through the different connectivity methods, and integrating the hardware and the software. Depending on the project, it could be some or all of these.”

That doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch, he points out. Many vendors provide hardware and software development kits, and some vendors offer platforms that minimize coding and integration.

To gain solution development skills, Chan suggests online training, hands-on lab work, vendor training, and IoT boot camps.

3. IoT Project Management

Managing IoT projects requires deep understanding of complex project management methodologies. Project managers must be agile, adaptive, fast assimilators, and strong communicators in highly uncertain environments, Chan says.

“IoT project management is … putting all the pieces together, getting it delivered on time, on budget, with the right quality,” he explains. "What makes IoT complex is there's a whole ecosystem of solutions and vendors out there.”

If you don’t already have a strong PM foundation, Chan stresses that you need to develop one. Boost skills by attending conferences and live or online training, and consider gaining a certification such as PMP, CAPM, or PMI-ACP (agile).

4. IoT Systems Integration

Getting IT, OT (operations technology), and IoT systems all working together “is your bread and butter,” Chan says. Though key to IoT adoption, he adds, it’s not an easy task.

“What makes it a challenge is that there are a lot of different standards out in the marketplace today," Chan notes. "There are a lot of different technologies that are just evolving, and … there's not enough testing. All of a sudden you've got this dynamic ecosystem, and it's very hard to pull all the pieces together. As an IoT integrator, this is where your big value is, making everything work as one.”

Chan recommends developing general competence first across hardware, software, and platforms, and then developing specializations strategically for solutions and platforms as needed.

5. Change Management

People don’t like change, and IoT is disruptive. But as Chan notes, “The more disruptive something is, the more value you create.” Still, an IoT project won’t realize ROI if people don’t accept it, so integrators must help their customers forecast the impact an IoT system will have and develop a strategy to train and transition employees. “It's about communicating, it's about identifying the risk, mitigating those risks, [and] developing that trust,” Chan says.

To develop that skill, he recommends taking courses and workshops, or hiring a change manager. “Change managers are people that are really accustomed to working with the very disruptive people side of IoT or technology, [and] the change that comes with it. That's sometimes the difference between success and failure.”

6. Data Analytics

According to Chan, the IoT is really about data, and data analytics is about connecting the dots and putting that data to use, whether that’s to save money, create a better experience, boost efficiency, or something else. “People aren't necessarily buying IoT, they're buying a solution to a problem. Sometimes that problem can be unlocked through the data that's in that technology. This is really where you can apply your premium," he emphasizes. "It is a very high-value service, there's not a lot of data scientists in the marketplace, or analysts.”

As your customer’s integrator, Chan says, “you put in the technology, you put in change processes. Now go the final step of creating that value by helping the customer understand and make use of that data and what it means for their business, for their operations, for their user experience.”

How? Chan suggests gaining data analytics skills through courses and conferences, or by hiring a data scientist. Vendors like Cloudera, IBM, Dell, SAS, and Microsoft offer training programs.

7. Want to Know More?

Chan likens where IoT is today to where the dotcom market was in 1996. “If you look at what happened with dotcom, it turned out there was a whole new set of skills, and the people that were able to go down that path of developing those skills, they were the ones that really took advantage of the internet,” he says.

Similarly, IoT will require a new set of skills. “If you could develop those skills," Chan says, "you'll set yourself up for the future, no matter what that future looks like.”

To find out the last four skills you’ll need to take advantage of this emerging market as well as to get a deeper dive into these tips, please access our free on-demand webinar Key Skills for IoT Integrators."