每天，技术都以新颖而令人兴奋的方式融合，以深刻地改变我们的个人和职业生活。就在上周，我的汽车向我发送了一封电子邮件，提醒我它的轮胎压力很低。上个月，我遇到了一家11人制造公司的领导者，她在自己的商店地板上用协作机器人代替了一个顽固的传统供应商，因为该机器人提供的速度更快。也许您现在也与人工智能的设备并排坐着。（嗨，Alexa！）
However, few such convergences are as promising for today’s manufacturers as a more accessible Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), an increasing buyer preference to buy direct online, and the connected infrastructure to make it possible. These factors have brought us to an inflection point—where customers want more information about the manufactured products they buy and manufacturers can collect and understand more information about their products than ever before. The crux of it all is elegantly transforming that vast amount of raw data—not just into better business decisions—but into true customer value.
This is a trend already taking shape as manufacturers lead the way in the world of connected devices. According to a report by IDC in December 2017, the industries expected to spend the most on IoT solutions in 2018 are manufacturing ($189 billion), transportation ($85 billion) and utilities ($73 billion). By supporting manufacturing operations with more complete information collected in real time, organizations are producing higher-quality products at a more rapid and predictable pace with a more cost-effective use of resources.
What’s more, the IIoT provides a nearly untapped world of transparency into the supply chain. More and more connected devices switch on every day and share up-to-the minute information about all kinds of players in the supply chain—like how long a ship has been out to sea, conditions of machines on the factory floor, or exact compositions of metals. This type of data has the potential to unveil all sorts of information about a manufacturer’s end product that can influence a purchasing decision or years of brand loyalty. It’s the kind of authenticity that is not for the shy business leader, but it’s exactly what a growing majority of buyers want and for which they are even willing to pay a premium.
The 2017 Forrester Research report “A Brand New Day in B2B Commerce” revealed a staggering opportunity for brand manufacturers. More than 85 percent of B2B buyers will visit a brand’s site when they research online, 54 percent of B2B buyers trust a manufacturer site for best information, and 20 percent are even willing to pay slightly more to buy direct. Buyers are seeking authenticity and trust, and they (rightfully so) perceive that the most reliable source for accurate product information is the group of people who make those products. Whatever your online presence, buyers are visiting your website. It’s up to you to capture them before they jump away to Amazon or another competitor.
但是，作为一种不断发展的技术，电子商务带来了自己的业务挑战和奖励。B2C和B2B客户都希望您能够获得愉快的客户体验。他们希望在您的网站上找到100％准确且完整的产品信息，并排比较产品，请参阅库存级别，访问折扣和个性化定价，将产品配置为他们的喜好，在完全安全的环境中签出，列表还在继续然后。作为大概也可以在线购买的消费者，我敢肯定您可以联系。
But, as a manufacturer, how do you enable IIoT and e-commerce in a meaningful way that creates new revenue opportunities and drives business growth? Advances in cloud applications have made it easier than ever for manufacturers to consume this type of innovation. “Manufacturers upload more data to the cloud on average than any other industry, and are second only to high tech in how many cloud services they use,” according to the 2016 Skyhigh Research, “Cloud Adoption and Risk Report.” No other software deployment model than the cloud offers the scalability or global presence to accommodate the incredible numbers of devices connecting into the IIoT every day. Cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems with integrated e-commerce solutions and fully responsive websites have the power to connect customers with the most accurate account and product information available, however and whenever they wish.
