Case study on challenges of implementing IoT solutions for Belgian companies

Details

Supervisors

Iania, Leonardo

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

The three previous great industrial revolutions have allowed humanity to lift billions of people out of misery creating still more advanced innovations. We are now at the dawn of a fourth industrial revolution that will impact the way we live, work, and socialize. Innovations such as AI, robotics, Internet of Things, 3D printing, etc. are about to experience converging technological breakthroughs. One of them, the “Internet of Things” offers real advantages to create values for companies. By making smart your factory or business, IoT offers improved operational efficiency, real-time data insights & enhanced automation. In this paper, we will focus on the challenges that these companies are facing when implementing IoT solutions. Indeed, the challenges identified are multiple and multi-disciplinary which makes companies willing to implement IoT solutions to operate in a more complex environment. Based on the literature review conducted, they can be categorized in 2 axes which are the technical and societal. On one hand, the technical challenges focus on the technology as itself. It is composed of the smart devices, its maturity, data management and communication protocols limitations. On the other hand, the societal challenges are related to issues arising at the organizational level such as the privacy & security, the long-term impact, the human resource, and trust of smart devices. the goal of this thesis will be to assess the relevance of the challenges identified towards an empirical study conducted in Belgium. Finally, the conclusion will offer advice for companies willing to implement IoT.